Manager - Account Executives (West)

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. The Manager – Account Executives – Sales – NCC – NBS will lead, mentor and coach an assigned team of Account Executives in the Western US. This position will act as a role model supporting direct reports with all facets of relationship management while fostering an environment for growth demonstrated through effective listening, coaching and feedback. This position is also responsible for the retention, growth and overall account service strategy for a designated group of Higher Education institutions across several states in the territory. Works collaboratively with other departments (Customer Success, Technical Sales, Account Managers and Operations) to create client strategy to leverage Nelnet Campus Commerce best practices, add value to the relationship through cross‑selling of additional solutions and to deliver a level of customer satisfaction that exceeds expectations. By building strong collaborative relationships with clients, and through supporting their team, the AE Manager contributes to the generation of new business through cross‑selling and referrals to prospective customers. Responsibilities Lead a team of Account Executive professionals to achieve high levels of sales and service performance; manage the team to high quality, high value and high quantity activity metrics. Coach and mentor direct reports sharing best practices, leveraging experience and successes; act as a role model supporting AEs with client engagement and interactions. Support large cross‑sell opportunities and key account retention with direct reports, including virtual and in‑person attendance; provide guidance on Account Planning efforts with assigned team. Assist with onboarding, training, and orientation of new AEs. Conduct regular Sales Team calls to exchange ideas, successes, challenges and relevant topics to support team growth. Retain and grow current higher education accounts designated in territory by reviewing client contracts, maintaining contract end dates, championing utilization, and proactively engaging clients to extend/review the term and product offering. Build positive lines of communication (based on mutual respect, trust, integrity, and clear, honest and open dialog) to maintain and enhance relationships with clients. Conduct a structured meeting on campus (or virtual if required) for each client institution at least one time per year to deliver an annual account review communicating Nelnet’s value and long‑range planning objectives. Develop intimate understanding of client needs at all levels of the institution, and articulate the practical application of Nelnet Campus Commerce solutions on each campus through client interaction. Actively participate in the evaluation of new product client requests, creating a business case study to justify investment; participate in prioritization of product solution development, and project timing and deployment. Coordinate and assist in the creation and distribution of client communications (e.g., upgrades, enhancements, new features). Generate, complete and track project and change request forms, documenting these activities in the CRM. Leverage relationships to expand Nelnet Campus Commerce solutions utilized by existing clients. Attend trade shows, conferences and other events as needed to support client communication and engagement. Gather competitive information to assist in continually evaluating market position. Work collaboratively with the full sales team and other lines of business to develop a strategic customer service plan and to resolve any customer issues. Willing to travel roughly 50% of the time. Education Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent experience, preferably in business and/or technology. Experience Minimum of 5 years of sales management experience. Previous managerial experience with sales and/or customer relationship management preferred. Background in the higher education market or SaaS is a plus. Experience with billing, payment processing and ecommerce services is helpful. Experience with commonly utilized ERP systems within higher education – Oracle (PeopleSoft, Cloud), Ellucian (Banner, Colleague, Power Campus), Workday, Jenzabar and others is preferred. Competencies – Skills/Knowledge/Abilities Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead a team to high levels of sales performance, achieving weekly, monthly and annual team sales goals and quotas for new revenue and retention. Positive, outgoing personality. Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact with all levels of a client organization and multiple departments of the institution. Initiative, ownership, assertive, open‑minded, flexible and adept at conflict resolution. Conscientious, committed with a high level of integrity. Excellent relationship, sales and account management skills. Understand both the customer’s business and the Nelnet Campus Commerce product solution to generate new sales and communicate enhancement requirements internally and externally. Ability to promote new services and cross‑sell into the customer account. Salary for this position: $110,000 - $130,000 plus incentive plan. This position offers a hybrid work option. Nelnet values flexibility and understands the importance of work‑life integration. Our hybrid work environment allows associates living within 30miles of an office location to work remotely for part of the week, while also fostering collaboration and team connection through in‑office presence three days per week. To be considered, candidates must already be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship. 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. 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. 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io. Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace. EEO Information | EEO Letter | EPPA Information | FMLA Information #J-18808-Ljbffr Nelnet, Inc.