Collections Officer Job Description

What is the job description of a Collections Officer? What are the duties and responsibilities of a Collections Officer? What does a Collections Officer do?

Job description of a Collections Officer

Collections Officers are responsible for managing the collection of outstanding debts from clients and customers. They are hired by businesses and collections agencies to inform customers of their overdue bills and attempt to collect payment to mitigate company losses.

This Collections Officer job description example includes the list of most important Collections Officer duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific Collections Officer profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

Collections Officer Duties and Responsibilities

Collections Officer job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

  • Reviewing the company debtor list.
  • Contacting customers and informing them of their overdue bills.
  • Advising customers on their payment options and suggesting methods of payments.
  • Negotiating suitable payment plans.
  • Instituting legal action when customers fail to pay their debt.
  • Responding to customer queries.
  • Contacting lawyers and insurance agencies to facilitate payments.
  • Maintaining customer payment records.
  • Preparing customer financial statements for banks and the state credit department.
  • Writing final notice warnings to customers when payments are not being made.

Collections Officer Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

Collections Officer job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Management, or a similar field.
  • Previous experience working as a Collections Officer.
  • Knowledge of payment plans and accounting procedures.
  • Knowledge of office and accounting software.
  • Patience and resilience.
  • Excellent negotiating skills.
  • Good written and verbal communication skills.
  • Familiarity with state debt collection laws.

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Collections Officer starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Collections Officer job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a Collections Officer may also reference it in preparation for the interview.