Senior Software Engineer - DevEx

Nelnet Business Services (NBS), a division of Nelnet, Inc., provides payment technology, education services, and learning management solutions to education and faith-based organizations, serving more than 1,300 higher education institutions, 11,500 K-12 schools, 3,500 churches, 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.

As a Nelnet company, the perks at NBS go beyond our benefits package. You’re part of a community, invested in you as an individual and united by our mission to create opportunities for people where they live, learn and work.

The Senior Software Engineer designs, creates, maintains, audits and improves software applications by performing coding, debugging, testing and troubleshooting throughout the application development process. This position designs solutions for complex projects and completes work with no supervision. The Senior Software Engineer also mentors less experienced engineers and makes recommendations for future development options. Additionally, this role leads the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into technology, tools and standards to dramatically enhance software development velocity, drive innovation and transform the developer experience through AI-augmented workflows.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Researches, designs, implements and manages software applications based on user requirements.
• Writes, tests and implements efficient code, leveraging AI coding assistants to boost productivity.
• Maintains and develops existing applications by analyzing and identifying areas for modification.
• Establishes best practices for AI-assisted development, including guidelines for code quality, security, and responsible AI usage.
• Collaborates with other teams to understand their challenges and implement AI-driven solutions and processes, acting as an AI evangelist across engineering.
• Conducts research on emerging AI technologies (e.g., agentic AI, generative models) and evaluates their potential application within the organization.
• Creates and promotes department-wide processes and standards for effective AI integration throughout the SDLC.
• Drives measurable improvements in Developer Experience through AI adoption.
• Has a comprehensive understanding of the Developer Experience and a strong desire for improvement.
• Promotes Development Excellence and standards to teams, peers, leadership and other stakeholders.
• Communicates with colleagues, management, and other stakeholders to both explain complex issues clearly and concisely, as well as increase adoption of organizational standards.
• Works within an Agile environment, responds to change quickly, including re-focusing development efforts and adapting to evolving requirements.
• Is positive and solution-oriented with team members and stakeholders.
• Continues to update technical knowledge and skills.
• Provides guidance to other engineers.
• Coaches and mentors other team members.
• Is an influencer.

EDUCATION:
1. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

EXPERIENCE:
1. At least 5 years of .NET web development experience
2. At least 5 years working in an Agile development process

3. At least 5 years working with PowerShell or Bash scripting language

4. At least 5 years working with automated unit testing frameworks

5. At least 1 year working with AI tools and performing evaluations

6. At least 1 year of Deployment or Infrastructure-as-code solutions

7. At least 2 years of Angular front-end development experience (or equivalent)
8. At least 2 years of NoSQL database experience (MongoDB preferred)
9. At least 2 years working in Microsoft’s Azure DevOps
10. At least 2 years working with Kubernetes
11. At least 2 years working with Cloud architectures

12. Deep expertise using AI coding assistants in professional contexts (Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar)

COMPETENCIES – SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES:
1. Strong technical competency.
2. Ability to communicate with clients, colleagues and management to explain complex issues clearly and concisely.
3. Logical, analytical and creative approach to solving problems.
4. Ability to work both in a team and independently.
5. Ability to handle multiple priorities and work under pressure.
6. Good time management skills to plan and organize own work.
7. Demonstrated respect, collaboration, and pride in ownership.
8. Ability to adapt to change.
9. Focus on continuous improvement and delivering value.

10. Self-starter and able to work independently.

11. Advanced context engineering skills with demonstrated ability to effectively work with large language models

12. Demonstrated ability to lead change initiatives and positively influence engineering practices

13. Ability to communicate with clients, colleagues, and management to explain complex issues clearly and concisely

Candidate wage for this role: $125,000- $165,000 DOE

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 corporaterecruiting@nelnet.net.

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.