Third-Party Risk Analyst

Nelnet • Lincoln, NE

1d

About The Position

The Third-Party Risk Analyst is a contributor within Nelnet's Risk Management team. This role supports risk assessments and ongoing oversight of third-party relationships across the organization. This role helps safeguard Nelnet against key risks by evaluating third-party controls, identifying risk gaps, and recommending remediation aligned with regulatory requirements and internal standards. The Analyst partners closely with senior team members and internal stakeholders to support the third-party risk management lifecycle and contributes to process improvements that support the continued maturity of the Third-Party Risk Management Program.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in technology, risk, business, or related field (equivalent experience may substitute).
• 1-3 years in risk management, third-party risk management, audit, cybersecurity, or compliance.
• Education or certifications in risk, audit, cyber, or project management preferred.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements and frameworks such as SOC 1/SOC 2, ISO, NIST, and others.
• Ability to review and interpret vendor documentation to support risk assessments and identify control gaps.
• Sound judgment to identify risk gaps and escalate issues appropriately based on risk severity.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently, communicate clearly, and escalate issues effectively to stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills to manage concurrent assessments and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders and subject matter experts across the third-party risk management lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate third-party risk assessments for new and existing third-party relationships, with guidance from senior team members as needed.
• Assist in assessing fourth-party and subcontractor risk exposure for third-party relationships.
• Review and analyze documentation provided by the third-party, document assessment results, identity risk gaps, and recommend remediation actions aligned with Regulatory Requirements and Nelnet standards.
• Deliver reporting, dashboards, and analytics for ongoing oversight, trends, and escalation.
• Support the ongoing maintenance and administration of third-party policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and subject matter experts to support the third-party risk management lifecycle.
• Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships across business segments to support collaboration throughout the third-party risk management lifecycle.
• Utilize existing tools and technology, including AI, to support process efficiency, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain awareness of emerging risks and industry trends through continued education and research, sharing relevant insights with the team.
• Participate in and support the delivery of third-party risk management training for Nelnet Associates.

Benefits

• 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
• a robust wellness program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level