Senior Portfolio Strategy & Analytics Lead - NDS

Nelnet•Lincoln, NE

1d•$90,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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 Senior Portfolio Strategy & Analytics Lead serves as a senior analytics expert for student loan portfolios, responsible for deeply understanding portfolio performance, designing advanced analytical frameworks, and translating complex data into clear insights that inform portfolio strategy and decision-making. The role partners closely with Data Analytics teams to design data structures, define portfolio metrics, and build analytical reporting and visualization solutions. While this role supports and evaluates portfolio strategies and initiatives, its primary focus is on measurement, analysis, and insight, rather than day-to-day initiative execution or program leadership. External applicants must reside within 30 miles of the below office locations: Centennial, CO Lincoln, NE Sidney, NE Madison, WI 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 24 hours of in-office work each week, for associates that reside within 30 miles of an office. This is subject to change, based on manager discretion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Analytics, Data Science, Finance, Economics, Statistics, or related field (Master’s preferred)
Extensive experience performing advanced analytics on large, complex financial or loan portfolios
Expert-level SQL skills for complex data extraction and analysis
Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis, automation, or modeling
Advanced experience with Power BI, including data modeling and DAX
Proven ability to translate analytical findings into clear insights for senior leadership

Nice To Haves

Experience with student loan portfolios or regulated financial products
Familiarity with forecasting, risk metrics, and portfolio performance modeling
Experience partnering with centralized Data Analytics or BI teams
Experience designing reusable analytical frameworks and standardized metrics

Responsibilities

Portfolio Analytics & Performance Insight Develop and maintain deep analytical understanding of student loan portfolio performance, including repayment behavior, delinquency, default, cure, and lifecycle transitions.
Conduct complex portfolio analyses across programs, cohorts, and borrower segments to identify performance drivers, risks, and emerging trends.
Serve as a primary analytical resource for portfolio performance questions from senior leadership, Finance, Operations, and Strategy teams.
Strategy Measurement & Evaluation Design analytical frameworks to track, measure, and evaluate portfolio strategies, pilots, and initiatives.
Define success metrics, baselines, and evaluation methodologies in partnership with Data Analytics and business stakeholders.
Perform post-implementation analysis to assess effectiveness, quantify impact, and identify unintended consequences.
Translate analytical findings into evidence-based recommendations to inform future strategy decisions.
Metrics, Data Modeling & Data Design Define, standardize, and evolve portfolio-level metrics and KPIs to ensure consistency and analytical rigor.
Partner with Data Analytics teams to: Design and enhance analytical data models and portfolio-specific datasets Define data requirements for new portfolio metrics, analyses, and reporting Ensure data quality, lineage, and scalability for portfolio analytics use cases Align portfolio metrics with Finance, Risk, and operational measurement frameworks.
Reporting, Dashboards & Visualization Partner with Data Analytics to design, develop, and enhance portfolio dashboards, reports, and visualizations.
Drive the evolution of executive-facing portfolio views to emphasize trends, drivers, and forward-looking indicators.
Ensure reporting solutions are analytically sound, scalable, and aligned with standardized metric definitions.
Leverage visualization to tell clear, accurate stories about portfolio performance and strategy outcomes.
Technical Analytics & Tooling Independently perform advanced portfolio analyses using SQL and analytical programming tools.
Utilize Python for data analysis, modeling, automation, and exploratory analytics where appropriate.
Design, build, and maintain analytical content in Power BI, including semantic models, DAX measures, and performance-optimized dashboards.
Partner with Data Analytics and data engineering teams to improve analytical workflows, reproducibility, and efficiency.
Collaboration & Analytical Leadership Provide analytical direction, mentorship, and thought leadership related to portfolio analytics and measurement practices.
Collaborate with Data Analytics, Finance, Operations, and Strategy teams to ensure analytical efforts are focused on the highest-value portfolio questions.
Promote best practices in analytical design, metric governance, and insight communication.
Key Deliverables Portfolio performance analyses and insight summaries Strategy and initiative measurement frameworks and results Standardized portfolio metric definitions and documentation Executive dashboards and recurring portfolio analytics Analytical requirements and specifications for new portfolio reporting