Senior Associate, Business Integration

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We're on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We're changing. Because students need a better way.

We're looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students-and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It's where you're empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you-from physical and mental to financial and professional. You'll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We're obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking "why not?" when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

Job Summary

The Senior Associate, Business Integration plays a critical role in supporting multiple Business Integration Managers across Pre‑Default Collections, Post‑Default Collections, and Risk & Compliance. This role serves as a key execution and coordination partner, leading smaller initiatives and defined work streams, managing timelines and deliverables, and enabling effective execution through organization, communication, and analytical support.

The Senior Associate operates across concurrent priorities, partnering closely with Managers to drive progress on initiatives, surface risks, manage dependencies, and ensure timely delivery of commitments. This role requires strong project management discipline, comfort managing upward, and the ability to independently drive work while operating within defined strategic direction.

Key Responsibilities

Initiative & Workstream Leadership

* Lead assigned smaller initiatives and sub‑projects on behalf of Business Integration Managers, from planning through execution and closeout.

* Translate high‑level direction into actionable plans, milestones, and deliverables.

* Own day‑to‑day execution for assigned work streams, escalating risks or decision points as needed.

Delivery & Timeline Management

* Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, and status tracking across multiple initiatives.

* Proactively manage dependencies, risks, and open items to support timely delivery.

* Drive follow‑ups, action tracking, and issue resolution across cross‑functional partners.

Manager Enablement & Upward Management

* Organize and synthesize updates for Managers, including status summaries, risks, and upcoming decisions.

* Prepare materials to support leadership discussions, reviews, and governance routines.

* Act as a thought partner to Managers by proactively identifying gaps, bottlenecks, or execution risks.

Cross‑Functional Coordination

* Partner with Operations, Risk, Compliance, Technology, and other stakeholders to support integration efforts.

* Facilitate working sessions, meetings, and working groups to drive alignment and progress.

* Ensure communication is clear, consistent, and documented across impacted teams.

Risk, Compliance & Issue Tracking Support

* Support risk and compliance-related initiatives by tracking open items, remediation plans, and due dates.

* Assist with documentation of risk assessments, controls, and mitigation activities.

* Partner with risk and compliance teams to ensure operational follow‑through on identified gaps.

Analytics, Reporting & Ad Hoc Support

* Analyze data and operational metrics to support decision‑making and initiative prioritization.

* Produce…