Senior Manager of Collections & Recoveries

Jaja; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Private health cover

Pension

Birthday day off

Hybrid working

Job summary

Jaja in the United Kingdom seeks a Senior Manager, Collections & Recoveries to lead end-to-end operations from our Manchester hub, including in-house and partner activity. You will drive customer outcomes in line with Consumer Duty while protecting the business.

This hands-on leadership role requires governance, data-driven decisions, and collaboration across risk, data, product, operations, compliance and finance to deliver a digital-first, compassionate approach that returns customers to

Qualifications

• Experience leading UK consumer credit collections operations.
• Proven ability to drive customer outcomes under Consumer Duty.
• Leadership of hybrid in-house and partner-based teams.
• Hands-on leader with data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day collections and recoveries operations end-to-end.
• Set goals and drive performance against KPIs.
• Shape digital-first contact strategy across channels.
• Maintain governance, risk controls, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with risk, data, product, operations, compliance and finance.

Skills

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

Digital channels

Regulatory knowledge

Strategic planning

Change management

Education

CICM qualification

Tools

CRM systems

Data analytics platforms

Automation tools

Job description

• As a Senior Manager, Collections & Recoveries you’ll make sure we’re there for our customers when they need us most — whether they’re already in financial difficulty or showing early signs that they could be heading that way
• Your focus will be on delivering good customer outcomes, in line with Consumer Duty, while protecting the commercial health of the business
• You’ll lead our Collections & Recoveries operation day to day: a compact in-house team (based in our Manchester hub and working remotely), plus the third-party partners who support us across the lifecycle
• You’ll set clear goals, motivate your team to achieve them, and continually improve how we work
• Digital is at the heart of what we do, so you’ll be confident using data, automation and digital self-service to make collections simpler for customers and more efficient for us
• This is a hands‑on role
• You’ll get stuck in while keeping sight of the bigger picture
• You’ll be comfortable managing resources and relationships across multiple areas, and you’ll work closely with colleagues across the business — including risk, data, product, operations, compliance and finance — to make sure the support we offer customers reflects our mission and values
• You’ll also bring structure, sound governance, disciplined planning and authentic people leadership
• You’ll engage confidently with colleagues at every level, and you’ll relish stepping outside your comfort zone when new challenges come up — which, in a scaling business, they regularly will
• Lead the day‑to‑day running of Collections & Recoveries end to end — in‑house operations, debt collection and recoveries partners, and specialist services — owning performance against clear operational KPIs and customer outcome measures, resourcing and capacity planning, and robust first‑line oversight of key controls and risks
• Shape and deliver a digital‑first contact strategy across in‑app, self‑service, messaging, email, SMS and voice, working closely with Data & Analytics
• Use segmentation, behavioural insight and test‑and‑learn to engage customers earlier, increase self‑serve resolution, and make every interaction simpler and more effective for customers, and more efficient for us
• Identify and responsibly adopt automation and AI‑enabled tools — such as conversational AI, speech and text analytics, and propensity models — where they improve customer outcomes and efficiency, with the right human oversight, testing and controls in place
• Own our collections policies, processes and procedures, keeping them clear, current and designed around good customer outcomes, alongside strong business results
• Ensure customers approaching or in financial difficulty, or in persistent debt, are offered appropriate and sustainable forbearance and support — including affordable repayment arrangements, Breathing Space and referrals to free debt advice — and that customers with characteristics of vulnerability are identified early, recorded appropriately and receive fair, tailored support
• Ensure all collections and recoveries activity complies with relevant laws, regulation and industry guidance, including CONC 7 and the FCA’s rules on borrowers in financial difficulty, Consumer Duty, the FCA’s guidance on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers (FG21/1) and the Debt Respite Scheme
• Evidence good customer outcomes through clear MI, quality assurance, outcomes testing and complaints root‑cause analysis, contribute to our Consumer Duty reporting, and act as a key point of contact for regulatory and industry engagement on collections topics
• Bring the outside in — keep us ahead of regulatory change (including Consumer Credit Act reform), emerging best practice and new technology, and share the insight that helps the business think ahead
• Work across the business — including Credit Risk, Finance, Product and Complaints — and with external partners so that collections activity and outcomes are well understood, arrears forecasts and impairment drivers are well informed, recoveries are optimised and delinquency is minimised — above all by helping customers get back to financial health as quickly as possible
• Hold our third‑party partners to the same standard of customer care we expect of ourselves, through outcomes‑focused MI, quality assurance and regular audits
• Lead, coach and empower a hybrid Collections & Recoveries team: set clear goals, give timely and constructive feedback, recognise great work, and own the team’s development plan — building capability in areas such as vulnerability, digital and data skills
• Look after colleague wellbeing in a role that can be emotionally demanding, and build an engaged, inclusive and high‑performing culture where everyone feels confident to do the right thing for customers

Benefits

• Compensation: We review salaries each year to ensure performance is rewarded and we retain our talent. If your responsibilities increase, so will your pay! You’ll also be included in our annual discretionary bonus scheme, linked to your performance.
• Holiday: You’ll start with 25 days a year of annual leave, plus public holidays, with an extra day of holiday added for each completed year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days). Plus, we’ll give you your birthday off each year.
• Health & Wellbeing: We’ve got you covered with private health cover through Vitality, with some additional perks, discounts and rewards to keep you active. You can also take advantage of our Employee Assistance Programme, with 24/7 support for issues like bereavement and health worries, access the cycle to work scheme and benefit from paid sick leave if you need to take a break.
• Learning & Development: We have a variety of internal learning opportunities to support your development, including company‑funded training to support your professional development, and department‑specific career pathways to provide growth and advancement opportunities.
• Pension: UK and Ireland‑based employees will be automatically opted in to our enhanced pension scheme, with options to flex your contribution via our salary exchange scheme (or opt‑out completely) as your choose.
• Family: All colleagues benefit from life insurance (4x base salary) and paid maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, if you’ve been with us for at least 26 weeks. Our flexible working policy is designed to offer support where needed.

Comfort with data: you can interpret and challenge MI, set up and read tests, and use insight to make decisionsResilience and ownership — you stay steady under pressure, take accountability, and see things throughCredibility with stakeholders at all levels, built on experience, business knowledge, market insight and best practice. You reach balanced decisions quickly and keep things movingExperience of managing third‑party collections and recoveries partners, with outcomes‑focused oversight and assuranceA track record of using data, technology and digital channels to improve customer outcomes and operational performance — striking the right balance between great customer outcomes and a lean, efficient and robust operating modelExcellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to lead change effectively. You build strong, collaborative relationships across teams and work through challenges to get things doneSignificant experience leading collections and recoveries operations within UK consumer credit, ideally in credit cards or unsecured lendingAn experienced people leader who can coach, motivate and empower teams in a hybrid working model to achieve and exceed their goals, while looking after their wellbeingA strong, practical and current understanding of the UK regulatory framework for consumer credit collections, including CONC 7, the FCA’s rules on borrowers in financial difficulty, Consumer Duty, the fair treatment of vulnerable customers and Breathing Space — and how to evidence good customer outcomesExperience in a fast‑growing or digital‑first lenderA relevant professional qualification, such as CICMHands‑on experience implementing AI‑enabled or automation tools (e.g. conversational AI, speech analytics) in a regulated environment