Collections and Arrears Manager in Manchester

We’re a UK-based digital bank dedicated to getting the basics right and offering straightforward savings and mortgages. As a Collections and Arrears Manager you will be responsible for overseeing the Bank’s arrears collections, whether internal or third-party servicers, to ensure that customer-focused arrears and forbearance management practices are applied consistently, effectively and compliantly. You will be responsible for arrears performance, review arrears management strategies and challenge approaches where necessary to drive fair, sustainable, and commercially sound outcomes. You will play a key part in maintaining strong governance, identifying emerging risks or trends in arrears performance and supporting continuous improvement across the Bank’s credit and collections framework.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and implementation of a Bank wide forbearance policy, ensuring consistent application across all arrears management activities.
• Drive improvements in arrears management oversight frameworks, reporting, and governance to enhance control effectiveness and efficiency.
• Collaborate with Credit Risk, Operations, Compliance, and Legal teams to ensure arrears oversight activity supports the wider credit lifecycle and customer strategy.
• Maintain awareness of regulatory developments (e.g., FCA, PRA, Consumer Duty) and ensure third party practices remain compliant with evolving expectations.
• Act as a key point of contact for internal audit, risk reviews, and regulatory inspections relating to arrears and forbearance oversight.
• Champion fair customer outcomes by ensuring partner treatment strategies are ethical, transparent and aligned with the Bank’s customer-centric values.
• Provide oversight of third-party servicers to ensure arrears management and forbearance activities align with the Bank’s risk appetite, policies and regulatory standards.
• Conduct regular oversight reviews, thematic assessments, and deep dives to identify control weaknesses, potential conduct risks, or deviations from the Bank’s risk appetite in relation to arrears management.
• Identify, escalate and track resolution of any third-party issues or breaches, ensuring timely remediation and effective root cause analysis.
• Develop and maintain robust MI and performance dashboards to track key arrears metrics, outcomes and third-party adherence to contractual service levels.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Over 3 years’ experience in arrears management, credit risk, or collections oversight within the banking or financial services sector, ideally with exposure to third-party service management or outsourcing governance.
• Understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks (e.g., FCA, PRA, Consumer Duty, Treating Customers Fairly) and their practical application to arrears and forbearance practices.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex MI, identify emerging risks or performance trends, and provide effective challenge to internal and external stakeholders.
• Understanding of risk appetite and risk management frameworks in relation to banking.
• Customer-centric mindset, ensuring policies and processes support positive and fair customer experiences.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with senior management, colleagues, direct reports and indirect reports.

25 days holiday PLUS your BIRTHDAY off Pension contribution with Royal London Life Assurance Private medical, dental and optical health insurance with Axa Free breakfast available.