Senior Credit Controller

Royal Alexandra and Albert School; Reigate and Banstead; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual leave

Free parking

Subsidised meals

Employee Assistance Programme

Professional development

Job summary

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is seeking an experienced Senior Credit Controller to join our Finance Team. You will lead credit control activities across tuition and boarding fees, co-curricular income, and other charges, ensuring timely collection and reduced bad debts.

This standalone role offers significant ownership, with no line management, and requires proven experience in debt collection, reconciliations and cash allocation.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of experience in credit control and sales ledger environments.
• Proven debt collection, account reconciliation and cash allocation experience.
• Experience managing payment plans and debt recovery processes.
• Strong Excel and Office skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and customer service skills.
• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and work independently.
• Confidential handling of sensitive financial information.

Responsibilities

• Lead the School's credit control function and debt management activities.
• Manage collection of tuition and boarding fees, trip charges and other income.
• Monitor and reduce outstanding debt through effective account management.
• Manage payment plans and debt recovery in line with School procedures.
• Prepare aged debtor reports and collection performance analysis.
• Maintain accurate sales ledgers and account reconciliations.
• Liaise with parents, guardians and external agencies on balances and arrangements.
• Support financial sustainability through timely income collection and debt reduction.
• Collaborate with Finance, Admissions, Boarding and Operations teams.

Skills

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Communication skills

Negotiation

Customer service

Analytical ability

Attention to detail

Time management

Independence

Confidentiality

Tools

Sage 200

SIMS

Job description

Your Role

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School are seeking an experienced and highly organised Senior Credit Controller to join our Finance Team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a finance professional with strong credit control experience to take ownership of a specialist role that is vital to the school's financial sustainability. Working across multiple income streams, you will be responsible for ensuring the timely collection of fees and charges, reducing outstanding debt and maintaining strong relationships with parents, guardians and other stakeholders.

As a unique state boarding school, the role offers the opportunity to work across a diverse range of activities including boarding, educational trips and co-curricular provision, making it a varied and rewarding position within a supportive and professional environment.

About the Role

The Senior Credit Controller will oversee the school's credit control and income collection activities, ensuring effective management of accounts receivable and outstanding balances.

1. Leading the School's credit control function and debt management activities.
2. Managing the collection of tuition fees, boarding fees, educational trip charges and co-curricular income.
3. Proactively monitoring and reducing outstanding debt through effective account management.
4. Managing payment plans and debt recovery processes in line with School procedures.
5. Preparing aged debtor reports and collection performance analysis.
6. Maintaining accurate sales ledger records and account reconciliations.
7. Liaising with parents, guardians and external agencies regarding account balances and payment arrangements.
8. Supporting the School's financial sustainability through timely income collection and debt reduction.
9. Working collaboratively with colleagues across Finance, Admissions, Boarding and Operational teams.

This is a standalone specialist role with no line management responsibilities, providing significant ownership and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on the school's financial performance.

The successful candidate

We are looking for a motivated and professional individual who can demonstrate:

Essential

1. A minimum of three years' experience in a credit control and sales ledger environment.
2. Proven experience of debt collection, account reconciliation and cash allocation.
3. Experience managing payment plans and debt recovery processes.
4. Strong Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
5. Excellent communication, negotiation and customer service skills.
6. Strong analytical ability and attention to detail.
7. The ability to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and work independently.
8. A professional and confidential approach to handling sensitive financial information.

Desirable

1. Experience working within a school, academy, boarding school or wider education environment.
2. Experience of school fee billing and collection processes.
3. Knowledge of boarding school operations.
4. Experience of Sage 200 or similar finance systems.
5. Experience of using SIMS.
6. Knowledge of legal debt recovery procedures and court processes.

Why Join Us?

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is a unique state boarding school set within 260 acres of beautiful parkland in Surrey. Home to both day and boarding students, the school provides an exceptional educational environment where staff play a vital role in supporting young people to achieve their potential.

1. Competitive salary of £38,000 - £42,000 per annum
2. Generous annual leave entitlement
3. Free on-site parking
4. Subsidised meals during term time
5. Employee Assistance Programme
6. Ongoing professional development opportunities
7. The opportunity to make a direct impact on the school's financial sustainability and future success

The school reserves the right to appoint to the closing date.

Safeguarding Information

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post if successful, including an Enhanced DBS check. Staff must be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety regulations, security and confidentiality, reporting all concerns as appropriate. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

At The Royal Alexandra and Albert School we strive to be inclusive and value the positive impact of diversity and equality within our school. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and particularly encourage those from ethnic minority groups who reflect the diversity, and varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds, of our student community / boarding community.