Credit & Collections Specialist II

Southern Company • Virginia Beach, VA

5h • $43,630 - $63,990 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Credit & Collections Specialist II monitors, reviews, and completes back-office credit and collections processes for Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas, and Virginia Natural Gas. The role collects overdue payments, helps income-eligible customers access energy assistance, and maintains adequate account security to protect the company from loss. This independent individual contributor analyzes account and report data, makes sound decisions, manages recurring and ad hoc work as priorities change, and communicates professionally with customers, internal partners, state agencies, and external vendors. The successful candidate is expected to act with C.A.R.E. (Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment) in all interactions.

The position reports to Virginia Beach, Virginia. The work schedule is Monday through Thursday in the office and Friday remotely. Infrequent travel of 0–5% may be required, potentially involving air travel and overnight stays.

Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.2 million natural gas utility customers through regulated distribution companies in four states and approximately 600,000 retail customers through natural gas marketing companies. Southern Company describes its mission as providing clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy with excellent service and is working toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The company describes its total rewards strategy as including competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees, and health, welfare, and retirement benefits. The position may also be eligible for additional compensation under applicable incentive plans; specific compensation and benefits details are provided during hiring.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• 1–3 years of experience in credit, collections, customer service, banking, or similar business activities.
• Proficiency in data entry, reviewing account information, and generating reports.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, pivot tables, and lookups.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word.
• Ability to analyze reports and account data, identify trends and exceptions, and draw sound conclusions.
• Clear, professional written communication, including customer letters, emails, and leadership summaries.
• Confident verbal communication, including outbound collection calls, negotiating payment arrangements, and explaining complex account issues in plain language.
• Strong interpersonal, critical-thinking, process-management, research, and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, manage recurring and ad hoc work, and take ownership through completion.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, cover other team responsibilities when needed, and learn new processes and systems.
• Strong time management and planning skills.
• Ability to independently follow and apply job aids and procedures.
• Ability to act with C.A.R.E. (Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment) in all interactions.
• Work schedule is Monday through Thursday in the office and Friday remotely; the reporting location is Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Infrequent travel of 0–5% may be required, including possible air travel and overnight stays.

Nice To Haves

• BA/BS degree in Business or a related field.
• 1–2 years of utility experience.
• Equivalent academic education and work experience.
• Knowledge of the customer billing system (CC&B).
• Knowledge of collection and bankruptcy policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Investigate customer account issues and provide solutions.
• Monitor reports and customer accounts and process adjustments as needed.
• Review, analyze, and process bankruptcies.
• Assist Customer Care Center agents with customer inquiries and resolutions.
• Help resolve customer complaints and protect the company's brand reputation.
• Locate delinquent customer accounts through skip-tracing, phone contact, and written correspondence to secure payments or payment arrangements.
• Make outbound collection calls to help prevent service disconnections for nonpayment.
• Work with collection agencies and DebtNext to monitor gas accounts and verify credit disputes and status changes affecting credit ratings.
• Process, handle, and collect Surety Bonds, Irrevocable Letters of Credit, and Credit Union Guarantees.
• Investigate daily self-restore reports and respond by billing appropriate charges and initiating field activity.
• Maintain relationships with state agencies that assist income-eligible customers with bill payments.
• Support energy assistance programs, including LIHEAP, by processing and tracking assistance payments and pledges, canceling pledges, correcting errors, and processing refunds to the state.
• Generate reports that inform management about customer account activity, trends, and collection results.
• Collaborate with teammates, share knowledge, support cross-coverage, and help keep job aids up to date.
• Plan and prioritize assigned daily, weekly, monthly, and ad hoc work; meet deadlines, document completion, and escalate issues outside established guidance.
• Use data and reports to prioritize accounts and tasks according to financial or customer impact, while protecting customer security and maintaining quality.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees.
• Health, welfare, and retirement benefits.
• The position may be eligible for additional compensation through an incentive program, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED