Collections Specialist

Sopra Steria Group; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

This innovative firm is seeking a Collections Specialist to join their expanding team. You will play a crucial role in supporting customers facing debt repayment challenges, utilizing your excellent communication and negotiation skills. This position offers a hybrid working model, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life effectively. With a focus on empathy and problem-solving, you will help customers navigate their financial situations while ensuring a positive outcome. Join a company that values work-life balance and offers a range of benefits to support your well-being and career development.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Health cash plan

4 x death in service life assurance

Pension

3 days paid volunteering

5 days paid carers leave

Generous flexible benefits fund

Qualifications

• Experience in collections and customer service is essential.
• Ability to handle challenging conversations with empathy.

Responsibilities

• Assist customers with debt repayment issues through assessments.
• Negotiate payment plans and solutions tailored to customer needs.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Empathy

Negotiation skills

Problem-solving

Customer service experience

Confidence in challenging conversations

Education

Experience in financial services

Experience in contact or call centre environment

Job description

Do you have experience as a Collections Specialist and a passion for delivering outstanding customer service? We are expanding our team and would like you to join us!

At Sopra Steria Financial Services, you will play an important role in supporting customers who are having difficulties repaying their debt. This role requires a background in financial services and the ideal candidate will have experience in collections, along with a passion for providing great customer service.

We recognise that work-life balance isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. We give employees the flexibility to help them achieve a healthier work-life balance and perform at their best. You will spend 2 days in our Newcastle office and 3 days working from home (a little more in the office during training).

What you will be doing:

1. Talk with customers who are having difficulties repaying their debt. Listen to them and understand their personal circumstances by completing income & expenditure assessments.
2. Maintain a professional approach while showing compassion and empathy for their situation.
3. Negotiate and appropriately challenge customers, ensuring that the debt is paid over a reasonable timescale.
4. Identify and work with vulnerable customers and customers with protected characteristics to achieve a positive outcome.
5. Deliver appropriate solutions for customers based on their circumstances, such as payment plans.

What you will bring:

1. Excellent communication and great listening skills with the ability to show empathy with customers.
2. Experience of working in a contact or call centre environment, or have extensive experience in a customer-facing role.
3. Confidence in speaking to customers over the phone and dealing with challenging conversations.
4. Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to challenge customers where appropriate.
5. The ability to solve problems and come up with solutions for customers in difficult situations.
6. Experience working in the financial services industry.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do enquire; we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Newcastle (Hybrid)
Security Clearance Level: SC
Internal Recruiter: Rachel
Salary: Up to £32,000 (depending on experience)
Benefits: 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, health cash plan, 4 x death in service life assurance, pension, 3 days paid volunteering, 5 days paid carers leave and generous flexible benefits fund which you can take in cash.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

Our Specialist Private Sector team are experienced in a range of different markets including Banking, Insurance, Retail, Travel, Transport, and Utilities. We help our customers develop, deliver and operationalise their digital transformation strategies. We work in true partnership with our customer, gaining a deep understanding of their business and technology issues.
Our capabilities and credentials across Private Sector markets enable the design, delivery and management of business transformation programmes. We help our clients respond to changing customer demands, keep ahead of the competition, and safeguard their systems from evolving business and technology risks.
Come and join us.

The personal information we will need to collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by clicking here.