Accounts Collections Specialist

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services is seeking an Accounts Receivable/Collections professional in Virginia Beach, VA. The role focuses on collecting past-due amounts, analyzing AR balances for accuracy, and serving as the main accounting liaison for customer accounts.

Responsibilities include dunning, disputes, refunds handling, and ensuring compliance with billing terms. The ideal candidate has 3+ years in collections within the shipping sector and experience with SAP FI/CO/MM.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of collections/AR experience.
• Strong knowledge of commercial collections.
• Experience in the Shipping Industry preferred.
• SAP FI/CO/MM knowledge preferred.

Responsibilities

• Contact customers to pursue payment and resolve delinquencies.
• Review AR balances for accuracy of invoices and payments.
• Serve as main accounting contact for customer accounts.
• Communicate policies and terms clearly to customers.
• Provide regular two-way communication with customers and set expectations.

Skills

Collections experience

Customer communications

Dispute resolution

Attention to detail

Tools

SAP FI/CO MM

Job description

Main Purpose of the Role:

Responsible for payment collections to ensure all past due amounts are collected while preventing the aging of current balances. Responsible for all customer communications (including dunning, refunds and statements) and dispute resolution to ensure all customer portfolios are in compliance with established payment and credit terms.

Main Tasks:

• Contact Customers to pursue for payment
• Reviews all customer AR balances to ensure billing/invoice and payment accuracy.
• Serve as main contact on all accounting aspects of the customer’s account.
• Exhibit an understanding of the company capabilities and service, and effectively communicate all policies and terms to the customer.
• Provides regular two-way communication between the customer and ZIM to provide strong representation and set proper customer expectations.
• Act as Liaison between customer and Dispute team to facilitate timely resolution and payment
• Investigate and recommend solutions to clear all service failures and other issues that may prevent prompt payment from being received and applied.
• Handles the customer's concerns by escalating the customer's complaints, disputes or inquiries to the appropriate internal departments or to management as needed.
• Issue timely and complete account statements.
• Provide invoices and detail for invoices
• Provide the Credit and Collection management staff with regular input on all account activity, including status and call reports on a weekly basis.
• Coordinate dunning process
• Contact customers to obtain information like email or phone
• Ensure customers paying to correct bank account
• Ensure customers paying to correct name in compliance with banking requirements
• Work with Customer Service to determine how to meet customer needs that are outside our normal AOR
• Perform manual processes to meet customer needs that are outside our normal AOR
• Supports cash flow target by ensuring that all processes and procedures are completed, quality standards are met, and that customer accounts are handled effectively and efficiently.
• Research and validate credit balances on accounts
• Identify all payment discrepancies and obtain remittance details from customers or internal departments to ensure prompt resolution of residual balances.
• Research, resolve, and reconcile all unapplied receipts.
• Encourage customer to utilize credits
• Coordinate refund

Requirements:

• Minimum of three years of collections/AR/industry and/or related experience
• Strong knowledge of commercial collections experience
• Experience in the Shipping Industry preferred
• Accounting software - SAP knowledge in FI/CO and MM modules (preferred)