Collections & Credit Control Manager

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Collections & Credit Control Manager is responsible for initiating effective methods and tools in successfully receiving customer payments as well as maintaining & achieving departmental KPIs. Responsibilities extend to all applicable sub-region countries and entities, for both 3rd party and intercompany.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership, People Management & Performance

• Lead, mentor, and develop the credit control and collections team.
• Set performance objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Conduct performance reviews, coaching and development sessions.
• Ensure adequate workload management and resource planning.
• Manage staff effectively and assign daily functional activities.
• Ensure direct reports and extended resources comply with relevant policies and procedures.

2. Credit Risk Management & Customer Master Governance

• Ownership of customer master data maintenance and verification.
• Maintain credit limits and payment terms.
• Approve client account creation (process check and confirmation)
• Lead customer credit risk reviews with business stakeholders.
• Monitor customers exceeding approved credit limits & payment terms and implement corrective action plans.
• Maintain IFRS 9 expected credit loss and bad debt reporting.

3. Collections & Accounts Receivable Management

• Lead weekly collection review meetings with business units.
• Review significant overdue accounts and negotiate recovery plans.
• Negotiate payment arrangements with customers and business for approval.
• Escalate delinquent accounts to management or legal channels where necessary.
• Maintain customer feedback and expected payment dates.
• Receive and communicate payment remittances.
• Ensure collection notes and customer commitments are accurately documented.
• Regular follow-up and resolution of pending items preventing collection of customer payments.
• Resolve outstanding cash on delivery (COD), unidentified and unallocated cash entries.

4. Cash Flow, Working Capital & Treasury Management

• Provide accurate and complete short-term and long-term cash flow forecasts to Treasury and Finance leadership.
• Develop actions to improve Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).
• Support working capital improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Treasury and Finance leadership to maximize cash conversion and liquidity performance.

5. Reporting, Analytics & Business Insights

• Initiate and maintain daily reports to management.
• Maintain departmental dashboards and KPI reporting.
• Monitor and report on collection performance, customer payment trends, credit exposure and overdue debt.
• Provide management with actionable insights to support decision making and performance improvement initiatives.

6. Stakeholder Management & Business Partnering

• Lead collaboration and information sharing between various departments
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate timely collection of outstanding receivables.
• Act as the primary escalation point for customer payment issues and credit-related matters.

7. Governance, Compliance & Internal Controls

• Maintain and ensure compliance with documented workflow procedures, policies and work instructions.
• Approve refund requests in accordance with delegation of authority requirements.
• Assist with external and internal audits.
• Ownership of internal control submissions relating to the function, including MCS and ICOFR requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable finance policies, procedures and control frameworks.
• Be compliant to all SGS QHSE and HR policies and procedures.
• At all times, comply with SGS Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct.

8. Process Improvement & Transformation

• Monitor, review and continuously improve the Order-to-Cash (O2C) and Bill-to-Cash (B2C) processes.
• Identify opportunities for automation, standardisation and operational efficiency improvements.
• Participate in finance transformation and continuous improvement projects.
• Drive the implementation of best practices across collections, credit control and receivables management.
• Required to initiate projects to transform other country collection departments within SGS, as instructed by Finance leadership.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Finance / business degree (post graduate desired)
• Relevant experience in a similar position
• Experience working in the order-to-cash process within multiple entities and countries
• Experience in managing a department or function
• Understanding of IFRS relevant to account receivables recording and reporting
• Proven ability to successfully lead a team
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with all levels of stakeholders
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Sufficient level of computer skills (Word, Excel, Adobe, Teams, SharePoint, CoPilot, Big Data)
• Ability to work under pressure and multi-task
• Attention to detail (accuracy)
• Business partnering focus
• Understanding of O2C processes
• Able to work weekends when required

COMPLIANCE & AUTHORITY

• Compliant to all SGS QOH&S and HR policies and procedure
• Granted sufficient authority to achieve the given responsibilities as per documented finance policies