Job Description

Job Title: Receivables / Collections Officer

Directly Reports to: Credit Supervisor

Ultimately Reports to: General Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

Our client, a well-established financial services organization, is seeking a results-driven Receivables / Collections Officer with a strong background in debt collection and a demonstrated ability to successfully recover outstanding balances.

The successful candidate will be responsible for actively managing delinquent accounts, negotiating payment arrangements, driving recovery efforts, and consistently working toward established collection and delinquency targets.

This role requires an individual who is persistent, commercially minded, confident in difficult conversations, and highly focused on measurable results. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of effective debt recovery and be able to demonstrate how his/her collection efforts have contributed to improved arrears, recovery rates, or portfolio performance.

The incumbent will also be cross-trained in administrative and sales-related functions and may be required to provide coverage in these areas when necessary.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively manage assigned delinquent accounts and ageing buckets to achieve established collection, recovery, and delinquency targets.
• Conduct daily follow-up on past due accounts and take appropriate collection action to maximize recoveries while minimizing losses and credit risk.
• Contact delinquent clients through telephone, email, written correspondence, meetings, and other approved channels to secure payment.
• Negotiate payment arrangements, settlements, and recovery proposals based on customers' circumstances and outstanding obligations.
• Maintain persistent and structured follow-up with customers until agreed payments and commitments are fulfilled.
• Track promises to pay and take timely follow-up action where customers fail to honour agreed arrangements.
• Maintain accurate records of collection activity, customer commitments, arrears, outstanding balances, and recovery outcomes.
• Analyze assigned accounts and ageing reports to prioritize collection activity and identify accounts requiring escalation.
• Identify potential barriers to recovery and recommend appropriate strategies to improve collection outcomes.
• Assist in resolving customer discrepancies, queries, and account adjustments that may affect recovery.
• Support account restructuring, refinancing, and other arrangements aimed at regularizing delinquent accounts.
• Assist with the preparation of weekly and monthly collection reports, including progress against assigned targets and recovery objectives.
• Conduct client meetings and negotiations where necessary to facilitate recovery.
• Prepare loan amortization schedules, audit confirmations, status letters, settlement quotes, and account statements as required.
• Contact customers and negotiate recovery proposals for outstanding balances remaining after repossessed assets have been sold.
• Support the timely refinancing or settlement of maturing and matured balloon payments.
• Assist with the repossession process, including completion of required documentation and checklists, coordination of asset recovery, and support with valuation activities.
• Prepare reports relating to outstanding balances following repossession and disposal of assets.
• Liaise with external debt collection partners and respond to queries regarding assigned accounts.
• Escalate high-risk or difficult accounts appropriately and recommend further recovery action where required.
• Perform any other duties reasonably assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Associate Degree or Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 2–3 years' direct experience in debt collections, receivables recovery, credit management, or a closely related role.
• Demonstrated experience personally managing delinquent accounts and pursuing customers for outstanding payments.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding collection or recovery targets and delivering measurable results.
• Strong experience negotiating payment arrangements and resolving difficult or delinquent accounts.
• Experience within consumer finance, commercial finance, banking, credit unions, microfinance, hire purchase, leasing, automotive finance, or another lending environment would be highly advantageous.
• Experience working with loan portfolios, ageing reports, arrears management, restructuring, repossessions, or post-repossession recovery would be an asset.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Strong knowledge of debt collection and recovery techniques.
• Strong understanding of accounts receivable, delinquency management, and credit control.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze ageing reports and prioritize accounts based on risk and recovery potential.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, particularly when dealing with reluctant or difficult customers.
• Ability to balance firmness in collections with professionalism and appropriate customer care.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Results-oriented approach with the ability to work against defined collection targets and deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail in maintaining financial and collection records.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage a significant portfolio of accounts simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with financial, loan management, or accounting systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and demonstrate a high level of integrity.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Highly persistent and results-driven, with a strong desire to close outstanding accounts and achieve recovery targets.
• Confident and assertive when conducting collection and negotiation conversations.
• Emotionally resilient and able to remain effective when dealing with rejection, resistance, broken payment commitments, and difficult customer interactions.
• Strong follow-through and unwillingness to allow delinquent accounts to remain unattended.
• Professional, tactful, and respectful while maintaining appropriate firmness.
• Self-motivated and capable of independently managing an assigned portfolio.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for collection results.
• Comfortable being measured against clearly defined collection and recovery KPIs.
• Sound judgement and the ability to determine when an account requires negotiation, restructuring, escalation, or further recovery action.

SUCCESS PROFILE

Success in this position will be measured primarily by the individual's ability to:

• Consistently achieve assigned collection and recovery targets.
• Reduce delinquency within assigned ageing buckets.
• Secure and maintain effective payment arrangements with delinquent customers.
• Improve recovery of outstanding balances and minimize financial losses.
• Demonstrate strong negotiation and follow-through on difficult accounts.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of collection activities and outcomes.
• Effectively manage a portfolio of accounts while prioritizing those presenting the greatest risk or recovery opportunity.

This is a collections-focused position. Candidates should be able to demonstrate specific examples of debt recovery performance, including targets achieved, portfolio or arrears managed, recovery results, and successful negotiations with delinquent customers.