Director of Collections

Payliance•Lexington, KY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Collections leads Payliance’s collections function, ensuring its team and leadership have the resources, reporting, and processes needed to perform effectively. The role owns collection performance metrics, regulatory complaint responses, licensing and compliance across operating states, and the systems and vendor relationships that support collections operations. It combines strategic oversight of budgeting, reserves, vendors, and licensing with hands-on operational leadership, coaching, performance management, and direct responses to regulatory and consumer complaints. The Director leads and develops the collections team; monitors performance and reporting; oversees regulatory compliance, complaints, and state licensing; manages budgets, receivables forecasts, reserves, charge-offs, and write-offs; oversees litigation and bankruptcy accounts; and manages collections technology and third-party vendors. The position is on-site in Lexington, Kentucky, to support floor visibility, team leadership, and day-to-day operational oversight. Success is measured by recovery performance, regulatory standing, team development, financial stewardship, and operational reliability.

Requirements

5–10 years of proven experience in collections, accounts receivable, or a related leadership role.
Working knowledge of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Regulation F, TCPA, FCRA, and CFPB requirements.
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret performance data and identify root causes of trends.
Experience developing reporting and dashboards or partnering with analytics teams to do so.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects, including systems or database conversions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience responding to regulatory and consumer complaints.
Proven track record building, training, and managing a collections team, including performance management.
Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and P&L/reserve management.
Hands-on experience with collections platforms, dialers, or case management systems, plus strong Excel/data skills.
Commitment to training and succession planning to support business continuity.
Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with bankruptcy law and credit bureau furnishing standards (Metro 2).
Experience structuring settlements and payment plans.
ACA International or similar collections/credit certification.
Willingness and ability to pass state-specific licensing exams (e.g., Michigan, Nevada) as required.

Responsibilities

Partner with department leadership to ensure the team has the resources, tools, and support needed to succeed.
Hire, train, and manage collections team performance, including coaching on call quality and de-escalation.
Identify opportunities to improve individual and team productivity.
Develop succession and cross-training plans, including state-specific licensing and certification requirements.
Monitor collection percentage performance, analyze root causes when results fall below standard, and assess whether issues are correctable or externally driven.
Track RCK paid-percentage performance, assess trends and methodology, and distinguish temporary dips from systemic issues.
Collaborate with reporting and analytics resources to develop reports for dashboards and business intelligence initiatives.
Regularly report recovery rate, DSO, roll rates, and other key performance indicators to leadership.
Respond to Better Business Bureau and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaints and debt validation requests.
Support employee compliance with the FDCPA, Regulation F, TCPA, FCRA, and CFPB requirements.
Maintain compliance with applicable state regulations and collection agency licensing, including assisting with license renewals.
Maintain written collections policies, escalation matrices, and dispute-handling procedures.
Manage the department budget and forecast accounts receivable aging and days sales outstanding.
Approve charge-offs, write-offs, and bad debt reserves in accordance with company policy.
Oversee litigation and bankruptcy-filed accounts, coordinate with outside counsel, and set settlement and payment plan authority levels.
Own the collections technology platform, including the dialer and case management system, and ensure debtor data is handled securely.
Manage relationships with third-party collection agencies, skip-tracing providers, and credit bureaus.
Partner with leadership and technical teams to support smooth database conversion projects.
Monitor incoming and outgoing email correspondence with debtors and merchants.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the business to support organizational success.