Manager - Collections - Consumer and Small Medium Enterprise Finance at MTN

JOB DESCRIPTION

• This position is responsible for leading the Consumer Collections team, call centre and collections processes to enhance cash flow, maximize collections, minimize bad debt and build relationships with external and internal clients through effective resolution of account queries and efficient collection of payments due to MTN.

The role will focus on 

• developing and delivering operational quality improvement that results in highly predictable and effective collections,
• Effective management of resources
• Building customer relationships and driving superior service levels
• Leading a data and technology driven approach to collections
• Develop, implement and maintain systems, policies and procedures related to collections to ensure higher performance while adhering to companies guidelines

RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Manager Consumer Collections role, reports to the Head: Collections and is supported by a larger team of Specialists, Supervisors and credit controllers. The position will be directly accountable for operationalising the strategic MTN collections and credit management related objectives and will drive performance and execution.
• Fast moving industry, convergence, and rapid development within the Telco industries
• Constantly changing customer risk behaviour in the commercial customer segments and economic sectors and ability to adapt/pivot and drive collections strategies across these customer segments and sectors
• High value customer base
• Understanding and balancing potentially competing objectives of credit risk mitigation, Driving market share/ sales and profitability optimisation
• Keeping abreast of the Telco changes and advancements and the need to guide staff through transitions 
• Fast moving industry
• Fluid complexities of customer expectations and demands
• High levels of legal, regulatory and commercial compliance in a pressurized environment 
• Managing collections across multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-geographical footprint
• Highly competitive market with new and established competitors
• Legislative changes
• Operating within a highly dynamic, competitive and fluctuating telecommunications market/ industry
• The provision of innovative solutions and service excellence
• Total customer experience for MTN brand
• Rapidly changing ICT environment

Key Deliverables

• The Manager Consumer Collections is strong in debt collection core levers and operations, and hungry to dive into leveraging that knowledge to execute and deliver on existing and future strategies. Collections are a critical function of the MTN customers' journey so this individual will also be empathetic and focused on providing the best experience to all customers, regardless of their repayment situation.

Strategic Input

• Strong leadership skills with an ability to motivate direct reports 
• Setting objectives for the collections team that align with the department’s / organisations goals

Operational Planning

• Proven ability plan strategically and set clear operational priorities
• Solid track record of improving processes, solving complex problems and monitoring process for accuracy and effectiveness
• Develop, implement and maintain systems, policies and procedures related to collections to ensure higher performance while adhering to companies guidelines.
• Monitor PPP execution and updates as and when required.
• Manage the Claims, Refunds, Payments Arrangements and Acknowledgements of Debt within DOA

Operations and Service Enhancement

• This position is highly visible and requires a strong leader with the ability to prioritize, plan, and direct the team.
• Build a clear collections operating rhythm designed to deliver results while developing capabilities tied to process management and operating excellence 
• Build operational rigor across the collections function, resulting in overall operating plan attainment – standardized work, performance metrics and operating rhythm
• Apply lean thinking to improve processes and identify opportunities for digitization (leveraging existing capabilities, Self-Service, robotic process automation, etc.)
• Establish consistent collections processes across multiple systems
• Ability to lead, direct, train and manage team
• Create a center of excellence to ensure collections processes are accretive to positive cash flow 
• Monitor PPP execution and updates as and when required.

Credit Management and Risk Assessment

• Drive adherence to Policies, Processes and Procedures 
• Set targets and KPI’s for collections and drive the achieve these targets.
• Liaise with stakeholders regarding data and required information on key accounts
• Follow up on legal procedures and monitor the progress of handed over accounts
• Monitor ageing of debtor’s books ensuring accuracy, reduced overdue amounts and collections levels maintained
• Do forecasts on a weekly / bi weekly and monthly basis
• Manage the Credit Controllers and ensure collection targets are met.
• Manage collections cycle 
• Portfolio credit risk management/ monitoring
• Negotiating extensions with clients or write-off debt to minimize the company’s potential loss of income.
• Communicate with clients to build and maintain a strong working relationship and reduce the number of clients who stop working with the company.
• Implement credit policies and procedures that retain a smooth running of the department and avoid excessive credit limits.
• Oversee the processing of bad debt journals, refunds and assist Credit Controllers with accounts that are on hold.
• Days Sales Outstanding: Ensure that the debtors’ collections are within the payment terms.
• Maintain bad debt, credit note provisions write-off within targets set by senior management.
• Implement account controls to ensure accounts are maintained within these credit limits. 
• Review account reconciliations on debtor accounts.
• Ensure adequate controls and TAT on processing of Early Settlement Discounts.
• Ensure agreed SLA’s are achieved and levels of service continuously improved especially for customer qureries
• Implement controls to reduce the risk of fraud and error.
• Ensure timeous clearing and allocation of cash and accurate execution of all banking related functions by the respective teams
• Recruit, hire, train and evaluate staff members within the collections department to ensure a sufficient number of staff members are available to handle the workload.
• Develop goals that complement the overarching business goals of the company and coordinate staff to continually meet and exceed goals.
• Manage strategies to hit portfolio targets, including but not limited to: incentives, training/coaching on negotiation, etc., call campaigns, account segmentation & prioritization, automated reminder messaging, testing new campaign approaches, and evaluating/creating business case for technology improvements.
• Conduct regular reviews of accounts receivable with the collections team to ensure that problem receivables are being properly addressed and uncollected accounts are escalated appropriately
• Remaining informed of any legislative procedural training regarding debt collection.\
• Training and mentoring of staff members in the collections department.
• Ensure alignment to legislative and regulatory requirements (NCA CPA)
• Manage inbound and outbound (predictive dialer, e-gain processes)
• Manage QA processes, Workforce Management and campaign management activities
• Manage involuntary churn and partnering with CVM to develop strategies to reduce churn
• Manage early and late stage collections and EDC / other call centre partners 
• Manage an omnichannel collections approach

Customer Experience Management

• The Manager is expected to perform all responsibilities with a commitment to providing superior service to customers and maintaining an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships within and across departments and with internal and external clients
• Interface with field and sales management on resolving customer billing disputes, collection assistance and credit decisions
• Review reconciliations on debtor accounts and manage long outstanding reconciling items
• Implement appropriate operational reports and analytics to monitor team performance (e.g. portfolio performance, open cash, DSO, collections, arrears etc)
• Approve terms of settlement involving delinquent accounts when situations deviate from established parameters 
• Ensure lines of communication are always kept open between MTN and our customers

Reporting

• Compile and analyze monthly management reports and use the information from these to improve on management processes.

Budget Management

• Ensure departmental budgets are set appropriately in line with annual budget guidelines and operational requirements
• Manage budget closely to ensure cost control and efficiency in operational costs and targets are met
• Develop and drive the execution of agreed projects 
• Drive the implementation, tracking, monitoring and compliance of Projects
• Contract management in line with Procurement Policies
• Co-ordinate project reporting
• Ensure effective implementation of the integrated project management model 
• Risk management
• Identify and implement innovative ways to use minimum resources to achieve maximum outputs

Project Management

• Work with internal technology teams to define future-state accounts receivable system(s) and processes
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently

Business Analysis

• Perform Business Analysis MTN SA Business Analysis in line with the methodology and guidelines
• Identify ways to fine tune policies, processes and systems in line with changing work practices
• Determine, document, and review requirements for projects within the scope of the value stream or impacting processes and systems 
• Design, analyse and document workflow and make appropriate recommendations that will positively impact operational effectiveness
• Identify Business Improvement and Optimisation opportunities that will result in improvement of process performance 
• Ensure that benchmarking is conducted with other companies and organizations within and outside the industry. 
• Construct business cases for initiations proposed by the business. Research and consider best practice, local conditions, trends, as well as competitor activity

Governance and Risk Management

• Strictly follow and ensure team compliance of relevant policies and procedures.
• Ensure effective Service Level Agreements strategies are in place to support the business.
• Implement proper controls and processes to minimise revenue leakage.
• Ensure proper controls are in place to manage financial and operational risks across the business. 
• Act in accordance with the Delegation of Authority.

Financial Management

• Contribute to the compilation and management of OPEX budgets related to relevant functional activities.
• Assist in the forecasting, planning, and development of the department’s budget and business plans.
• Identify cost efficiencies and best practice related to functional activities.
• Manage expenditure in line with agreed budget. 
• Continuously strive to identify and eliminate non-contributory expenditure.

Customer Satisfaction

• Ensure service delivery in line with needs of the business
• Put contingency plans in place to prevent delays and enhance the customer experience 
• Identify trends and patterns pertaining to customer requests and ensure continuous improvement as an important element of service delivery

People Leadership and Organisational Capability Building

• Apply best team management practices throughout assigned projects and as required.
• Guide and enable the upskilling of the team throughout assigned projects.
• Act as an ambassador and role model for Finance by living the brand values and vital behaviours.
• Ensure a culture of continuous evaluation and improvement.
• Drive a culture of high performance, accountability, and consequence management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 3-year financial degree
• Post Graduate degree will be advantageous

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Analytical thinking
• Business Relationship Management
• Credit Management
• Project Management
• Supervisory Fundamentals
• data analytics