Portfolio Performance Analyst – Nelnet Financial Services

About the role

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. The Portfolio Performance Analyst, reporting to the Director of Analytics, monitors and analyzes the performance of consumer loans, student loans, securitizations, and other financial services asset classes, translating complex data into clear narratives and actionable recommendations for leadership. The ideal candidate is naturally curious, enjoys working with data, and thrives in a collaborative environment where identifying trends, surfacing risks, and helping drive strategic decisions define success. This role partners closely with the Business Intelligence team and cross-functional stakeholders to shape portfolio insights that inform business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Proactively monitor portfolio performance to identify trends, anomalies, risks, and opportunities, developing a clear understanding of what is changing, why it may be happening, and where deeper analysis is needed.
• Develop and present recommendations to management based on portfolio analysis, and stay actively engaged with business partners to help drive follow-through and meaningful outcomes.
• Communicate findings clearly and effectively, using data to tell a compelling story for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Build and maintain consistent analytical frameworks that enable repeatable, high-quality work and create continuity across the team.
• Draw on SQL, Excel, and modern analytical tools to extract, organize, and analyze data from multiple sources.
• Leverage and experiment with AI tools and technologies to enhance productivity, analysis, and insight generation.
• Work with stakeholders across the organization to understand business needs, frame analytical questions, and align analysis to portfolio priorities.
• Partner closely with the Business Intelligence team, including requesting and refining charts, dashboards, and tables to support analysis and storytelling.
• Partner with key stakeholders across the organization to improve data quality, reporting efficiency, and data availability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, data analytics, business, statistics, mathematics, or a related field is preferred, but applicable experience in an analytical or business-related role will also be considered.
• Minimum of 4-6 years in an analytical, finance, business intelligence, risk, credit, portfolio management, or related business role.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Excel, including data extraction, joins, aggregations, lookup logic, pivot tables, trend analysis, reconciliations, and scenario analysis.
• Hands-on work with Snowflake or other cloud-based data warehouses.
• Practical use of AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, or similar) for analytical work, including generating SQL, summarizing datasets, drafting analytical narratives, or accelerating documentation.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate complex data questions and determine practical answers.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous situations, demonstrating resourcefulness and independent judgment to find workable paths forward without requiring step-by-step direction.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate analytical findings for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently or collaborate effectively as part of a team.

Skills

• Prior work with consumer loans, private student loans, home improvement lending, securitizations, or other credit products.
• Exposure to credit, lending, or portfolio performance concepts such as delinquency, charge-offs, losses, prepayments, vintage analysis, or repayment behavior.
• Experience communicating analytical findings and recommendations to senior management.
• Working knowledge of Python, R, or similar languages for analysis, validation, or workflow automation.
• Comfort with forward-looking models, forecasting, or regression analysis for credit loss estimation.
• Familiarity with SSMS, Power BI, or other data analysis and visualization tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work with large, complex datasets.

Schedule

This position offers a hybrid work option. Associates living within 30 miles of the Lincoln, Nebraska office location work remotely part of the week while fostering collaboration through in-office presence three days per week.

Pay

$80,000 - $100,000

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA and FSA options
• Generous earned time off
• 401K and student loan repayment assistance
• Life insurance and AD&D insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee stock purchase program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Performance-based incentive pay
• Short- and long-term disability
• Robust wellness program