Senior Product Manager

Nelnet, Inc.; Nebraska; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) + programs

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off & wellness

Job summary

Nelnet, Inc. is seeking a Senior Product Manager to lead product strategy, customer discovery, and roadmap execution for strategic software solutions in the Education Services portfolio.

You will partner with engineering, design, customer success, sales, and leadership to define direction and deliver scalable software that drives measurable value for K–12 districts. You will own end‑to‑end product strategy, translate customer insights into prioritized requirements, and drive outcomes from

Qualifications

• 5+ years of product management for SaaS/enterprise software.
• Experience leading customer discovery and translating insights into roadmap decisions.
• Experience bringing software from concept through MVP, launch, and continuous improvement.
• Experience partnering with software engineering and UX using Agile methodologies.
• Strong written communication with experience presenting strategy to senior leadership.
• Preferred: experience in K–12 education, EdTech, SaaS, or enterprise software; AI-enabled products.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute end‑to‑end product strategy, roadmap, and delivery for strategic software solutions.
• Lead customer discovery (interviews, usability testing, market analysis) to validate problems.
• Translate insights into prioritized product requirements balanced for value and feasibility.
• Define and track metrics to drive adoption, engagement, and business outcomes.
• Collaborate with engineering and UX to deliver scalable, high‑quality solutions in Agile.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI and emerging tech to differentiate products.

Skills

Product Strategy & Vision

Customer Discovery & ProductValidation

Product Roadmap Management

Data‑Driven Decision Making

Cross‑Functional Leadership &Influence

Agile Product Development

Customer‑Centric Problem Solving

Strategic Thinking

Artificial Intelligence & EmergingTech

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, Education, or a related field

Advanced degree or product management certification preferred

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.

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.

Role Overview

The Senior Product Manager independently leads product strategy, customer discovery, roadmap execution, and product delivery for strategic software solutions within Nelnet's Education Services portfolio. The role partners closely with engineering, design, customer success, sales, and executive leadership to identify customer needs, define product direction, and deliver scalable solutions that create measurable value for K–12 school districts. The position is responsible for driving product outcomes from concept through launch while advancing Nelnet’s long‑term growth strategy.

Job Responsibilities

• Own and execute the end‑to‑end product strategy, roadmap, and delivery for strategic software solutions.
• Lead customer discovery efforts, including customer interviews, field research, usability testing, and market analysis to validate problems and define product opportunities.
• Translate customer insights into prioritized product requirements that balance customer value, business objectives, and technical feasibility.
• Define, track, and optimize product success metrics to drive adoption, engagement, customer satisfaction, and business outcomes.
• Partner closely with engineering and UX to deliver scalable, high‑quality solutions through iterative Agile development.
• Identify opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to improve customer experiences and create differentiated product capabilities.
• Collaborate across cross‑functional teams to align product priorities, drive execution, and deliver customer value.
• Build strong relationships with customers and serve as the voice of the customer throughout the product lifecycle.
• Influence cross‑functional product strategy and roadmap decisions through data‑driven recommendations and customer insights.
• Present product strategy, roadmap recommendations, and business cases to leadership teams and key stakeholders.

Pay Range

Pay Range for this role is - $120,000 - $150,000 depending on experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, Education, or a related field. Advanced degree or product management certification preferred.

Experience

Required: 5+ years of product management experience leading SaaS, cloud‑based, or enterprise software products; experience defining product vision, strategy, roadmaps, and feature prioritization; demonstrated success leading customer discovery and translating customer insights into product strategy and roadmap decisions; experience bringing software products from concept through MVP, launch, and continuous improvement; experience partnering with software engineering and UX teams using Agile development methodologies; experience using qualitative and quantitative data to drive prioritization and product decisions; strong communication skills with experience presenting product strategy and recommendations to senior leadership; excellent written communication skills with demonstrated experience developing clear, concise product documentation, including product requirements, business cases, roadmaps, and other product artifacts.

Preferred: Experience in K–12 education, EdTech, SaaS, or enterprise software; experience with interoperability, data platforms, APIs, or system integrations; experience with AI‑enabled software products or data‑driven applications; experience working directly with customers to validate product‑market fit; experience launching new products or entering new markets.

Competencies / Skills

• Product Strategy & Vision
• Customer Discovery & Product Validation
• Product Roadmap Management
• Data‑Driven Decision Making
• Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence
• Agile Product Development
• Customer‑Centric Problem Solving
• Strategic Thinking
• Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technology Awareness

Benefits

Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, HSA and FSA, generous earned time off, 401(k)/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.

EEO Statement

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 [e-mail].

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring: We may use automated or artificial intelligence enabled tools to assist with the initial review of applications, such as identifying relevant skills or experience. These tools are used to support human review and do not make hiring decisions. A recruiter reviews applications and determines which candidates move forward in the hiring process. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Pre‑Use Notice: Automated Tools in Hiring.

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