Credit Manager

Purpose of the role:

• Accountable for managing and leading the Accounts Receivable function and ultimately

responsible for the effective administration of all customer invoices.

• Lead and motivate differing levels of Finance staff, implementing standardised ways of operating and reporting, and driving out efficiencies are all fundamental to the success of the role.
• A key member of the Shared Service Centre (SSC) management team, playing an active part in leading the development of the SSC around people, process, technology & the customers we support.
• Support and lead other Finance & operational initiatives

Main duties and responsibilities:

To ensure all customers are paying on time according to terms, reducing aged debt and minimising the risk of bad debt Maximise the Credit Control team engagement & motivation, including individual and team development Design and implement a team structure to meet the demands of the business Ensure strong stakeholder relationships are developed & maintained internally and externally, particularly with key customers. Hold stakeholders and self to account around cash collection. Maintain a strong control framework, in line with agreed SOX controls and best practice. Compliance with all relevant legislation and internal controls, ensuring SOX compliance is effective. Clear SLAs are developed and agreed / shared with all stakeholders, to acknowledge the role they play, and the timeliness of responses required Develop and drive a clear set of AR metrics. Joint target setting with team and create ownership & accountability to deliver results Ensure the team adhere to defined process, including working with agreed escalation process and timelines Work closely across the organisation (e.g., Finance, Commercial and Disputes Teams) to ensure that the business has full visibility of areas of concern and business non-compliance, through regular KPI reporting and regularly work with the business to formulate strategy and approach to resolve issues preventing cash collection Continuous improvement of processes Ensure the financial position of customer debt and bad debt provision are accurately recorded and provide commentary where appropriate on movements or risk. Constant review of customer credit limits with the business to reduce overall credit risk

Key job requirements:

Substantial experience in an Accounts Receivable and in a Shared Services environment Able to demonstrate strong operational control and process knowledge Solid experience of working within a large organisation that has gone through significant period of change Constantly review the technology platform to ensure that new functionality is being utilised and maximised, ensuring side-systems are eradicated to drive standardisation and enhancements across AR activity Ensure all day-to-day staff activities are completed including but not limited to one to ones, performance reviews, objective settings, and all areas of individual & team performance management to drive strong team engagement Develop a robust set of KPI’s to drive team performance in collection of debt and ensure a team ethic is developed across the Credit Control Team & regular communication updates are provided to team members Provide a platform for staff feedback & actively encourage challenge & positive tension within the team to drive improvements Develop key relationships with the Commercial Team & Disputes Teams and with key Customers Continued assessment of aged overdue customer balances and become an escalation point for the team to drive the collection of those balances. Perform and review the quarterly bad debt provision calculation to ensure debt risk is minimised Perform a review of monthly AR Control Account Reconciliations and drive the resolution of any differences identified by the end of the proceeding financial period Engagement with colleagues throughout the business, Group & in the SSC Ensure deliverables are met for internal and external audits

Behavioural Competencies:

Strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to deal with people at different levels throughout the organisation Demonstrates initiative and anticipates needs of the organisation & therefore operates in proactive manner Strong influencing skills and high levels of resilience and determination Flexible approach and adaptable to a changing working environment Be an ambassador and role model across the SSC, displaying strong behaviours around leadership, service delivery & taking accountability Key member of the SSC Senior Management Team, providing over-arching input into the development, management, and ultimate success of the SSC Contribute to the overall success of the SSC operation Set and create a compelling and clear direction for the AR Team Motivate, involve, support, and align others to deliver – role model behaviour, inspire colleagues, celebrate success, empower Develop our people and ourselves - Creating time for personal, staff & team development; regular & effective PDR conversations with Manager and team; give regular and constructive feedback/praise; build confidence in self & others; focus on talent & succession planning Challenge the status quo and continuously improve to raise performance – measure the things that matter & track them consistently; proactively learn from success & failure; challenge & deal with poor performance Safety focus – always ensures the safety & welfare of staff & other stakeholders