Accounts Receivable & Collections Specialist

Starting Hourly Pay Range: $24.00$28.00 per hour, based on directly relevant experience

Benefits: 401(k) after six months of employment with a 3% employer contribution; voluntary life insurance; supplemental insurance; holiday pay; and paid time off

Schedule: Approximately 2025 hours per week, Monday through Friday. The position will work four to five hours per day during regular business hours, with flexible start and end times between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Position Responsibilities: Take ownership of assigned customer accounts and actively manage outstanding and past-due receivables. Review accounts receivable aging regularly and prioritize collection activity based on balance, age, risk, and customer circumstances. Contact customers professionally and persistently by telephone and email to determine payment status and secure specific payment commitments. Investigate past-due invoices, short payments, deductions, missing documentation, pricing questions, and other payment disputes. Work closely with Customer Service, Sales, Service, Shipping, and Accounting to identify the cause of disputed balances and drive issues to resolution. Maintain clear and complete documentation of collection activity, customer correspondence, disputes, promised payment dates, and required follow-up. Monitor customer commitments and follow up promptly when promised payments are not received. Escalate significant collection concerns, recurring disputes, and high-risk accounts to the Controller. Recommend appropriate account actions, including credit review, order holds, payment plans, or further collection activity. Communicate firmly but tactfully while preserving important customer relationships. Prepare and distribute customer statements, invoice copies, and supporting documentation as needed. Apply, verify, and reconcile customer payments and research unapplied or incorrectly applied cash. Assist with customer account reconciliations and month-end accounts receivable reporting. Provide regular reporting on delinquent accounts, collection activity, payment commitments, disputes, and emerging risks. Identify recurring causes of delayed payment and recommend improvements to internal processes. Perform other related accounts receivable duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Abilities: Sound judgment and the confidence to manage difficult or sensitive collection conversations. Professional persistence and the ability to follow an issue through until it is resolved. Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to determine why an invoice has not been paid and what action is required. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to be firm and direct while maintaining a professional customer relationship. Strong organizational skills and disciplined follow-up. Exceptional attention to detail and accurate documentation practices. Ability to manage priorities and work independently with limited day-to-day supervision. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and accounting or ERP systems. Ability to work collaboratively across departments and hold others accountable for information needed to resolve customer disputes.

Education and Experience: High school diploma or equivalent required. At least three years of directly related business-to-business accounts receivable and collections experience strongly preferred. Experience resolving customer deductions, short payments, disputed invoices, and account discrepancies strongly preferred. Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or business-to-business environment is preferred. Experience with ERP-based accounts receivable systems is preferred.

What Success Looks Like: The successful candidate will establish consistent collection follow-up, maintain reliable account documentation, resolve disputed balances efficiently, obtain and monitor customer payment commitments, and contribute to a measurable reduction in past-due receivables.