Business Continuity Manager

Business Continuity Manager

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.

Reporting to the Business Continuity Director, the Business Continuity Manager leads a team of specialists and coordinates with Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, IT Disaster Recovery, Third-Party Risk and Operations to build enterprise resilience. You're accountable for end-to-end BIAs, risk assessments and recovery gap analysis; develop and maintain continuity plans; oversee recovery and crisis communications; steward the BCMS platform; managing an emergency response program, and apply advanced ITIL knowledge, strong leadership / communication skills and decisive judgement under pressure.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES :

Administrative / Program Leadership

Lead, coach and manage a team of DRII-certified specialists : set objectives / OKRs, delegate work, monitor deliverables, report metrics, recommend improvements, communicate goals and promote a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. Own the enterprise BCM program : define scope / schedule / cadence / quality standards; capture and maintain an accurate inventory of business processes, applications, vendors, locations, teams and dependencies; track program metrics (e.g. BIA coverage, plan currency, exercise completion). Develop, establish, deliver and maintain business continuity policies, standards, procedures and guidelines aligned to ISO 22301 / NIST / FFIEC and other leading frameworks; ensure compliance with internal requirements and external regulatory / stakeholder obligations. Plan and execute risk assessments, tabletop / simulation exercises (cyberattack, IT outage, vendor disruption, emergency response) and synthesize results / AARs into actionable treatment plans; collaborate with Site Safety, IT and other partners; ensure annual testing / review. Partner with Third-Party Risk, IT DR and other stakeholders to obtain and validate recovery capabilities (RTO / RPO / MTD) for vendors and internal applications, integrate them into BIAs / risk posture / scenario planning and test against business recovery objectives. Oversee and administer the BCMS vendor platform supporting BIAs, BRPs, ERPs, and AARs manage workflows, configurations, releases / enhancements, data quality and training; provide user support and quick reference guides. Maintain the BC document repository and portal; ensure artifacts are current, accessible, and version controlled. Apply a thorough understanding how IT outages are managed via the ITIL framework (and their interfaces to Problem / Change / Major Incident) to integrate BC processes into the broader IT / operations landscape. Continuously improve the BCM program through the use of emerging technologies (e.g. AI analytics), piloting predictive risk modeling and other innovations with IT / data science / vendor partners. Monitors BC specialists project and program deliverables to ensure accuracy, timely completion and completeness. Promotes the development of a professional, goal-oriented business perspective among department staff through words, deeds and mentoring. Track program metrics and executive level reporting to leadership (e.g., BIA coverage and currency, plan maintenance, exercise completion, corrective action closure, third-party recovery data completeness, audit / regulatory results).

Operational / Technical Execution

Analyze recovery metric gaps for IT applications and vendor products / services; validate and reconcile RTO / RPO / MTD against business requirements; drive remediation with application owners, infrastructure, and vendors. Develop, maintain, and coordinate Business Continuity plans : Business Resumption Plans (BRPs), Emergency Response Plans (ERPs); provide oversight for Disaster Recovery Plans (DR), IT Contingency Plans, and System Recovery Plans to ensure traceability to business requirements. Maintain oversight of the Crisis Communication Plan; align notification, escalation, and approval paths; coordinate mass notification and desktop alerting tools and periodic communication tests. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of Emergency Response Plans and procedures. Experience working with Site Safety leaders to ensure Emergency Response Plans are tested and reviewed annually. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of ITIL Incident Management and its interfaces with Problem, Change, and Major Incident processes; ensure BC processes integrate effectively with ITIL workflows. Plan, facilitate, and document tabletop and simulation exerciseswith emphasis on communication strategiescovering cyberattacks, IT application outages, and vendor product / service disruptions; capture AARs and drive issue remediation through to closure. Coordinate with IT and Disaster Recovery to validate recovery strategies and testing (e.g., technical DR tests, failover / failback), ensuring that results meet business recovery objectives. Administer and support BCMS platform configurations, releases, and enhancements; author and deliver role-based training and quick reference guides for business users and plan owners. Maintain a current inventory of critical business processes, applications, locations, teams, upstream / downstream dependencies, and third parties within the BCMS. Coordinate and maintain the BC document repository and portal presence; ensure artifacts are current, accessible, and version controlled. Leveraging AI technologies for BCM program improvement Demonstrated ability to identify, evaluate, and implement artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to enhance BCM program effectiveness, efficiency, and automation. Proactively leverage AI-driven tools and analytics to improve business impact analysis, risk assessment, incident response, and recovery planning processes. Stay current with emerging AI technologies and best practices relevant to business continuity and operational resilience, recommending and integrating innovative solutions where appropriate. Collaborate with IT, data science, and vendor partners to pilot and scale AI applications that support predictive risk modeling, scenario analysis, and continuous program improvement. Champion the integration of AI capabilities into BCM workflows to enable faster decision-making and improved resilience outcomes.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Ensure program alignment with applicable regulations and industry guidance (e.g., ISO 22301, NIST SP 800-34, FFIEC Business Continuity Management). Support internal / external audits and regulatory examinations; prepare evidence, address findings with action plans, and monitor timely remediation. Establish mechanisms for continuous improvement, including BCM program maturity assessments and lessons learned integration.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS :

DRII certification required : Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) or Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) in good standing. Bachelor's degree in business, information systems, risk management, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience. Knowledge of ITIL v4 Foundation.

EXPERIENCE :

Eight (8)+ years of progressively responsible experience in Business Continuity / Operations Resilience / Disaster Recovery / Risk Management. Three (3)+ years of direct leadership experience managing BC / DR specialists, program workstreams, emergency response plans and activities. Proven experience developing and maintaining BC / DR plans for various threat scenarios (e.g., cyberattacks, natural disasters, supply chain disruptions). Conducting Business Impact Analyses (BIAs) and risk assessments to identify critical functions and recovery time objectives. Planning and executing tabletop exercises to validate business continuity plans. Documenting and implementing improvements based on After-Action Reports (AARs). Collaborating with IT, operations, and third-party vendors to integrate continuity strategies across the organization. Delivering training programs to staff on emergency roles and responsibilities. Promoting a culture of preparedness and resilience. Familiarity with ISO 22301, NIST, FFIEC, and other continuity frameworks. Staying current with industry regulations and best practices. Preparing reports for senior leadership on resilience posture, test results, and risk exposure. Advanced knowledge of business continuity planning, disaster recovery coordination, emergency response, crisis communications, and risk assessment methodologies. Hands-on experience with a third-party BCMS platform vendor supporting BIAs, plan management, AARs, and reporting. Practical experience with mass notification / desktop alerting tools (e.g., Everbridge, Alertus). Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and data visualization / reporting tools. PowerBI experience a plus.

COMPETENCIES SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE / ABILITIES :

Excellent communication (written / verbal), presentation, and stakeholder management skills. Proven leadership, coaching, and team-building capabilities. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; attention to detail with the ability to see the big picture. Ability to adapt to changing circumstances, manage multiple tasks and conflicting priorities, and meet deadlines. Calm and composed under pressure; able to make sound and timely decisions during incidents. High degree of collaboration and influencing skills across technical and non-technical teams. Strong facilitation skills for workshops, BIAs, risk reviews, and tabletop exercises. Self-starter who demonstrates ownership and accountability with minimal supervision.

Pay Range for this role : $140,000-$180,000. 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