Manager, Partnership Alliances

Nelnet; Highlands Ranch (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nelnet Business Services (NBS), a division of Nelnet, Inc., seeks a Manager of Partnerships & Alliances to lead Tier 1 and Tier 2 partner relationships, ERP ecosystem participation, and revenue growth. The role collaborates with Sales, Implementation, Marketing, Product, Legal, and operations to execute strategy while aligning with institutional needs and a partner-neutral approach.

Note: visa sponsorship is not provided; candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without

Qualifications

• 7 years of alliance, channel, or partnership management experience in B2B SaaS or higher education technology.
• Experience with revenue accountability and commercial relationship ownership.
• Familiarity with higher education payments, fintech, or campus ERP ecosystems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own Tier 1 strategic alliance relationships, including executive sponsorship, joint planning, commitment tracking, and growth strategy.
• Identify and develop new infrastructure-native partner opportunities that expand revenue and strengthen NCC payment workflows.
• Manage Tier 2 commercial partner relationships, including onboarding, co-sell activity, co-marketing priorities, and business reviews.
• Lead NCC's participation in ERP partner ecosystems, including partner program advancement, certification alignment, and competitive response.
• Oversee NCC's highest-revenue standalone partner relationship and support diversification efforts to reduce revenue concentration risk.
• Evaluate and qualify new partner opportunities based on strategic fit, institutional demand, integration approach, and operational value.
• Own partner channel revenue performance, forecasting, pipeline reporting, and business case development for partnership investments.
• Guide partner program positioning, sponsorship strategy, and partner-facing communications in coordination with internal stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Revenue forecasting

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

REST API integrations

Job description

Nelnet Business Services (NBS), a division of Nelnet, Inc., provides payment technology, education services, and learning management solutions to education and faith-based organizations, serving more than 1,300 higher education institutions, 11,500 K-12 schools, 3,500 churches, and millions of individual students, families, and supporters across the globe. Our culture of service enables us to form long-lasting and trusted partnerships, while our focus on creativity and innovative solutions empowers our customer communities to thrive.

As a Nelnet company, the perks at NBS go beyond our benefits package. You're part of a community, invested in you as an individual and united by our mission to create opportunities for people where they live, learn and work.

The Manager, Partnerships & Alliances owns NCC's partner channel strategy and commercial performance. This role leads Tier 1 strategic alliances, Tier 2 commercial partnerships, ERP platform participation, and a key standalone partner relationship. The position is responsible for growing partner revenue, identifying new infrastructure-native partnership opportunities, and ensuring partner decisions align with institutional needs, business priorities, and NCC's partner-neutral approach. This role works closely with Sales, Implementation, Marketing, Product, Legal, and Partnership Operations & Marketing to execute partnership strategy and deliver results.

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. To be considered, candidates must already be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship as security clearance is required.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own Tier 1 strategic alliance relationships, including executive sponsorship, joint planning, commitment tracking, and growth strategy.
• Identify and develop new infrastructure-native partner opportunities that expand revenue and strengthen NCC payment workflows.
• Manage Tier 2 commercial partner relationships, including onboarding, co-sell activity, co-marketing priorities, and business reviews.
• Lead NCC's participation in ERP partner ecosystems, including partner program advancement, certification alignment, and competitive response.
• Oversee NCC's highest-revenue standalone partner relationship and support diversification efforts to reduce revenue concentration risk.
• Evaluate and qualify new partner opportunities based on strategic fit, institutional demand, integration approach, and operational value.
• Own partner channel revenue performance, forecasting, pipeline reporting, and business case development for partnership investments.
• Guide partner program positioning, sponsorship strategy, and partner-facing communications in coordination with internal stakeholders.

EDUCATION:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, education technology, or a related field

Preferred:

• Master's degree in business administration, higher education, or a related field preferred

EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 7 years of experience in alliance, channel, or partnership management within B2B SaaS or higher education technology, including revenue accountability and commercial relationship ownership

Preferred:

• Experience in higher education payments, financial technology, or campus ERP ecosystems preferred; familiarity with partner program design, business case development, and REST API integrations is a plus

Skills:

• Strategic partnership and alliance management
• Revenue forecasting and pipeline analysis
• Cross-functional collaboration and influence