Head of Collections

Job Summary:

• Manage and oversee the collections process to ensure effective recovery of receivables - operational hands-on role.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve collections performance, increasing the collector effective index (CEI).
• Instill debtors' prevention measures and identify potential trends, reducing rollovers and exam results-related queries.
• Implement and manage payment plans such as Student Loans FlexiPay.
• Analyse and report on collections performance using KPIs, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Lead and manage a team of collections professionals, ensuring team members meet or exceed targets and goals.
• Formulate data-driven targeted campaigns in line with events and patterns to effectively manage collections - pre-profiled students effectively targeted with assigned resources.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with interdivisions, particularly with finance for student accounts reconciliation, and provide collection and relations services to all relevant business units.
• Explore opportunities to externalise collections services to other higher learning institutions, securing new clients.
• Optimise contact and CRM management.
• Develop and implement training and development programmes for cross-skilling and upskilling in CRM and collections.
• Formulate target dashboards and incentive programmes to drive performance.
• Forecast trends and patterns to proactively address student collections.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Collector Effective Index (CEI)
• Right Party Contacts (RPC) rate
• Promise to Pay (PTP)
• Profit per Account (PPA)

Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong leadership and management skills with proven track record of success.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with the ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse and interpret data and reports with a strong understanding of collections regulations and industry standards.
• Collections knowledge and automation tools for debtors prevention.
• Proven track record of optimising contact and CRM management.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet targets and goals with a focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
• Experience in developing and implementing training and development programmes.
• Ability to formulate target dashboards and incentive programmes.
• Strong forecasting skills to proactively address student collections.
• Team motivation, development, and target-driven.

Desired Skills:

• Collections
• CRM
• Leadership/Management Skills

Desired Qualification Level:

• Degree

About The Employer:

A private Business School based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The group has various schools, such as the School of Public Management, the School of Law, and the School of Technology etc. The group has campuses and offices online and in South Africa, Mumbai, Nairobi, and Lagos.