Role Overview
A senior, highly autonomous credit control professional responsible for the full end to end management of the sales ledger within a complex, product led business. Operating independently, the role focuses on customer credit risk management, cash collection, dispute resolution, and the continuous improvement of credit control processes. Strong use of systems, automation, and data insight is applied to maximise cash flow while maintaining effective customer and internal stakeholder relationships.
Key Responsibilities:
Credit Risk Management & Customer Setup
Full ownership of the customer credit lifecycle, including:
Reviewing and assessing new customer credit applications
Ongoing credit reviews within agreed authority levels
Setting and maintaining appropriate credit limits and payment terms
Regular assessment of credit risk using:
Financial information and trading history
External credit data
Payment behaviour and exposure analysis
Proactive recommendation of risk mitigation actions such as adjusted terms, advance payments, or phased payment structures where required.
Cash Collection & Ledger Control
End to end responsibility for the sales ledger, ensuring:
Timely and structured collection of outstanding balances
Delivery against agreed cash and debt KPIs
Managing collections across a broad and diverse customer base, including a significant international element
Carrying out professional, structured collection activity via telephone, written communication, and escalation processes, supported by automated reminder systems.
Query & Dispute Resolution
Acting as the primary contact for invoice, pricing, and account queries
Managing disputes efficiently by liaising with internal teams and driving resolution to payments
Automation & Process Improvement
Designing, maintaining, and enhancing credit control processes, including:
Electronic invoicing and customer portals
Automated statements and reminder schedules
System driven credit limit controls and order holds
Using reporting, dashboards, and exception based workflows to prioritise activity
Reducing manual intervention through automation and system integration between finance systems and supporting platforms where applicable.
Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement
Producing clear and accurate reporting on:
Aged debt
Credit risk exposure
Bad debt risk
Debtor days and trends
Providing insights, commentary, and recommendations to senior finance stakeholders
Working closely with commercial teams to balance revenue growth with robust credit risk management.
Governance & Continuous Improvement
Ensuring adherence to internal controls, policies, and audit requirements
Regularly reviewing and refining credit control processes to support business growth and efficiency
Maintaining accurate documentation to support escalation, legal action, or external debt recovery if required.
Measures of Success
Sustained reduction in overdue and aged debt
Improvement in debtor days and overall risk profile
Effective and timely resolution of customer disputes
Increased efficiency through reduced manual processing
Positive feedback from internal stakeholders and customers.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
GCSEs (or equivalent) in Maths and English
Proven experience in a standalone or highly autonomous Credit Control role
Strong understanding of credit risk, collections strategy, and dispute management
A confident communicator able to manage challenging conversations professionally
Highly organised, able to prioritise workload independently.
Desirable Experience & Skills
Background in manufacturing or product based environments
Strong systems capability, including accounting software and Excel
Experience working with ERP or finance systems commonly used in large or complex businesses.
Key Competencies & Attributes
Comfortable working cross functionally with sales, operations, and logistics teams
Self motivated, accountable, and commercially minded
Strong cash focused mindset with a structured, process driven approach
Calm under pressure and confident managing complex or sensitive situations.
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at (url removed)