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.

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 [email protected].

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.