IT Project Manager - NDS

Nelnet•Lincoln, NE

1d•$85,000 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Nelnet is seeking an experienced IT Project Manager to lead complex software development and cloud transformation initiatives within its NDS IT Delivery organization. This role involves leading cross-functional teams through the full lifecycle of application development, cloud migration, and AI-driven projects. The IT Project Manager will collaborate with developers, cloud engineers, architects, and business stakeholders, utilizing their understanding of system design, modern development practices, and cloud platforms to ensure projects stay on track and deliver business value. The position requires applying Agile and hybrid methodologies, managing risks and dependencies, and communicating effectively across all organizational levels. A key aspect of this role is the use of AI tools for personal productivity and leading projects involving the development, integration, or operationalization of AI capabilities. The ideal candidate thrives at the intersection of technical depth and delivery leadership, and is energized by moving applications to the cloud and leveraging AI for outcomes. Due to government contract requirements, this position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance. External candidates residing in specific states are not eligible for consideration. Nelnet offers a hybrid work environment, allowing associates living within 30 miles of an office to work remotely part of the week while maintaining in-office presence three days a week for collaboration.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in information science or related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated experience leading technical project teams comprised of software developers, cloud engineers, architects, QA engineers, and business analysts, preferably in a matrixed organization.
Hands-on experience managing full-cycle application development
Demonstrated ability to use AI productivity tools (such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, or similar) to increase personal and team efficiency in a professional setting.
Expert-level experience working with Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, and Excel for project tracking, documentation, reporting, and resource management.
Strong background in software development and technology is required.
The ideal candidate will have hands-on familiarity with modern development practices, technical architecture, and a working understanding of IT infrastructure and cloud environments.
Ability to manage projects from inception through successful post-implementation, including lessons learned and transition to support.
Demonstrated competency in developing effective solutions to successfully resolve diverse and complex business and technical problems.
Familiarity with modern development practices including CI/CD pipelines, DevOps principles, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and API-driven architectures.
Demonstrated use of AI tools in a professional project delivery context; ability to coach and encourage team members on AI-assisted workflows.
Comfort with ambiguity in emerging technology spaces — particularly AI and cloud — where methodologies and best practices continue to evolve rapidly.
Strong analytical, communications, technical teamwork, and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency in Jira, Confluence, and SharePoint; experience with other database utilities and Microsoft technologies preferred.
Ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring alignment and clarity throughout the project lifecycle.
Assesses and manages project risks, dependencies, and issues with a proactive and structured approach.
U.S. citizenship required.
Ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

PMP or PMI-ACP certification preferred.
Coursework or certifications in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) or AI/ML fundamentals are a plus.
Experience with application cloud migration projects (lift-and-shift, re-platforming, or re-architecting) is strongly preferred.
Experience leading projects where AI or machine learning capabilities were being built, integrated, or deployed is a significant differentiator.

Responsibilities

Manages and directs project teams to meet project objectives, with a focus on custom software development, system integration, and cloud-based initiatives.
Leads technical project teams through the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including application design, development, testing, and deployment phases.
Manages application cloud migration projects, coordinating across infrastructure, architecture, development, and security teams to ensure successful transitions.
Champions the adoption of AI tools within the project team to drive team efficiency, and leads projects where AI capabilities are being developed, integrated, or operationalized.
Reviews, evaluates, and formulates project plans, schedules, and budgets; identifies and negotiates milestones, resource requirements, and tradeoffs to meet project objectives.
Oversees requirements solicitation, refinement, and definition for assigned projects; ensures technical requirements are clearly understood and traceable throughout delivery.
Partners with enterprise architects and technical leads to ensure proposed solutions align with organizational standards, cloud architecture patterns, and long-term scalability needs.
Manages staff and budget resources required to meet changing corporate priorities and project demands.
Leads problem resolution and decision-making through facilitation, structured troubleshooting, and escalation management.
Organizes and guides project operations using Agile or hybrid methodologies appropriate to the technical complexity and scope of the work.
Evaluates and reports project progress in terms of quality, performance, and delivery metrics common to IT and software development projects.
Works with various departments to coordinate systems testing, deployment, training, and post-implementation support.
Assesses, tracks, and manages project risks, dependencies, and issues; communicates status clearly and consistently to stakeholders at all levels.
Bridges the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring alignment, shared understanding, and clarity throughout the project lifecycle.