Director of Portfolio

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.

We are seeking a highly driven, results-oriented Director of Collections to lead and continuously improve multi-channel collections strategies. This role is designed for a performance-focused leader with a relentless drive to deliver measurable outcomes across the delinquency lifecycle while maintaining strong compliance standards and a positive customer experience.

The Director of Collections will be accountable for portfolio performance through the design, execution, and optimization of coordinated collections strategies across voice, digital, and self-service channels. Success in this role requires a hands-on leadership approach, strong analytical rigor, and the ability to adapt strategies as borrower behavior, economic conditions, and regulatory requirements evolve.

This is a highly performance-oriented role. This role offers a strong base salary complemented by a performance-based bonus structure, providing significant upside for achieving quarterly targets established in collaboration with our strategic clients. Targets will be defined using a structured performance framework that outlines clear, measurable success criteria across portfolio outcomes, operational effectiveness, and compliance adherence.

• Lead and manage collections teams delivering multi-channel outreach, including voice, digital, and self-service solutions

• Develop and optimize collections strategies across the full delinquency curve to drive recoveries and improve borrower outcomes

• Act as the Subject Matter Expert on Nelnet’s collections competencies, showcasing strategies, compliance, and performance results. Highlight team success, support service offering sales, and present progress to C-suite executives

• Partner with strategic clients to proactively establish performance targets and ensure transparent reporting against those goals, while maintaining a bias toward action. Build strong relationships with key client stakeholders to address real-time adjustments and alerts as they arise

• Use data-driven insights to continuously refine channel mix, messaging, cadence, and operational processes

• Ensure full compliance with applicable federal, state, and client-specific regulatory requirements while minimizing risk

• Balance performance delivery with customer trust, ensuring respectful, compliant, and effective borrower engagement

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional certifications preferred

• Certification in project management (PMP, Six Sigma, or similar) is a plus.

EXPERIENCE:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in collections, credit, or servicing roles, with at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or director-level capacity

• Demonstrated success managing large or complex delinquent portfolios across multiple products or asset classes

• Deep experience leading multi-channel collections strategies, including voice, digital outreach, and self-service solutions

• Strong working knowledge of federal and state collections regulations (e.g., FDCPA, UDAAP, CFPB guidance) and proven experience operating in highly regulated environments

• Proven ability to set, manage, and achieve performance targets tied to financial and operational outcomes

• Advanced analytical skills with experience leveraging data, reporting, and performance frameworks to drive continuous improvement

• Experience partnering directly with clients or senior stakeholders to define strategy, align expectations, and deliver measurable results

• Strong people leadership experience, including building, developing, and holding teams accountable for performance

• Industry Knowledge:
  Deep understanding of collections best practices, telephony services, and call center operations

• Analytical
  
  Skills:
  
  Ability to gather and analyze data, prioritize market trends, and define actionable strategies. Skilled in interpreting scorecard metrics such as NCO%, Delinquency Rate, Cure Rate, Recovery Rate, QA Pass Rate, Complaint Rate, CSAT/NPS, RPC%, RPR%, and PTP Kept%.

• Financial Analysis:
  Strong skills in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling. Ability to manage revenue and costs to achieve profitability goals.

• Communication:
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information to clients, vendors, and internal teams.

• Project…