Credit Control Team Leader

About the role:

The Credit Control Team Lead will oversee and manages the credit control function for AMEA region. This role involves leading a team of Analyst to ensure timely collection of outstanding debts while fostering positive customer relationships. The Team Lead will be instrumental in safeguarding the organization’s financial health by minimizing credit risks and optimizing cash flow. Responsibilities include setting credit limits for new customers, reviewing overdue accounts, enforcing credit terms and limits, conducting annual reviews for existing customers, and handling other credit related tasks. Additionally, this role acts as the custodian of the AMEA credit policy, ensuring it is up-to-date, compliant with Group policy standards, and aligned with relevant laws and regulations.

Key responsibilities includes:

• Managing team to achieve team’s/department’s goals
• Review, approve, and enforce credit applications, renewals, and recovery action plans when necessary.
• Conduct periodic/annual reviews of customer accounts by analyzing financial statements, credit reports, payment histories, and references to identify risks and propose appropriate countermeasures.
• Monitor credit and collection activities to identify problem areas, adjust procedures, and improve performance, including managing write-offs and bad debt provisions.
• Collaborate with Sales and Finance Business Partners to recover outstanding payments and manage adverse credit events, ensuring order blocks and releases are handled in accordance with company policies.
• Undertake dunning activities, coordinating with stakeholders such as Sales and Customer Service to ensure timely collection.
• Evaluate customer creditworthiness through the review of credit applications and legal documents, and establish credit limits per the credit approval matrix.
• Manage overdue invoices, deductions, and follow-up to achieve departmental and company DSO goals.
• Ensure compliance with terms and conditions of credit, both internally and externally, through ongoing communication and education.
• Participate in sales-credit calls to resolve delinquency and credit-related issues.
• Prepare documentation for debt collection agency transfers and follow up until resolution.
• Serve as backup for cash posting, completing payment reconciliations as needed.
• Manage EDI customers to ensure proper billing and timely payments.
• Maintain and update customer information, including credit/collection process details.
• All customers in Geozone AMEA
• SAP and Non-SAP entities
• Travel requirements: Some travel might be required during beginning of transition phase

About You:

• Bachelor’s in Finance, Accounting, or similar
• 3-5 years’ experience in credit control and Collections, preferably in the food industry, dealing with large manufacturers or small businesses or in a shared service center / BPO environment
• Working understanding of general accounting and applicable laws, regulations and interpretations governing accounting, financial statements and disclosure, including IFRS and GAAP
• Microsoft Excel proficiency, including formulas
• Experience with SAP is strongly preferred
• Team management – focus on growing people
• Conflict management
• Ability to multitask and handle multiple deadlines
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment
• Strong analytical, time management, problem-solving, negotiation, presentation skills
• Managing part of the team operating from remote locations
• English business proficiency (written and spoken)