Product Manager - NDS

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.

Create a collaborative and transparent environment that helps deliver business value in a quick and interactive fashion. Collaboration, relationship-building, communication, and leadership are key aspects of the Product Manager role. The ultimate purpose of the Product Manager is to develop strategic vision and product roadmaps with internal and external stakeholders, prioritize needs based on business value, and work with stakeholders and development teams to deliver on individual initiatives within the product, working with others to coordinate timelines, budget, and resources to complete work within program guidelines.
This position follows a hybrid work schedule and requires associates to reside within 30 miles of one of the following office locations: Lincoln, NE; Centennial, CO; Madison, WI; or Brownsville, TX. Associates are expected to work both remotely and in-office, with a standard requirement of 24 hours per week in the office to support collaboration, team engagement, and business needs. Hybrid work expectations may be adjusted based on business needs and manager discretion.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with stakeholders to develop product strategies that support the company’s strategic goals. Ensure the strategy is visible and transparent to all parties. 

• Facilitate collaboration with stakeholders to identify and plan the delivery key initiatives that align with the overall product strategy. Collaborate with the teams to develop budget and investment needs to support the delivery of these key initiatives. 

• Work with all areas of the organization to understand customer opportunities, compliance, regulations, market trends and customer behaviors. 

• Own prioritization, preparing and communicating product roadmaps. Ensure the roadmap is shared and understood by product owners, stakeholders and the teams.

• Work with product owners to ensure a common understanding of projects goals and desired outcomes and work together to ensure the projects meet those goals. 

• Acts as a stakeholder in all release planning meetings to ensure that release plans fit into the overall product vision and meet required deliverable dates. 

• Responsible for maintaining a product level backlog including milestones, epics, user stories and acceptance criteria. Work with teams to ensure they understand the business needs outlined in the stories

• Responsible for final signoff that solutions produce the desired outcomes.

• Monitor delivery progress to ensure appropriate return on investments will be met. 

• Understand the overall cost of the product and how it contributes to overall cost

EDUCATION: 
Bachelor’s degree or related fields and/or commensurate experience.  Master’s degree beneficial.

EXPERIENCE: 

• 4+ years’ agile experience

• 2+ years’ experience as a Product Owner or Product Manager required.

• Proven experience working with Senior Executives required.

• 2+ years’ student loan experience preferred.

COMPETENCIES – SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES:

• 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 leadership and employee development capabilities

• Strong customer service focus

• Exceptional organizational skills

• Experience developing and implementing processes and procedures.

• Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills

• Solid financial and budgetary skills

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

• Demonstrated skills in project management techniques, methods, processes, and practices.

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

Compensation range for this position is $90,000 to $120,000 depending on experience.

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.

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: Benefits & Perks - Nelnet Inc.

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 Talent Acquisition at 402-486-5725 or [email protected].

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

We may use automated or artificial intelligence enabled tools to assist with the initial review of applications, such as identifying relevant skills or experience. These tools are used to support human review and do not make hiring decisions. A recruiter reviews applications and determines which candidates move forward in the hiring process. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Pre-Use Notice: Automated Tools in Hiring