Debt Management Specialist

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

USDA – Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeks a Debt Management Specialist on the Accounts Receivable Team.

The role focuses on monitoring delinquent debt, reconciling customer accounts, and providing excellent customer service while using financial systems for analysis and reporting.

Qualifications

• Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate within the previous two years.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty to GS-05.
• Specialized experience including debt management, aging analysis, dunning and write-offs.
• Using automated spreadsheet software (such as Microsoft Excel) and financial systems to create reports, perform reconciliations, and analyze data.

Responsibilities

• Continually monitors customer accounts and pursues delinquent debt following agency guidelines.
• Oversees customer accounts, including account reconciliations, refunds, payment tracking, collection modifications, etc.
• Provides excellent customer service by accurately responding to internal and external customers in a timely and respectful manner.
• Reviews and analyzes financial reports ensuring problems, disputes, and errors discovered are corrected and follows through to resolution.
• Participates in projects and activities to determine better methods and tools for performing customer account services and debt management activities.
• Tailors correspondence appropriately using email, phone, letter, etc.
• Analyzes customer financial statements; measuring the strengths and weaknesses of potential accounts and evaluating the degree of risk in situations where the customer's financial condition is marginal.
• Works with other agencies and program field offices to decide the most effective course of debt management action to use in the case of serious delinquent accounts.

Skills

Customer service

Debt management

Data analysis

Excel

Education

Business/Finance degree

Tools

Excel

Financial systems

Job description

Find Your Future With Us at USDA – Animal Plant Health Inspection Service

Job Summary

The incumbent serves as a Debt Management Specialist on the Accounts Receivable Team Servicing APHIS. The Accounts Receivable Team is the focal point for agency collections and debt management. As a Debt Management Specialist, the primary responsibilities include providing excellent customer service, managing account debt using a variety of tools, and working well with others.

Qualifications

To qualify, you MUST meet all program and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. To be eligible, applicants must meet one of the following requirements; Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two (2) years. OR Individuals who, due to military service obligation, were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. This eligibility period cannot extend more than 6 years from the date on which the requirements for the academic course of study were met. Applicants must meet the following specialized experience and/or education requirements listed below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the next lower level in the Federal Service (GS-05). This experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors. Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: Providing financial information regarding proper collections of funds, billings, and interpretation of customer accounts balances. Assisting with debt management processes, from billings to final collecting including, aging analysis, dunning and write-offs. Identifying collections/billings clearing issues to reconcile customer accounts and makes the necessary adjustments to clear transactions. Using automated spreadsheet software (such as Microsoft Excel) and financial systems to create reports, perform reconciliations, and analyze data. OR 1 year of graduate education towards a degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Management or closely related. OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9). TRANSCRIPTS are required. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

Major Duties

The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to: Continually monitors customer accounts and pursues delinquent debt following agency guidelines. Oversees customer accounts, including account reconciliations, refunds, payment tracking, collection modifications, etc. for assigned functional areas. Provides excellent customer service by accurately responding to both internal and external customers in a timely and respectful manner. Reviews and analyzes financial reports ensuring problems, disputes, and errors discovered are corrected and follows through to resolution. Participates in projects and activities to determine better methods and tools for performing customer account services and debt management activities. Tailors correspondence appropriately using email, phone, letter, etc. Analyzes customer financial statements; measuring the strengths and weaknesses of potential accounts and evaluating the degree of risk in situations where the customer's financial condition is marginal. Works with other agencies and program field offices to decide the most effective course of debt management action to use in the case of serious delinquent accounts.

Position Start Date

09/04/2026

Position Close Date

09/11/2026

Salary Offered

50460 - 71517 USD Per Year

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Join our team! To learn more about what it's like to work at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the APHIS careers site. APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all Agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS. For details click: APHIS Emergency Response