Collection Officer

Job Purpose

• The Collection Officer plays a critical role in safeguarding the company’s financial health by proactively managing and recovering overdue receivables.
• This position is responsible for executing effective collection strategies that ensure timely payment while preserving strong relationships with customers.
• The role requires keen attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to negotiate diplomatically to resolve outstanding balances efficiently.

Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Professional certifications related to credit management or debt collection (e.g., Certified Credit Professional) are advantageous.

Experience and skills:

Experience:

• Minimum of 2-4 years’ experience in collections, accounts receivable, or credit control within a corporate or financial environment.
• Proven success in managing and recovering overdue debts while maintaining customer goodwill.
• Familiarity with collections software, CRM systems, and financial databases is highly desirable.

Skills and Competencies:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with strong negotiation and persuasion abilities.
• Sound knowledge of credit management principles, financial policies, and debt recovery laws.
• Elevated level of accuracy and diligence in record-keeping and reporting.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to manage complex billing and payment issues.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, for data management and reporting.
• Ability to work autonomously with an initiative-taking and purposeful mindset, as well as collaboratively within cross-functional teams.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively under pressure

Roles, Responsibilities, Duties

• Actively monitor and manage delinquent accounts through consistent outreach via phone calls, emails, and written correspondence to expedite payment collections.
• Negotiate payment arrangements, settlements, and installment plans tailored to customer circumstances, ensuring recoveries align with company policies.
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate documentation of collection activities, customer interactions, payment promises, and disputes to support audit and reporting requirements.
• Collaborate closely with internal departments such as Sales, Legal, and Finance to resolve disputes and clarify billing issues, facilitating smooth collections processes.
• Prepare detailed reports on collection activities, outstanding receivables, aging summaries, and recovery forecasts for management review.
• Ensure full compliance with all relevant legal requirements and company policies governing debt collection practices.
• Follow up on returned payments, bounced checks, and other irregularities, initiating corrective action as needed.
• Identify high-risk accounts requiring escalation and coordinate with Legal or Senior Management for further recovery measures.
• Deliver professional, courteous customer service that reinforces positive customer relations and encourages timely payment.
• Ensure timely reminders are sent to customers regarding overdue payments, utilizing phone calls, emails, and other communication channels.
• Prepare and submit the monthly Collection Report detailing activities, recoveries, and outstanding accounts.
• Generate and maintain a monthly Registration Report to track new accounts and customer registrations related to collections.
• Maintain and update a monthly Follow-up Tracker documenting all customer contacts (emails, phone calls) and follow-up status.

• Plan and execute full Collection Campaigns targeting high-debt accounts, including:
• Identification and segmentation of high debtor accounts
• Preparation and presentation of defaulter lists to relevant regulatory bodies as required.
• Coordinating approvals from various internal and external entities necessary for campaign implementation
• Scheduling and organizing the collection campaign timeline and activities.
• Printing and distributing door-to-door notices to defaulter
• Updating the follow-up tracker and reporting progress throughout the campaign
• Communicating and coordinating with related teams such as Call Centre, Project
• Management (PM), Construction Management (CM), Technicians, and Operations teams for campaign support.
• Tracking overall campaign progress, measuring effectiveness, and recommending adjustments as needed.