Senior Enterprise Architect

Nelnet Business Services (NBS), a division of Nelnet, Inc., provides payment technology and education services to more than 1,200 higher education institutions, nearly 12,000 K-12 schools, 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.

The Enterprise Architect is a senior individual contributor and the primary technical driver for engineering and architecture related to major initiatives. In the near term, this includes serving as the primary technical driver for Horizon, NCC’s strategic platform initiative, and establishing architecture standards and patterns for the responsible use of AI across NCC products. This role defines the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap needed to advance program(s), translating complex business and system requirements into secure, scalable, and integrated architecture. Working with significant autonomy, the architect aligns product, sales, engineering, executives, and clients by communicating technical concepts in clear, audience-appropriate language. This role influences outcomes through deep expertise, strategic judgment, and cross-functional leadership rather than direct people management.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Define and evolve the technical vision, architecture strategy, and roadmap for major initiatives in alignment with business objectives.
• Lead the engineering and architecture direction for large-scale projects as a hands-on individual contributor, making and documenting high-impact technical decisions.
• Design secure, resilient, scalable, and integrated enterprise solutions across infrastructure, applications, data, networks, and cloud platforms.
• Translate business goals, client needs, and product requirements into understandable architecture options, technical specifications, and implementation guidance.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to product, sales, leadership, executives, clients, and engineering teams using language appropriate to each audience.
• Partner across functions to build alignment on architecture priorities, tradeoffs, sequencing, dependencies, risks, and investment decisions.
• Evaluate current-state capabilities, emerging technologies, and solution alternatives to identify gaps and recommend sustainable future-state approaches.
• Establish architecture standards and patterns for the responsible integration of AI capabilities across NCC products
• Establish and promote architecture principles, standards, patterns, documentation, and governance that support consistent delivery and long-term maintainability.
• Guide complex integrations and major solution rollouts to ensure compatibility, security, performance, scalability, and alignment with the target architecture.
• Provide technical mentorship and thought leadership to engineers and partners while influencing without formal authority or direct reports. 

Annual compensation range for this role is $160,000-$177,796 depending on experience.

This position offers a hybrid work option. Nelnet values flexibility and understands the importance of work-life integration. Our hybrid work environment allows associates living within 30 miles of an office location to work remotely for part of the week, while also fostering collaboration and team connection through in-office presence three days per week.

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.

EDUCATION:

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. 

Preferred 

• Advanced degree or relevant enterprise architecture, cloud, infrastructure, security, or technology certification. 

EXPERIENCE:

Required

• 10+ years of related experience in enterprise architecture, infrastructure architecture, systems architecture, software engineering, or a comparable technical discipline.
• Demonstrated experience defining technical vision, strategy, and roadmaps for complex, cross-functional or enterprise-scale initiatives.
• Deep experience designing and integrating secure, scalable solutions across infrastructure, applications, data, networking, and cloud environments.
• Experience influencing technical and business decisions with executives, product, sales, engineering, and client-facing stakeholders.
• Experience operating autonomously on advanced, ambiguous, and high-risk technical challenges without relying on formal people-management authority

Preferred 

• Experience leading the architecture and engineering direction for a major transformation, platform modernization, or multi-year strategic program. 

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS:

• Enterprise Architecture and System Implementation / Integration
• Strategic Thinking and Strategic Planning & Execution
• Influence Without Authority and Stakeholder Management
• Communication, Storytelling & Presentation Skills
• Cloud Platforms, Data Fluency, Cybersecurity, and Technical Writing & Documentation

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: Benefits & Perks - Nelnet Inc

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.

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