Job Information
Nelnet Director - Consumer Growth & Market Expansion in Lincoln, Nebraska
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 Director, Growth & Market Expansion role exists to find what’s next and determine whether the NDS Consumer team is ready to serve it.
We are looking for a hands-on builder to lead our growth efforts: exploring external market opportunities, stress-testing them against real customer problems, and honestly assessing our organizational readiness (product, operations, tech, risk, scale) before we invest.
You will be given the space and ownership to explore the external market honestly, move fast, and help the organization invest where it truly has the right to win.
Market Expansion & Opportunity Identification
Engage with customers, partners, startups, and market ecosystems
Identify unmet needs, emerging behaviors, and market gaps
Translate insights into clear, testable venture hypotheses aligned with NDS Consumer’s business goals
Opportunity Pipeline Management
Build and operate a repeatable system to evaluate new opportunities
Source and synthesize opportunities across markets and domains
Define qualification criteria (strategic fit, differentiation, risk-to-ROI)
Collaborate with Finance, Operations and IT to ensure resource alignment and execution readiness
Readiness Assessment
Evaluate product, operational, technical, and delivery readiness
Identify and communicate gaps early
Recommend whether to build, partner, pause, or discontinue initiatives
Decision-Making & Governance
Present opportunities and insights to executive leadership and influence decision making
Lead regular opportunity reviews with clear outcomes (continue, pivot, terminate)
Prevent sunk-cost bias and avoid sustaining low-value initiatives
Salary Range: $90-130k
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s degree required
Preferred: MBA, advanced degree, or equivalent entrepreneurial experience
EXPERIENCE:
5+ years building and validating new businesses, products, or growth initiatives
Proven ability to lead cross-functional work in ambiguous environments
Hands-on experience with venture creation, pilots, and go-to-market execution
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional work in ambiguous environments
Founder or early-stage/startup experience
Exposure to AI-enabled products or emerging technologies
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Strong customer-first mindset with direct validation experience
Strategic generalist across product, finance, marketing, sales, and operations
Sound judgment in capital allocation, risk management, and prioritization
Ability to make decisive, sometimes unpopular, calls
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Fast-paced, high-ambiguity, and execution-focused
Emphasis on learning, experimentation, and continuous improvement
High ownership with strong support for exploration and innovation
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: LINK (http://nelnetinc.com/careers/benefits/) .
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 Corporate Recruiting at 402-486-5725 or corporaterecruiting@nelnet.net .
Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.
You may know Nelnet as the nation’s largest student loan servicer – but we do more than that. A lot more. We’re also a professional services company, consumer loan originator and servicer, payment processor, renewable energy innovator, and K-12 and higher education expert (and that’s just a shortlist). For over 40 years, we’ve been serving our customers, associates, and communities to make dreams possible.
EEO Info (https://nelnetinc.com/wp-content/uploads/EEO-poster.pdf) | EEO Letter (https://nelnet.com/wp-content/uploads/EEO-Jeffs-Letter.pdf) | EPPA Info (https://nelnetinc.com/wp-content/uploads/Employee-Polygraph-Protection-Act-Poster.pdf) | FMLA Info (https://nelnetinc.com/wp-content/uploads/FMLA-Leave.pdf)