Senior Billing and Credit Control Manager in Winchester

We are currently recruiting for our client, a tech-enabled consultancy known for their market leading advice in pensions, investment and insurance. This role is permanent, full time and based in Winchester, hybrid working available, 2 days in the office and 3 days remote (can be more office based if required).

We are looking for a senior Billing and Credit Control Manager to lead and develop the Billing and Credit Control teams of six people. The role would own the end-to-end WIP-to-cash lifecycle: from WIP review and pre-bill creation through invoicing, debtor management and credit control. You will set the standards and controls that improve billing timeliness, reduce aged debt, and enhance the client experience. You will be hands on and not only lead the team but also be prepared to engage in different work streams and help manage the workloads. Your experience in client onboarding, portal management and tax will be necessary in guiding the Firm as they grow their global presence.

This is a new role to bring the Billing and Credit control function together which will give opportunity to set standards, develop processes and review existing functions to ensure they are fit for the growth of the firm.

What will you be doing?

• Lead two teams: Billing and Credit control - assist the team leaders in workload planning, coaching, performance management, and career pathways.
• Own the WIP to Invoice to Debtor to Cash cycle: from the governance of WIP reviews and billing chasing, pre-bill management, invoice accuracy, and collections strategy across UK and selected overseas jurisdictions.
• Billing excellence: monthly billing chasing, billing cut-off discipline, revenue recognition alignment, VAT/tax compliance (UK services; oversee international requirements and withholdings).
• Credit control excellence: credit control contacts, portals, chasing, escalation & dispute resolution, cash forecasting and outstanding query root-cause analysis.
• Responsibility for compliance and risk management - audit, possibility to incorporate credit checks and lead on year-end audit.
• Client onboarding: ensure the Firm's clients are added effectively, efficiently and accurately by the team to the finance system with all relevant attributes resulting in accurate timesheets, billing and credit control.
• Collaborate with other key teams involved in onboarding; Client Teams, Legal and Compliance.
• Timesheet chasing: coordinate the teams effort on timesheet chasing to ensure all the firms timesheet are posted for the month end close.
• Disbursement management: Take ownership of a key income stream in managing the various subscription recharges applied to all clients.
• PO oversight and support: ensuring POs are effectively managed and processed by the client teams to ensure with a view to build knowledge on PO budgets and expiry.
• International exposure: support overseas billing/credit control (e.g., multi-currency, time-zone coordination, tax/withholding nuances), while keeping UK processes best-in-class.
• Systems & data: champion process optimisation using practice management/ERP (IRIS Star/Microsoft Dynamics 365), reporting in Power BI; partner with finance systems on enhancements.
• Stakeholder management: develop strong relationships with Partners/Billing Managers, Client Finance and Compliance; set clear expectations and service levels.
• Project Stakeholder: become a key resource on future ERP upgrade projects, the new Client Operational Systems project, to help steer these projects and become an expert to help deliver training/workshops/documentation to achieve maximum user uptake/acceptance.

What skills, qualities and experience are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in AR/Billing/Credit Control with professional services/time-billing exposure at a managerial or team leader level.
• IRIS Star Practice Management (or similar), Microsoft Dynamics 365 (or similar), strong Excel; Power BI literacy preferred.
• Deep understanding of WIP, time billing, pre-bill controls, and revenue recognition.
• Track record of reducing aged debt, bad debt, and unbilled WIP, with data-driven improvements.
• International billing/collections experience (desirable) and comfort with multi-currency, VAT on services, and basic withholding tax concepts.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder skills.
• Ability to multi-task and work at different levels: you may be required to drill into granular system entries and line by line detail to enable you to understand and drive robust solutions; whilst generally you will need to step back, delegate and work out effective team management and resource allocation.
• Experience working with the other leaders to develop long term strategy and building these functions into the future.