Head of Credit Control 12 Month FTC in Ripponden

This role is a 12 month FTC Mat cover and is 4 days on site in our Ripponden office. Reports to CFO.

Responsible for staff:

• Credit Control Manager
• Contracts Manager
• Credit Controller x 18 (including legal recoveries)
• Contracts administrators x 6
• Project leads x 2

About our business:

JLA is a mission critical infrastructure solutions business offering services in Laundry, Catering, Heating, Fire Safety, Infection Control and Air Conditioning. The company offers an end-to-end, on premise, machine supply and breakdown service proposition under the name Total Care, and additional products and services. JLA is driven by a world class Sales & Marketing engine, owns and maintains all assets, and has an efficient on-site operations team working daily with customers.

Role overview:

We are looking for a commercially minded Head of Credit Control to be responsible for leading the credit control & contract management function, ensuring the timely collection of outstanding payments, minimising credit risk, improving cash flow and maximising revenue assurance across the business. We are looking for someone with experience in leading a large operational team and can use data and insights to drive results. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their ability to work commercially across multiple products and services. We will shortly be implementing a new ERP system, and we therefore require somebody with strong leadership, analytical & stakeholder management skills to not only lead the department but to also manage and influence the people around them. This role is as much about continuous improvement as it is cash collection.

Key tasks:

• Develop and implement effective credit control policies and procedures.
• Ensure timely collection of outstanding invoices while maintaining strong customer relationships.
• Monitor aged debt and take proactive steps to reduce overdue balances.
• Assess customer creditworthiness and set appropriate credit limits.
• Oversee the management of key accounts to ensure smooth payment processes.
• Accountable for accurate and timely contract setup.
• Review and remediate gaps in revenue and create feedback loops for any upstream issues.
• Strong influencing skills for working with peers and seniors daily.
• Key stakeholder in business change decisions.
• Analysing cross functional datasets and recommending improvement actions.
• Board and Exec level reporting on performance, insights and strategic vision.
• Lead, motivate, and develop the credit control & contract team to achieve performance targets.
• Review and agree KPI’s periodically to support cashflow and revenue assurance.
• Provide & evaluate training and coaching to enhance team effectiveness.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on results and customer service.

Process Improvement & Reporting:

• Lead on change impacts of implementation of a new ERP into the teams and wider business.
• Implement automation and system enhancements to improve efficiency.
• Provide regular reports to senior management on outstanding debts, risks, and cash flow forecasts.
• Work closely with the finance and sales teams to improve working capital.
• Recommend commercial based and data backed improvements to asset lending policies.
• Ensure compliance with company credit policies, legal regulations, and industry standards.
• Identify potential credit risks and take proactive measures to mitigate them.
• Manage relationships with external debt collection agencies and legal teams when necessary.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Proven experience as a Head of Credit Control.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and communication abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of credit risk assessment and debt recovery processes.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Experience with credit control software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• International credit risking and policy experience.
• Experience in underwriting risk.
• Experience in managing relationships and data sharing with credit agencies.
• Experience working with Customer Retentions teams.
• Experience in Customer Service Excellence.
• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field desirable.