Accounts Receivable & Credit Manager

Vaco by Highspring; Batavia (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking an experienced Accounts Receivable & Credit Manager to lead the end-to-end Order-to-Cash process in a hybrid/remote role based out of Batavia, IL. You will manage a team, maintain hands-on involvement with high-risk accounts, and standardize processes across multiple business units and ERP systems.

The ideal candidate has 7-10+ years in AR/Credit, strong leadership, and a track record of improving DSO and working capital.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• 7-10+ years in AR, Credit, Collections, or Order-to-Cash with progressive responsibilities.
• Previous people management experience required.
• Ownership of full AR lifecycle from invoicing to collections.
• Strong leadership in Credit & Collections.
• Manufacturing/Distribution experience preferred.
• Experience with multiple ERP systems; Sage/Infor highly valued.
• Strong Excel and data manipulation skills.
• Experience standardizing processes across business units.
• Experience in private equity-backed environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily AR functions including collections, cash application, reconciliations, deductions, credit management, billing support, disputes, and write-offs.
• Mentor and develop AR team while handling high-risk accounts.
• Monitor aging, drive collections, and improve DSO and working capital.
• Oversee billing and collaborate with Sales, CS, Operations, Shipping, and Finance to resolve issues.
• Identify recurring issues and implement standardized processes and KPIs.
• Manage credit evaluations, limits, and payment terms.
• Handle escalated collections matters and potential referrals to collections agencies or legal.
• Analyze disputes, pricing issues, PO problems, and shipping errors to root causes.
• Lead standardization across units and multiple acquired companies.
• Oversee AR month-end close, aging reviews, reserves, and write-offs.
• Develop KPIs for DSO, collections, disputes, and working capital.
• Partner with Sales, CS, Operations, Treasury, Finance, IT, and leadership.
• Support audits, compliance, acquisitions, and special projects.

Skills

Accounts Receivable Leadership

Credit Management

People Management

Process Improvement

ERP Systems

Sage

Infor

Data Analysis

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

Tools

Sage

Infor

Job description

Our client is a rapidly growing, private equity-backed organization with a multi-entity operating structure and a strong acquisition strategy. As the company continues to expand through both acquisitions and organic growth, they are building out their centralized Shared Services organization and are seeking an Accounts Receivable & Credit Manager to provide leadership, process ownership, and scalability across the Order-to-Cash function.

This is a highly visible player-coach leadership opportunity reporting to the Shared Services Manager. The ideal candidate will be someone who enjoys building, fixing, and improving processes rather than simply maintaining an established environment. You will have the opportunity to standardize processes across multiple business units, work with multiple ERP systems, influence cross-functional teams, and play a meaningful role in the future state of the organization.

The Role

Accounts Receivable & Credit Manager

Hybrid/Remote | Batavia, IL

About the Opportunity

The Accounts Receivable & Credit Manager will lead the end-to-end Order-to-Cash process, including billing, collections, cash application, credit, dispute resolution, customer account management, and working capital performance. This individual will manage a team while remaining hands-on with complex customer accounts and escalated issues.

The organization operates across multiple business units with varying legacy processes and ERP systems, creating an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an evolving environment and can bring structure, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the daily Accounts Receivable function, including collections, cash application, reconciliations, deductions, credit management, billing support, disputes, write-offs, refunds, and customer account maintenance.
• Personally manage a portfolio of strategic and high-risk customer accounts while coaching and developing the AR team.
• Monitor customer aging and drive collection efforts to improve DSO, reduce past-due receivables, and strengthen working capital.
• Oversee billing activities and partner with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Shipping, and Finance to resolve issues.
• Identify recurring billing and collection issues and implement sustainable process improvements.
• Manage customer credit evaluations, credit limits, payment terms, and ongoing account risk.
• Handle escalated collection matters, including payment plans, account holds, collection agencies, legal referrals, and write-off recommendations.
• Analyze customer disputes, deductions, pricing discrepancies, PO issues, shipping errors, and other recurring issues to identify root causes.
• Develop standardized policies, procedures, workflows, collection strategies, escalation paths, and KPIs.
• Lead process standardization and integration efforts across multiple business units and acquired companies.
• Lead, coach, develop, and motivate the Accounts Receivable team while maintaining a hands-on role.
• Oversee outsourced/offshore resources and help ensure effective communication and accountability.
• Manage AR month-end close responsibilities, including aging reviews, bad debt analysis, reconciliations, reserves, and write-offs.
• Develop and monitor KPIs around DSO, collections, disputes, unapplied cash, billing quality, deductions, and working capital.
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Treasury, Finance, IT, and executive leadership.
• Support audits, compliance initiatives, acquisitions, and other special projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 7-10+ years of progressive Accounts Receivable, Credit, Collections, or Order-to-Cash experience.
• Previous people management experience is required.
• Demonstrated ownership of the full AR lifecycle from invoicing through collections.
• Strong Credit & Collections leadership experience.
• Manufacturing or distribution experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working with multiple ERP systems; experience with Sage, Infor, or similar systems is highly valued.
• Strong Excel and data manipulation skills.
• Experience standardizing processes across multiple business units.
• Shared Services experience preferred.
• Experience working in acquisition-driven or private equity-backed environments is a plus.
• Experience managing outsourced or offshore resources preferred.
• Strong understanding of collections, billing, credit, cash application, disputes, GL accounting, and month-end close.
• Demonstrated success improving DSO, cash collections, and working capital.

What We're Looking For

This is not a role for someone who has worked in a highly siloed environment and only owned one piece of the AR process. The successful candidate will be a fixer, change agent, and problem solver who is comfortable creating structure where it does not yet exist.

We're looking for someone who is:

• A strong, confident communicator and leader.
• Comfortable influencing stakeholders and driving accountability.
• A self-starter who can operate independently with limited training.
• Innovative and process-oriented.
• Adaptable and resilient in a constantly changing environment.
• Comfortable wearing multiple hats in a growing organization.
• A true player-coach who enjoys both leadership and hands-on work.

Why This Opportunity?

• Join a rapidly growing, private equity-backed organization with continued acquisition and organic growth.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact across a multi-entity organization.
• High visibility with finance and executive leadership.
• Help build and shape the future state of the Shared Services organization.
• Exposure to acquisitions, integrations, and process transformation.
• True leadership opportunity with advancement potential.
• Collaborative executive team and strong company culture.
• Player-coach environment - not a "meetings all day" management role.
• Opportunity to improve processes across multiple business units and ERP systems.

If you're an experienced AR and Credit leader who enjoys building, improving, and leading change, this is an opportunity to have a direct impact on a growing organization while helping shape the future of its Shared Services function.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan.

Additional Disclaimer

Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] .

Highspring by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).