Nehan, who holds a master's degree in business administration, was working with the Norwegian Refugee Council following the United States' invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. After that invasion toppled Afghanistan's Taliban regime, the Norwegian aid organization assigned her to return to Kabul to open its office there. Nehan did so and subsequently left the organization to take a series of positions with the Afghan Interim Administration. Since that time, her government positions have included: director general of the Treasury Department at the Ministry of Finance, vice-chancellor for administration and finance at Kabul University and senior administrative advisory positions to the ministers of education and of higher education. Nehan managed reforms in the Treasury Department at the Ministry of Finance, and was involved in the development of a World Bank-funded, five-year strategic plan for the Ministry of Education.