Position Title
Accounts Receivable Bad Debt Collection Project Manager
(12 months contract)
Reporting Line: Finance Director
Role Purpose
The Accounts Receivable Bad Debt Collection Project Manager is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive and disciplined bad debt recovery program for 2026. The role focuses on coordinating commercial recovery activities, agent commission recoveries, historical bad debt tracking (including bounced checks), third-party collection agency management, legal case oversight, and structured monthly reporting for senior finance leadership and internal audit.
This is a highly cross-functional role requiring strong project management capability, financial control discipline, and stakeholder coordination to ensure full visibility, accountability, and performance across all bad debt recovery initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
1. Bad Debt Recovery Program Design & Governance
- Design and implement an end-to-end bad debt recovery framework covering all recovery streams.
- Establish governance structures, operating cadence, timelines, and accountability models.
- Define standardized processes, controls, escalation paths, and performance metrics.
- Ensure alignment with finance policies, internal audit requirements, and legal considerations.
2. Commercial Recovery Coordination
- Consolidate and document existing commercial recovery activities.
- Translate recovery actions into a structured, trackable program with defined deliverables.
- Monitor progress, effectiveness, and outcomes of commercial-led recovery efforts.
- Ensure effective handovers between commercial, finance, collections, and legal teams.
3. Agent Recovery & Commission Offset Management
- Design and manage agent recovery mechanisms, including commission offsets where applicable.
- Establish clear tracking of recoverable amounts, executed recoveries, and outstanding balances.
- Ensure transparency, auditability, and accuracy of recovery calculations.
- Coordinate with sales operations and payroll teams as required.
4. Historical Bad Debt & Bounced Check Tracking
- Develop and maintain centralized trackers for historical bad debts and bounced checks.
- Ensure cases are properly documented, assigned, and actively monitored.
- Track aging, recovery status, write-offs, and next actions.
- Provide clear visibility of recovery progress and outcomes.
5. Third-Party Collection Agency Oversight
- Manage relationships with external collection agencies.
- Track case allocation, recovery progress, and agency performance.
- Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, and ethical standards.
- Produce consolidated reporting on agency effectiveness.
6. Legal Case Coordination
- Maintain a register of all bad debt cases escalated to legal action.
- Track case status, timelines, expected outcomes, and financial exposure.
- Liaise with legal counsel and internal stakeholders to ensure accurate updates.
- Integrate legal recovery activity into overall recovery reporting.
7. Reporting & Internal Audit Support
- Produce structured monthly management reports covering:
- Recovery performance by stream
- Progress against targets
- Risks, issues, and escalations
- Forecasted recoveries
- Support internal audit requirements by ensuring data accuracy, traceability, and compliance.
- Act as a primary point of contact for audit-related queries linked to bad debt recovery.
8. Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
- Define KPIs and dashboards to track recovery performance.
- Identify inefficiencies, control gaps, or risks and recommend improvements.
- Drive continuous improvement in recovery processes, tracking discipline, and reporting quality.
Key Deliverables
- End-to-end Bad Debt Recovery Program Plan
- Centralized recovery trackers (commercial, agents, bounced checks, agencies, legal cases)
- Monthly management and internal audit reports
- Defined governance model and recovery cadence
Skills & Experience Required
Technical & Professional Skills
- Strong background in accounts receivable, collections, or credit control
- Proven project management experience within a finance or recovery environment
- Solid understanding of bad debt recovery processes, including legal escalation
- Strong data tracking, reporting, and financial control mindset
- Experience working with internal audit and compliance teams
Soft Skills
- Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination
- High attention to detail with a structured, disciplined approach
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
