Credit Risk & Collections Manager, I&C Debt

Wave Utilities; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading national business water retailer in the United Kingdom is seeking a Credit Risk & Collections Manager to safeguard its Industrial & Commercial portfolio. This role involves managing credit risk and collections, promoting cash collection excellence, and collaborating with various teams to implement strategies that enhance performance and reduce financial risk. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills and extensive collections experience, along with exceptional stakeholder management capabilities. The company offers hybrid working conditions and a competitive salary.

Benefits

Excellent pension scheme

Bonus potential

Perkbox membership

Income protection scheme

Free onsite parking

24 days holiday plus bank holidays

Day off for your birthday

Volunteering day

Qualifications

• Understanding of credit risk management strategies and policies.
• Experience in collections including enforcement processes.
• Strong analytical skills with reporting capabilities.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Proven leadership capability for results delivery.
• Influencing skills for stakeholder engagement.
• Strategic thinking for performance and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Review credit bureau updates for emerging risks.
• Support Account Managers with appropriate risk mitigations.
• Monitor overall credit health of the portfolio.
• Collaborate to ensure robust risk policy application.
• Attend industry events for best-practice insights.
• Produce business-critical reports on credit risk.
• Prepare regular reviews for senior management.

Skills

Anti Money Laundering

English Speaking

Data Entry

Investigation

Adobe InDesign

Job description

Credit Risk & Collections Manager Industrial & Commercial (I&C) (37 hours per week Permanent)

Location: Hybrid working contractual base in Pearl House Peterborough or Salvus House Durham

Salary: £48,485 - £60,606 plus a discretionary bonus potential of up to 8% of annual salary

Job Level: C

Reporting to: Head of Credit Control & Collections

We want our people to have a great work‑life balance and support flexible working in terms of a hybrid model and varying start and finish times in some teams where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.

About Us

Wave is a leading national business water retailer helping over 300 000 customers across the UK to benefit from the non‑household water market. We’re dedicated to helping businesses lower water use, be more water efficient and reduce costs, all of which helped us proudly earn the Water Retailer of the Year award in 2021, then reclaiming the title in 2023 and again in 2025 where the judges highlighted our commitment to social value and sustainability as well as our market‑leading customer service. Our vision is to be the most customer‑focused utility delivering value and efficiency in everything we do, making a positive difference to the environment and society.

The culture at Wave is like nowhere else. We’re committed to a happy, healthy place to work and have a working environment which supports continuous learning and development where people can really flourish. Join us means you’ll be part of a team of over 300 people working flexibly across two UK‑based offices. You’ll find a real focus on employee wellbeing and some great benefits too. We expect great things from you and we give great things back.

What’s in it for you

Wealth

• Excellent pension scheme – we double‑match your contribution up to a maximum of 5 % employee contribution and 10 % from Wave
• Bonus potential
• Perkbox membership with a vast range of perks – high street savings (fashion retailers, supermarkets and restaurants), discounted cinema tickets, travel and holiday discounts and online fitness classes
• Income protection scheme
• Personal accident insurance
• 4× salary life assurance
• Free onsite parking

Time off

• 24 days holiday rising to 26 (plus bank holidays)
• A day off for your birthday
• Half a day on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve
• The option to buy holidays
• 1 day paid volunteering

Wellbeing

• Hybrid / Flexible working
• Healthcare cashback and treatment scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Annual conference and Christmas party
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Free flu shots

Family Friendly

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Enhanced shared parental and adoption leave
• We care about you as an employee and have a range of resources available to both you and your family

The Role in a Nutshell

Wave is looking for a Credit Risk & Collections Manager to safeguard our Industrial & Commercial (I&C) portfolio and drive cash collection excellence. You’ll assess customer creditworthiness at acquisition and through the customer lifecycle, partnering with Account Managers to spot emerging risks, apply mitigation tools like bonds and guarantees and reduce bad debt. As the essential link between I&C and Finance you’ll turn data‑led insight into a proactive credit risk strategy and a reactive debt recovery engine.

In this role you’ll own business‑critical reporting: credit risk categorisation, collections performance and segmented debt – while leading debt deep‑dive sessions to agree next‑best actions. You’ll coach Account and Team Managers, automate recovery processes in our CRM, challenge existing workflows and network at industry forums to bring best practices into Wave. If you’re a collaborative problem‑solver with a passion for numbers and process improvement, apply now to shape the future of credit management at Wave.

What will your typical day look like

• Review credit bureau updates, external publications and newly filed customer accounts to identify emerging risks and feed into a credit risk oversight plan.
• Support Account Managers and Sector Leads by recommending appropriate risk mitigations (e.g. bonds, parent company guarantees) when customer circumstances change.
• Monitor overall credit health of the I&C portfolio and brief stakeholders on trends or strategy adjustments needed to mitigate financial loss.
• Collaborate with Sales, I&C Account Management and Finance to ensure the risk policy remains robust, up‑to‑date and consistently applied for new and renewing customers.
• Attend industry forums and events to gather best‑practice insights and apply them to Wave’s credit risk framework.
• Produce and distribute business‑critical reports on credit risk categorisation, collections performance and segmented debt, highlighting trends that inform operational priorities.
• Prepare regular reviews for the I&C Customer Director, CFO and senior managers on key movements in risk debt cash‑flow quality and process performance against targets.

What do we need from you

• Sound understanding of credit risk management strategies, policies and procedures.
• Extensive collections experience including enforcement processes such as litigation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to generate and interpret reporting/insight.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills at all levels.
• Proven leadership capability to deliver results through others and share best practices.
• Influencing skills to secure buy‑in from stakeholders outside your reporting line.
• Strategic thinking with a track record of creating and executing long‑term plans to boost performance and minimise risk.

Please refer to the essential criteria in the job description as this is what you will be shortlisted against.

Wave is committed to making a positive difference to the environment and society in which it operates. If you are excited to join a dynamic growing business which cares about its people we would love to hear from you.

Be yourself – our differences make us stronger

Wave is proud to be an inclusive employer and actively encourages applications from all backgrounds. We will take into consideration any adjustments or individual requirements at any stage of your recruitment journey. If you require any additional support related to menopause, neurodiversity or any other reason please do let us know by contacting [contact information].

Please ensure you attach your CV and a covering letter so we can get to know more about your skills and experience and why you are suitable for this role. We will not be able to consider applications without a covering letter.

Closing date

4pm on 08th September

Wave processes your data in line with data protection laws. You can find out more by accessing our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Key Skills

• Anti Money Laundering
• English Speaking
• Data Entry
• Food
• Investigation
• Adobe InDesign

Employment Details

Employment Type: Full‑Time

Department / Functional Area: Finance

Experience: Manager (Year requirement not specified)

Vacancy: 1

Monthly Salary: £48,485 - £60,606