Director of Consumer Collections

Community Financial System, Inc.•Williston, New York

About The Position

The Director of Consumer Collections leads the strategic direction, operational performance, and regulatory compliance of the Consumer Collections function. The role oversees delinquency management, loss mitigation, foreclosure, repossession, recovery, and collections operations across consumer loan portfolios, including residential mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, and other retail lending products. The Director develops and executes strategies to minimize credit losses, support borrowers experiencing financial hardship, improve customer experience, and ensure compliance with regulations and the organization’s risk appetite. The position works with Credit Risk, Lending, Mortgage Servicing, Accounting, Compliance, Operations, external vendors, and other stakeholders to improve portfolio performance. It also leads collections managers and staff, manages vendor relationships, monitors operational and financial performance, and supports the broader goals of the Credit Department and the Bank.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
10 or more years of progressive experience in consumer collections, mortgage servicing, consumer lending, credit administration, loss mitigation, or default management.
5 or more years of leadership experience managing collections or servicing operations.
Extensive knowledge of consumer collections, mortgage default servicing, and consumer lending operations.
Strong understanding of residential mortgage lending, home equity lending, auto lending, and consumer credit risk management.
Expertise in collections, mortgage servicing, foreclosure, repossession, bankruptcy, and consumer protection regulations.
Advanced analytical, strategic planning, and problem-solving abilities.
Experience with collections systems, servicing platforms, and portfolio analytics tools.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship management skills.
Ability to influence stakeholders and drive organizational change.
Demonstrated success improving delinquency metrics, reducing credit losses, and enhancing customer outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing mortgage, home equity, auto loan, and consumer loan portfolios is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute collections strategies across consumer loan portfolios, setting objectives aligned with organizational goals, portfolio expectations, and risk management standards.
Lead initiatives to improve delinquency performance, reduce losses, increase recoveries, and enhance customer engagement.
Evaluate technology solutions, including AI, to improve efficiency, modernize workflows, and maintain compliance.
Collaborate with Credit Risk, Lending, Mortgage Servicing, Accounting, Compliance, and Operations to optimize portfolio performance.
Oversee delinquency management, loss mitigation, repossessions, collateral sales, foreclosures, ORE, recovery, and charge-off activities.
Develop collection strategies tailored to consumer lending products and ensure consistent execution of policies, procedures, and customer treatment standards.
Monitor delinquency trends, loss performance, recovery results, collection productivity, staffing, and operational effectiveness.
Partner with Consumer Lending and Credit Risk to recommend policy and underwriting changes.
Implement process improvements and technology solutions.
Ensure compliance with investor, insurer, and regulatory servicing and collection requirements.
Monitor portfolio performance, including delinquency, repossession and foreclosure activity, loss severity, recovery performance, and cure rates.
Partner with Mortgage Servicing, Consumer Lending, and external vendors to manage foreclosure, repossession, recovery, and liquidation activities.
Evaluate emerging risks across consumer lending portfolios and implement strategies to address changing conditions.
Ensure compliance with FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, RESPA, TILA, CFPB requirements, UDAAP standards, and applicable state regulations.
Maintain internal controls, quality assurance practices, and audit readiness; work with Compliance and other Bank areas on regulatory changes and examination findings.
Manage third-party collection agencies, attorneys, repossession agents, property preservation vendors, skip-tracing providers, and recovery partners.
Establish vendor performance standards, service-level agreements, and monitoring processes, and ensure vendors meet regulatory, operational, and customer service expectations.
Lead and develop collections managers and staff, fostering accountability, customer advocacy, compliance, and continuous improvement.
Set performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching and development; lead workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
Monitor collection expenses, recovery performance, repossession expenses, and foreclosure-related expenditures.
Evaluate operational performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce losses, and enhance portfolio profitability.
Assist the Credit Department and the Bank as necessary in achieving their goals.