Product Owner – NDS IT Delivery

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.

The Product Owner (PO) partners with stakeholders and delivery teams to define, prioritize, and deliver product features that align with business goals. This role ensures transparency, drives continuous improvement, and supports strategic alignment through effective collaboration across business, IT, and leadership teams.

Do you enjoy working in a supportive team environment, and getting excited for a team that thrives? This team works on various IT Delivery products as our Product Owners. They work heavily in Confluence, JIRA, Microsoft Teams, and with Microsoft Windows AD. The best candidate for this team is someone who is able to take ownership of their team's backlog, build relationships with stakeholders, and have a good understanding of their team's product with the ambition to drive it forward.

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 believes in a hybrid work environment that accommodates both in-office and remote work. This model promotes a positive work-life balance and culture, enabling in-person collaboration when possible while also providing benefits associated with remote work. Our hybrid roles have flexibility, based on the team. The standard hybrid work schedule includes 24 hours of in-office work and 16 hours working from home each week for associates that reside within 30 miles of an office. 

*This position may be filled remotely, if the selected candidate resides more than 30 miles from a Nelnet office.*

We are unable to consider candidates that reside in these states:  Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.

Responsibilities:

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage stakeholders to understand needs and prioritize features based on business value.

• Communicate effectively with delivery teams and business stakeholders at the appropriate level of detail to ensure shared understanding of requirements, progress and value.

• Collaborate with users and clients to translate needs into actionable requirements.

• Negotiate priorities and facilitate alignment across teams.

• Report status and escalate risks to the Product Manager.

Product Strategy & Roadmap

• Partner with the Product Manager to maintain a cohesive product vision.

• Support roadmap development and ensure alignment with strategic goals.

• Promote transparency in product delivery and decision-making.

• Take ownership of learning the product line to ensure alignment with user needs, understand dependencies, risks and business goals.

Backlog & Delivery Management

• Manage and prioritize the product backlog as needed.

• Ensure backlog visibility and clarity for teams and stakeholders.

• Oversee product development stages and track progress using relevant metrics.

Team Leadership

• Participate or lead agile ceremonies when relevant to product initiatives.

• Lead the team(s) toward achieving product goals.

Financial Awareness

• Contribute to monitoring product investment, spend, and ROI.

• Assist with creation of cost benefit analysis for proposed initiatives.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or similar role.

• Skills: Strong communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to manage expectations and keep stakeholders informed.

• Additional Information This role involves effective collaboration with various business, IT, and leadership teams. The Product Owner ensures alignment across product strategy.

Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Competencies

• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills

• Ability to conceptualize and analyze complex business processes

• Strong motivation, negotiation, facilitation, and presentation skills

• Ability to define and achieve business goals and meet deadlines while working both independently & collaboratively

• Proven Servant Leadership capabilities

• Strong customer service focus - Exceptional organizational skills

• Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills

• Ability to successfully manage multiple, simultaneous initiatives and conflicting priorities

• Ability to meet and manage customer expectations in a professional and timely manner  

Annual compensation range for this role is $78,000 - $100,000

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.

#INDOps

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. Click here to learn more about our benefits: LINK.

Nelnet is committed to providing a welcoming and respectful workplace where all associates have the opportunity to succeed. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we ensure that all qualified applicants are considered for employment. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion/creed, national origin, gender, sex, marital status, age, disability, use of a guide dog or service animal, sexual orientation, military/veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. We value the unique contributions of every team member and believe that a positive work environment benefits everyone.  

Qualified individuals with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations in order to apply or compete for positions at Nelnet may request such accommodations by contacting Corporate Recruiting at or 

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.

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