NDS Program Office IT Program Administrator - Governance

Nelnet is a diversified and innovative company committed to enriching lives through the power of service. For over 40 years, we have been serving our customers, associates, and communities.

This position lives in the Nelnet Diversified Services (NDS) Program Office, within IT Process Governance & Atlassian Products.

At hire, this role owns NDS's AI governance capability—ensuring our processes include the AI‑specific gates, artifact requirements, and approval checkpoints required by policy, and that development teams understand and meet their AI governance obligations. This is a compliance‑primary role: you hold teams accountable to requirements.

This role is designed to grow. Within the first 30 days, you will begin absorbing the broader IT Program Administrator scope—Atlassian platform health and troubleshooting, change management, CMMI process documentation and governance, and SDLC process governance.

Nelnet believes in a hybrid work environment. The standard hybrid work schedule includes 24 hours of in‑office work each week, for associates that reside within 30 miles of an office.

Annual compensation range: $95,000 - $120,000 depending on experience.

• Ensure NDS SDLC stages include the AI‑specific gates, artifact requirements, and approval checkpoints required by the Nelnet AI Governance Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.
• Maintain the NDS AI‑extended SDLC (AISDLC).
• Ensure all NDS AI development and deployment initiatives complete the AI Registry & Impact Assessment process.
• Verify AI‑specific requirements are met at defined SDLC checkpoints.
• Verify NDS associates are using approved AI tools at correct data classification levels.
• Build and maintain the NDS AI compliance evidence package.
• Maintain a current inventory of all AI systems in development, deployed, and retired within NDS.
• Ensure development teams understand their AI governance obligations and hold them accountable.
• Represent NDS in enterprise AI governance conversations and working groups.

• Monitor and maintain the health of NDS Jira and Confluence environments.
• Partner closely with development teams and leadership to support active products.
• Document, measure, and improve system and software life cycles.
• Interpret contractual and regulatory documentation (CMMI, NIST, FSA Contract, RFPs) to identify gaps.
• Document processes and procedures in an organized, user‑friendly format.
• Provide clear and concise communication tailored to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Research, assess, and train others on non‑development tools.
• Perform value stream mapping for processes owned within NDS IT.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

• 2 years in a role combining process, compliance, governance, or audit work with meaningful exposure to AI or emerging technology.
• Genuine, demonstrable fluency in the current AI landscape.
• Conceptual understanding of how agentic AI systems work.
• Ability to evaluate an AI system description or impact assessment and identify what's missing, understated, or inaccurate.

• Hands‑on experience with Jira, Confluence, or Atlassian products.
• Experience in financial services or another heavily regulated industry.
• Familiarity with NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, or similar AI governance frameworks.
• CMMI process area knowledge.
• Exposure to CFPB, FCRA, UDAAP, or FSA regulatory requirements.
• Relevant certifications: AIGP, CIPP, CISA, CRCM, or equivalent.
• Experience building or reviewing agentic AI systems, LLM integrations, or AI‑assisted workflows.
• Change management experience or certification.

This position requires work in support of the Company's contract with the United States Department of Education ("ED"). The United States Government requires that any applicant for this position must complete United States Government security clearance. Nelnet will be unable to hire applicants without United States citizenship for such positions.

Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, HSA and FSA, generous earned time off, 401K/student loan repayment, life insurance & AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, employee stock purchase program, tuition reimbursement, performance‑based incentive pay, short‑ and long‑term disability, and a robust wellness program. Learn more about our benefits.