Executive Director

The work we do matters!

Hiring Agency:

Retirement Systems - Agency 85

Location:

Lincoln, NE

Hiring Rate:

$0.000

Job Posting:

JR2026-00030489 Executive Director, Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (Open)

Applications No Longer Accepted On (If no date is displayed, job is posted as open until closed):

Job Description:

The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System administers six separate employee retirement plans and one deferred compensation plan for the State of Nebraska. With an annual budget of $10M and 65 FTE, the organization serves approximately 175,840 members.

More information can be found at: https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/index.jsp

Current Circumstances

We view the transition to a new Executive Director as a strategic opportunity. By any measure, we are a high-performing, fiduciarily responsible enterprise. Governor Pillen has appointed an experienced board of nine community leaders and the Nebraska Investment Counsel CIO, who bring diverse backgrounds, a capacity for robust strategic analysis, high-level oversight, and a collaborative spirit. The key responsibilities of our Executive Director are to forge a strong partnership with the board, deliver data and analysis that informs strategy and innovation, provide visible and effective public leadership, motivate and lead our staff, and serve our members.

Our dedicated staff carries decades of knowledge and expertise and represents a vital resource. We value their continued service but recognize that key retirements are foreseeable. To this end, we will ask our new Executive Director to begin with a comprehensive organizational assessment and recommend opportunities for improvement and growth. Ensuring that our Executive Director's focus on strategy, public advocacy, and innovation is complemented by strong operational leadership will be a key outcome.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Administration

• Facilitate and implement Board strategy, policy, and governance standards
• Provide executive direction and ensure effective day-to-day management of NPERS
• Ensure strict compliance with pension laws, regulations, and internal controls
• Drive innovation in business processes and technology
• Ensure effective staff recruitment, development, and performance management
   

Stakeholder Relations & Communication

• Nurture relationships with policymakers, officials, member organizations, and external partners
• Oversee public communications and represent NPERS in community and industry forums

Requirements / Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Demonstrated leadership experience with a pension system or similar financial services organization
• Training in, experience with, or demonstrated knowledge of qualified public employee retirement plan administration
• Proven experience in strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a related field, JD or CPA

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated success in leadership, staff development, and process improvement
• Strong emotional intelligence, effective communication, and relationship-building skills

Salary

Salary is commensurate with education and experience.

If you're currently employed by the State of Nebraska, please don't apply through this external career site. Instead, log in to Workday and open the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home landing page. You can access Workday anytime through the Link web page: https://link.nebraska.gov/

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.

Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! Benefit eligibility may vary by position, agency and employment status. For more information on benefits, please visit: https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/index.html#benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex. age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.