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.

Nelnet is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Cyber Security Operations Center (SOC) Manager to lead our security monitoring, incident response, and threat intelligence functions. The ideal candidate will possess strong technical expertise in cybersecurity, exceptional leadership abilities, and a proven track record of building and managing effective SOC teams. This would include a deep knowledge and experience with a SIEM architecture and security alerting. As the SOC Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical assets by proactively detecting, analyzing, responding to, and preventing cyber threats.

This position requires work in support of the Company’s contract with the United States Department of Education (“ED”). As such, the United States Government requires that any applicant for this position must complete the United States Government security clearance. Effective June 1, 2018, ED has informed Nelnet that security clearance applications for foreign nationals are not being accepted or processed. Considering this direction from ED, Nelnet will be unable to hire applicants without United States citizenship for such positions.

Lincoln Nebraska Maddison Wisconsin & Centennial Colorado Candidates:

Responsibilities:

· Leadership and Team Management:

o Provide strong leadership, guidance, and mentorship to a team of security analysts, incident responders, and threat intelligence specialists.

o Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.

o Conduct performance evaluations, identify training needs, and facilitate professional development opportunities.

· SOC Operations:

o Oversee the daily operations of the SOC, ensuring efficient and effective monitoring, detection, and analysis of security events.

o Develop and maintain SOC policies, procedures, and workflows.

o Manage and optimize security tools and technologies, including SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR, SOAR, and threat intelligence platforms.

o Ensure timely and accurate escalation of security incidents according to Nelnet’s incident response plan.

· Incident Response:

o Lead and coordinate incident response efforts, including containment, eradication, and recovery activities.

o Develop and maintain the incident response plan and conduct regular testing and tabletop exercises.

o Conduct post-incident analysis and implement lessons learned to improve security posture.

· Collaboration:

o Work closely with other IT and security teams, including vulnerability management, security engineering, and risk management.

o Collaborate with external partners, such as law enforcement and industry peers, as needed.

Qualifications:

· Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, OR a related field ideal.

· Minimum of 3- 6 years of experience in cybersecurity, with at least 2 years in a within a Security Operations Center (SOC).

· Minimum of 1-2 years of Team Lead or Management experience.

· Strong technical knowledge of security technologies, including SIEM (e.g., Splunk, LogRhythm, SecOps), SOAR, IDS/IPS, EDR (e.g., Crowdstrike, Sentinel One, Defender), firewalls.

· Proven experience in leading and managing incident response efforts.

· Understanding of threat intelligence principles and methodologies.

· Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

· Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

· Ability to work effectively under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.

· Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, PSAA, SANS GIAC certifications (e.g., GCIH, GCIA, GSEC, GCDA) are highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications:

· Familiarity with cloud security concepts and technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

· Knowledge of relevant regulatory compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, PCI/DSS).

· Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell).

Pay range for this role is $120,000- $160,000 annually, depending on experience.

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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.