Collections and Recoveries Team Leader

Job Summary

• Responsible for managing the productivity of collections and recoveries agents by providing direction, instructions and guidance, for the purpose of achieving set targets within policy guidelines and regulations to minimize credit losses.
• Engaging 3rd party service providers providing collections and recoveries services
• Maintaining accurate records of customer communication relating to allocated portfolio
• Training, Monitoring and evaluation of internal recoveries agents and external debt collection agencies
• Ensuring external debt collection agencies deliver results on allocated portfolio

Job Description

Key accountabilities/Deliverables/Outcomes

Business Management – 30%

• Manage SME and Consumer business segment collections and recoveries as agreed with the line manager
• Drive and deliver excellent performance against agreed stretch targets while leading a team
• Be a contact point for customer escalations on collection and recoveries related matters affecting the team
• Drive and ensure completion of appropriate and timely collection actions by team in line with broad policy guidelines, collections strategy, process and regulatory requirements to prevent further aging of the credit facilities and prevent deterioration of portfolio

Customer Obsession – 20%

• Support team with correspondences to customer to ensure that the team’s collection portfolio operates well and that subsequent action to be taken on the account, if required, are not unduly delayed
• Embed world class customer service and standards at all times
• Be the first point of contact/escalation/resolution of customer issues affecting the team.
• Analyze customer issues, queries, complaints to determine root cause and deliver tactical and strategic improvements to team portfolio

People and Teamwork – 30%

• Provide regular performance related coaching and feedback ensuring a highly motivated and energized team with the capacity of achieving optimal performance levels
• Monitor team members' participation via real-time call monitoring to ensure the
• training they are being provided is being put into use, and also to see if any additional training is needed
• Work with minimum supervision and ensure, that the line reports are kept fully informed always on all matters to be addressed within the team
• Build effective relationships with branch network and key support functions that will improve overall collections performance
• Constantly seek to improve ways of working by challenging the status quo and supporting an empowering climate within the team, sharing knowledge, experience, and best practice with a view of improving performance
• Embed performance management and personal development objectives for direct reports by developing and agreeing on individual performance objectives and measures
• Pursue self-development to increase personal effectiveness, acknowledging strengths and areas for development
• Ensure leave plan for the team is in place and adhered to

Controls (Mandatory for all roles) – 20%

• Ensure that the team delivers on collection control requirements in a robust and rigorous control environment
• Adherence to banking policies and procedures
• Ensure operational standards are maintained by team with achievement of high quality, manageable cost and high service level standards
• Review collections systems to ensure that they are adequately updated by team members with appropriate collection actions and taking necessary actions where this is not adhered to
• Undertake timely review and actioning of collections daily, weekly and monthly reports on the team’s portfolio of credit facilities and take appropriate actions in line with policy guidelines.
• Identify risks in the collection’s environment and drive for effective measures to mitigate the risks
• Support collections and recoveries to achieve satisfactory audit ratings

Role/Person Specification

Qualification

• University degree or equivalent professional qualification
• High degree of interpersonal skills when dealing with a range of people and situations.
• A good understanding of Absa Retail Group Credit Policies, collection & recoveries, Policy and collection& recoveries strategy
• Good knowledge of the general canons of good lending and credit risk assessment
• Basic knowledge of the bank’s customer service standards
• Understanding of the retail customer proposition and services
• Understanding of banking and debt management systems
• Good computer skills and ability to learn new software/applications quickly
• Knowledge of the Bank’s bookkeeping procedures and systems

Experience

• Understanding of the local competitor market
• Experience in operations management
• Customer service experience
• Relationship management experience
• Basic Risk Management techniques
• External debt collection agencies operations
• External vendors engagement model