Engagement Manager - Client Growth

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.

Client Growth is one of the key strategic objectives for the Consumer Servicing team, and this role is a critical contributor to that success. The Client Onboarding organization is responsible for the accurate, efficient, effective, and timely onboarding of clients across all Nelnet businesses and geographies. We are looking for a Project Manager who owns the client implementation lifecycle end-to-end — serving as the primary point of accountability during the transition from Sales to Management. This person holds the project to the budget, timeline, and scope defined in the client contract or agreement, while identifying and aligning stakeholders on risk on behalf of both the business and the client. This is a hybrid role based in our Lincoln office, planning and executing onboarding and implementation projects and their related program-level responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Implementation & Delivery

• Own the planning and successful execution of multiple concurrent client onboarding/implementation projects through cross-functional collaboration.

• Serve as the primary point of accountability for the client during implementation, translating the signed contract or agreement into an executable project plan.

• Perform analysis and due diligence, and build clear, attainable objectives and project requirements that reflect both contractual commitments and internal success criteria.

• Deliver each implementation against agreed cost, time, scope, and quality constraints.

• Supporting Internal Implementations that deliver client value, while working with the Growth Program Management team to outline capabilities and cross sell opportunities during implementation.

Budget, Timeline & Contract Alignment (Program-Level Ownership)

• Hold each engagement to its approved budget and timeline, proactively identifying variances and driving corrective action.

• Continuously validate that the scope and pace of delivery remain aligned to the terms of the client contract or potential agreement, escalating discrepancies before they become client-facing issues.

• Track success criteria, KPIs, and critical-path milestones across the full project/program, and provide regular, accurate status reporting to internal and client stakeholders.

• Coordinate resourcing and dependencies across functional teams, acting as the connective layer a program manager provides above single-project execution.

Risk Management & Stakeholder Alignment

• Identify, log, and actively manage risks through mitigation and resolution, weighing impact to both Nelnet and the client.

• Align business and client stakeholders on risk exposure and trade-offs relative to the contract, ensuring decisions are made with shared visibility.

• Work closely with senior leaders as issues arise, escalating appropriately and bringing recommended paths forward rather than problems alone.

• Provide clear, timely issue-resolution updates to all impacted stakeholders.

Business Development-to-Management Transition

• Act as the key handoff point between the Sales/contracting process and ongoing account management, ensuring nothing negotiated in the agreement is lost in translation during implementation.

• Partner with Sales to fully understand deal-specific commitments, then build the internal plan required to deliver on them.

• Set the client relationship up for a smooth transition into steady-state account management once implementation is complete.

Continuous Improvement & Ways of Working

• Coordinate and promote continuous improvement of workflows, procedures, processes, and standards across the onboarding/implementation function.

• Support and facilitate retrospectives to continually improve the onboarding and implementation process.

• Actively leverage AI tools that are embedded into the onboarding process, with an expectation of using them to improve efficiency and quality of delivery.

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. The standard hybrid work schedule includes a 24/16 hour (in-office/work-from-home) split for associates that reside within 30 miles of an office. This is subject to change, based on manager discretion.

This role is currently open to candidates living within 30 miles of our Lincoln, NE office location.

Education

• Bachelor's degree required.

Experience

• 5–8 years of project and/or program management experience.

• Experience in end-to-end client onboarding and implementation, ideally including exposure to contract or SOW terms and how they translate into delivery scope.

• Experience holding delivery accountable to a budget and timeline, and communicating variances to stakeholders.

• PMP certification a plus; program management credentials (e.g., PgMP) also valued given the hybrid scope of this role.

• Experience with project management tools

Competencies — Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

• Demonstrated effectiveness in both project management and program-level process management and optimization.

• Ability to read and operationalize contractual/agreement terms into project plans and success criteria.

• Strong financial acumen for tracking and defending project budgets.

• Excellent workflow management skills and experience.

• Innovation and change management implementation.

• Process re-engineering and improvement.

• Strong organization and prioritization skills across multiple concurrent implementations.

• Proactive thinking, risk identification, and execution abilities.

• Detail-oriented while maintaining a strategic, program-level view.

• Client-focused — comfortable managing both internal and external-facing relationships.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level status reporting.

• Results-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines.

• Ability to effectively coordinate with all levels of the organization, including senior leadership.

• Excellent relationship-building skills, particularly during the sales-to-delivery handoff.

Salary starting at $75,000 annually

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