Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Nelnet is a diversified and innovative company committed to enriching lives through the power of service. The NDS Program Office IT Program Administrator - Governance role focuses on ensuring compliance with AI governance policies and supports the administration of IT programs, particularly involving Atlassian products.
Responsibilities
- Ensure NDS SDLC stages include the AI-specific gates, artifact requirements, and approval checkpoints required by the Nelnet AI Governance Policy and Acceptable Use Policy
- Maintain the NDS AI-extended SDLC (AISDLC), updating it as policy, regulation, or technology changes
- Ensure all NDS AI development and deployment initiatives complete the AI Registry & Impact Assessment process; evaluate submissions for accuracy and completeness
- Verify AI-specific requirements are met at defined SDLC checkpoints
- Verify NDS associates are using approved AI tools at correct data classification levels
- Build and maintain the NDS AI compliance evidence package, keeping it current and audit-ready
- Maintain a current inventory of all AI systems in development, deployed, and retired within NDS, including owners, risk tier, and system type
- Ensure development teams understand their AI governance obligations, and hold them accountable when requirements aren't met
- Represent NDS in enterprise AI governance conversations and working groups
- Monitor and maintain the health of NDS Jira and Confluence environments; diagnose and resolve platform-level issues and configuration problems
- Partner closely with development teams and leadership to support active products and ensure adherence to standards
- Document, measure, and improve system and software lifecycles to meet business objectives across NDS IT programs
- Interpret contractual and regulatory documentation (CMMI, NIST, FSA Contract, RFPs) to identify gaps in lifecycles, policies, and procedures, and work with stakeholders to close those gaps
- Document processes and procedures in an organized, user-friendly format
- Provide clear and concise verbal and written communication tailored to the appropriate audience — technical and non-technical
- Research, assess, and train others on non-development tools used across the segment
- Perform value stream mapping for processes owned within NDS IT to streamline workflows and eliminate waste
Skills
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
- 2+ years in a role combining process, compliance, governance, or audit work with meaningful exposure to AI or emerging technology
- Genuine, demonstrable fluency in the current AI landscape
- Conceptual understanding of how agentic AI systems work — what agents are, how they use tools and memory, and what makes them different from traditional software from a governance standpoint
- Ability to evaluate an AI system description or impact assessment and identify what's missing, understated, or inaccurate
- You follow AI news, model releases, and regulatory developments without being asked
- Comfortable telling a team they're not meeting a requirement, in a way that results in compliance, not conflict
- Strong written and verbal communication skills across all organizational levels
- Excellent interpersonal, consensus-building, and analytical skills
- Highly self-motivated and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership
- Low ego about what you don't know, high confidence about what you do
- Hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, or Atlassian products, including platform health monitoring and troubleshooting
- Experience in financial services or another heavily regulated industry
- Familiarity with NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, or similar AI governance frameworks
- CMMI process area knowledge
- Exposure to CFPB, FCRA, UDAAP, or FSA regulatory requirements
- Relevant certifications: AIGP, CIPP, CISA, CRCM, or equivalent AI/compliance credentials
- Experience building or reviewing agentic AI systems, LLM integrations, or AI-assisted workflows
- Change management experience or certification (Prosci, CCMP, or equivalent)
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
- Hybrid work environment that accommodates both in-office and 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.
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