IT Project Manager - NDS

Introduction

Nelnet is a diversified and innovative company committed to enriching lives through the power of service as a student loan servicer, professional services company, consumer loan originator and servicer, payments processor, renewable energy solutions, and K-12 and higher education expert. For over 40 years, Nelnet has been serving its customers, associates, and communities. The perks of working at Nelnet go beyond our benefits package.

When you join the Nelnet team, you’re part of a community invested in the success of each individual. That support comes through in our work, as we are united by our mission of creating opportunities for people where they live, learn, and work.

Are you a technically grounded project manager ready to lead complex software development and cloud transformation initiatives? Nelnet is looking for an experienced IT Project Manager who can seamlessly bridge the worlds of technical execution and strategic delivery within our NDS IT Delivery organization. In this role, you will lead cross‑functional teams through the full lifecycle of application development, cloud migration, and AI‑driven projects — from inception through post‑implementation.

You will work closely with developers, cloud engineers, architects, and business stakeholders, applying your deep understanding of system design, modern development practices, and cloud platforms to keep initiatives on track and deliver measurable business value.

You will apply Agile and hybrid methodologies, proactively manage risks and dependencies, and communicate clearly across all levels — from individual contributors to senior leadership. Critically, you will both use AI tools to drive your own productivity and lead projects where AI capabilities are being built, integrated, or operationalized. If you thrive at the intersection of technical depth and delivery leadership — and you are energized by the challenge of moving applications to the cloud and harnessing AI to drive outcomes — we want to hear from you.

At this time, we are unable to move forward with external candidates that reside in these states:
Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington. This position requires work in support of the Company’s contract with the United States Department of Education (ED). As such, the United States Government requires that any applicant for this position must complete United States Government security clearance. Effective June 1, 2018, ED has informed Nelnet that security clearance applications for foreign nationals are not being accepted or processed.

In light of this direction from ED, Nelnet will be unable to hire applicants without United States citizenship for such positions.

Nelnet values flexibility and understands the importance of work‑life integration. Our hybrid work environment allows associates living within 30 miles of an office location to work remotely for part of the week, while also fostering collaboration and team connection through in‑office presence three days a week.

• Manages and directs project teams to meet project objectives, with a focus on custom software development, system integration, and cloud‑based initiatives.
• Leads technical project teams through the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including application design, development, testing, and deployment phases.
• Manages application cloud migration projects, coordinating across infrastructure, architecture, development, and security teams to ensure successful transitions.
• Champions the adoption of AI tools within the project team to drive team efficiency, and leads projects where AI capabilities are being developed, integrated, or operationalized.
• Reviews, evaluates, and formulates project plans, schedules, and budgets; identifies and negotiates milestones, resource requirements, and tradeoffs to meet project objectives.
• Oversees requirements solicitation, refinement, and definition for assigned projects; ensures technical requirements are clearly understood and…