Collections Specialist

Varsity Spirit•Farmers Branch, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year. OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY At Varsity Spirit, the safety and wellbeing of the young people we serve is of the utmost importance. Since our inception 50 years ago, we have been – and remain – steadfastly committed to doing our part to create a safe and positive environment for our participants’ physical, emotional, and social development, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. Varsity has a zero tolerance for abuse in its programs, events, and associated business activities. Varsity is committed to reporting all suspicions, allegations, and incidents of abuse in full accordance with local laws and reporting requirements. Learn more at Our Commitment to Safety - Varsity.com . Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Varsity Brands is looking to hire a Collection Specialist – in Farmers Branch within the Financial Services department involves managing collections on assigned accounts under the supervision of the Collections Supervisor. Key responsibilities include researching and reconciling accounts receivable, initiating collections communications, handling high volumes of calls, negotiating payment arrangements, and maintaining customer relationships. Candidates should have strong interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills, be proficient in Microsoft Office, and possess at least a high school diploma with preferred experience in commercial collections and relevant software like SAP. The position is office-based with minimal physical demands.

Requirements

Proven ability to manage large portfolios (2,000+ accounts) and daily completion targets.
Skilled in account reconciliation, dispute resolution, payment negotiation, and credit escalation.
Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, including listening, verbal, written, and presentation, with the ability to communicate effectively within various levels of the company.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Exhibit the ability to thrive in a creative, dynamic, fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks.
Exhibit the ability to handle sensitive matters, including customer information accurately and information with tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
Demonstrate strong analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Attention to detail, ability to multitask, remain organized and prioritize tasks with strict deadlines
Self-motivated team player, with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Incorporate customer-centric values and SPIRIT principles into the company's mission, vision, and core values.
Must be comfortable with conflict resolution.
Advanced proficiency in Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point required.
Excel knowledge including v-lookups, filters, and pivot tables are strongly preferred.
High School Diploma, GED or relevant experience required.
3-5 years of Collections or AR experience in a high-volume, multi-ERP environment.
Large ERP systems experience required, SAP and High Radius experience preferred.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a front-line representative for the Financial Services team, providing professional, solution-driven customer service.
Perform soft collections by following up on open invoices, documenting promises-to-pay, entering disputes, and assisting with reconciliation.
Negotiate payment plans with customers when needed to secure commitments.
Resolve account reconciliation discrepancies by identifying root causes and working directly with customers and internal teams
Provide customers with invoices, order details, shipment tracking, proofs of delivery (PODs), account history, credit card receipts, and Excel reconciliation of account upon request.
Support special account reconciliations for high-volume partners such as Amazon, Walmart, and dealer accounts.
Assist customers with tax exemption documentation, refunds, revised invoices, and portal upload requests.
Partner with Sales to address AR ageing questions and provide timely account updates.
Escalate credit hold recommendations to the Credit team based on payment history and account status.
Manage and follow up on credit hold emails forwarded by the Credit team.
Escalate unresolved accounts for third-party collections review when internal efforts are exhausted.
Manage a worklist of 2,000+ accounts daily, with a target of 120 accounts completed per day.
Respond to and resolve 50+ incoming customer emails per day within SLA (48-hour turnaround).
Handle 70+ inbound and outbound calls per day via the Autonomous phone system, documenting outcomes and