Account Specialist - $23/hr + Monthly Incentive

Sallie Mae; New Castle (DE); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Bonus incentives

PTO & holidays

401k with company match

Hybrid work arrangements

Parental leave

Wellness program

Job summary

Sallie Mae in Delaware is seeking a Customer Engagement specialist to contact customers with overdue accounts, discuss repayment options, and guide them toward a sustainable plan. You will deliver empathetic, solutions-focused service while meeting quality, compliance, and productivity targets.

The role offers a base pay of $23 per hour, plus quarterly incentives, with a hybrid work model and a comprehensive benefits package, including PTO, 401(k) match, and education support.

Qualifications

• Empathy with assertiveness to achieve outcomes.
• Meet and exceed quality goals, compliance regulations and productivity targets.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and listening skills.
• Build relationships while gathering information to understand financial situations.
• Excellent negotiating, probing, influencing and resourcefulness.

Responsibilities

• Customer Engagement: Make and receive customer calls to address overdue accounts and discuss repayment options.
• Customer Experience: Provide exceptional service while encouraging customers to make payments on their past due accounts.
• Documentation: Accurately record customer interactions, including communication logs, payments, repayment plan enrollments, and other important information.

Skills

Empathy

Assertive communication

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Relationship building

Active listening

Customer service

Education

High School Diploma

Some college coursework in business

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We’re on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We’re changing. Because students need a better way.

We’re looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students—and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It’s where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you—from physical and mental to financial and professional. You’ll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We’re obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking “why not?” when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

Description

• Customer Engagement: Make and receive customer calls to address overdue accounts and discuss repayment options.
• Customer Experience: Provide exceptional service while encouraging customers to make payments on their past due accounts.
• Documentation: Accurately record customer interactions, including communication logs, payments, repayment plan enrollments, and other important information.

Qualifications And Skills

• Ability to demonstrate empathy while being assertive to achieve the required outcome.
• Meet and exceed quality goals, compliance regulations and productivity targets individually and team environment.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and listening skills.
• Build meaningful relationships with our customers by offering repayment programs while gathering information to understand their financial situation.
• Excellent negotiating, probing, influencing and resourcefulness skills.

Compensation

• This role offers a base pay of $23 per hour, plus quarterly incentives ranging from $1250 to $2500 based on performance.

What We’re Looking For

Next Start Date is October 13, 2026

• Professionalism: Serve as the welcoming and friendly voice for our customers.
• Energetic and Driven: Bring enthusiasm and a positive attitude to every interaction.
• Tech Savvy: Possess basic computer skills and experience with the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Flexible Work Environment: Ability to work in the office with the flexibility to work from home on some days.
• The first 90 days of employment you are required to work in the office with a schedule of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Schedule assignments are based on performance rankings. Employees will participate in a schedule bid process where higher performance rankings provide priority in selecting preferred shifts. Shift bids take place every 6 months.
• Schedules options upon availability and based on business needs are: 8am-5pm, 10am-7pm and 12pm-9pm (Employees working the evening shift receive a 15% shift differential on their hourly rate).
• You would work the same schedule Mon-Friday.
• Must be flexible to work some Saturdays
• Education & Experience: Experience in customer service and or collections related roles. High school diploma or equivalent, some college coursework in business related fields preferred.

Feeling Your Best Helps You Do Your Best

Our benefits take care of the whole you—so you can build your work around your life (not the other way around!).

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more
• Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs
• Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware)
• Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives
• Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs
• Career development and training opportunities

Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Click here to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy, here for federal job applicant notices, and here to view the California Employee Privacy Notice.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call [phone] and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.