AI SecOps Engineer

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.

About Nelnet, Inc. Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) is a publicly traded financial services and technology company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded with roots in education finance, Nelnet has grown into a diversified holding company with primary businesses spanning consumer lending, loan servicing, payments, and technology.

About the Role Nelnet is seeking an AI SecOps Engineer to own the security and compliance posture of our Enterprise AI program. Reporting to the IT Director of AI Delivery, this role is the technical bridge between AI governance policy and platform implementation
— embedded in Shared Services and partnered closely with our Cyber Security Group
(CSG).

This is not a policy role. You will be hands on keyboard, building and developing solutions directly — defining architecture standards, translating compliance requirements into engineering guardrails, and making sure secure, responsible AI is baked in from the start — not bolted on at the end. You will start with Claude and scale to the full EA portfolio and custom Agent builds as the enterprise grows.

What You Bring

Required:

• 1–2 years hands-on experience applying security and compliance controls  to AI or

• ML systems

• Familiarity  with LLM-specific risks: prompt injection, data leakage,  model access control, output filtering

• Experience defining architecture standards or technical guardrails

• Familiarity  with data residency requirements, PII handling, and access governance in enterprise environments

• Ability to translate security requirements into developer-facing guidance

• Demonstrated ability to build and implement solutions directly, not just document or advise

Preferred:

• 2–4 years of industry experience

• Familiarity  with Anthropic's  enterprise security model and data residency options

• Cloud security background (AWS/Azure) applied to AI workloads

• Experience with SOC I/II, FedRAMP, ISO 42001/42005, or NIST AI RMF

• Experience working in SIEM or log aggregation platforms (e.g., Sentinel,  Splunk, Google SecOps) to investigate AI-related signals and anomalies

• Relevant certifications: CISSP, CCSP, or AI-specific security credentials

**Pay range for this role is- $100,000 - $150,000 depending on experience

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.