Sr Manager, Credit and Collections

Quad•Sussex, WI

About The Position

The Senior Manager – Credit and Collections leads and manages the company’s U.S. credit and collections function. This hands-on position directly manages a portfolio of significant customer accounts while overseeing, guiding, and supporting the Credit and Collections team. The role evaluates customer creditworthiness, establishes and approves credit limits within authorized levels, monitors credit exposure, handles complex collection situations, and negotiates payment arrangements. It is accountable for optimizing cash collections, minimizing bad-debt exposure, maintaining effective credit controls, and supporting profitable business growth. The Senior Manager establishes departmental priorities, monitors accounts receivable performance, develops employees, and ensures compliance with company credit policies and financial controls. The role works closely with Sales, Finance, Billing, Operations, and Legal to resolve customer issues, manage financial risk, and improve cash flow, balancing direct customer responsibilities with departmental leadership, performance management, and continuous process improvement.

Requirements

10–15 years of progressive experience, including significant commercial B2B credit risk responsibility.
At least 5 years of supervisory experience.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.
Strong financial statement analysis, cash flow analysis, and credit risk assessment skills.
Strong negotiation skills balanced with strong customer service skills.
Sound judgment and decision-making capability.
Solid understanding of domestic and international legal and compliance aspects of credit.
Leadership skills, including setting objectives, monitoring performance, and communicating feedback regularly.
Computer literacy, including MS Office Suite, and ability to learn new systems quickly.
Ability to handle change and multiple shifting priorities.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Adaptability to a changing environment.
Business acumen in economics and accounting.

Nice To Haves

BS degree in Accounting, Finance, or a business field preferred.
NACM CBA, CBF, or CCE (Certified Credit Executive) certification preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Credit and Collections department, overseeing accounts receivable, credit exposure, collections performance, and customer relationships.
Establish departmental objectives, performance standards, and priorities aligned with company financial goals.
Manage an assigned portfolio of significant customer accounts, including credit risk evaluation, collections, customer negotiations, and resolution of complex payment issues.
Develop and execute strategies to improve collections, reduce delinquent balances, minimize bad-debt exposure, and optimize working capital.
Maintain accountability for departmental results and the performance of credit analysts, senior analysts, and collections management.
Assess creditworthiness and approve client credit limits through financial analysis, credit underwriting, and company and industry research; recommend authorization for limits above the role’s approval level.
Monitor economic, industry, and customer conditions and communicate with business units to evaluate changes to client creditworthiness and credit limits.
Analyze accounts receivable aging, customer payment behavior, and delinquency patterns to develop targeted collection strategies.
Conduct periodic portfolio reviews with team members to assess collection activity, escalations, risk mitigation, bad-debt reserve recommendations, and potential write-offs.
Prepare and communicate reports to senior financial leadership on accounts receivable performance, collection trends, significant credit exposures, potential bad debt, emerging customer risks, and recommended corrective actions.
Lead, coach, and develop Credit and Collections personnel through hiring, training, performance management, workload prioritization, and professional development.
Participate in customer contract negotiations, including requests for extended payment terms and exceptions to credit policies.
Direct strategies for financially distressed customers, including bankruptcy, insolvency, significant delinquency, and other elevated credit risks.
Coordinate with Legal, collection agencies, and other departments on collection remedies, security interests, payment arrangements, and recovery strategies.
Implement best practices and process improvements, using automation where appropriate.
Provide customer service to internal and external customers and work with Sales Executives and Contracts/BAM Groups to balance prudent risk with profitable sales.
Recommend exceptions to standard risk and payment-term policies to the Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer.