Job Description:

Collections Manager (Fixed Term Contract - 6-12 Months)

Location: Melton Mowbray
Contract: Fixed Term Contract (6-12 Months)
Salary: Competitive

The Opportunity

Red Recruitment is recruiting on behalf of our client, a specialist debt collection business, for an experienced Collections Manager to join the organisation on a 6-12 month fixed-term contract.

The successful candidate will oversee the end-to-end collections and litigation lifecycle, manage key third-party relationships, and drive improved recovery outcomes while maintaining strong regulatory compliance.

This role would suit an experienced collections professional with a strong regulatory background, who is comfortable operating both strategically and operationally in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, create, and execute a strategic business plan for historic and aged debt, with a focus on maximising recoveries and reducing future risk.
• Lead the end-to-end collections lifecycle, including pre-arrears prevention, collections activity, litigation management, and recovery strategies.
• Work closely with litigators and legal partners to oversee cases through the litigation process and ensure commercially effective outcomes.
• Manage and oversee relationships with third-party suppliers, collection agencies, legal partners, and external stakeholders.
• Design and implement effective pre-arrears strategies aimed at improving customer outcomes.
• Take ownership of both internal and external late-stage debt management activities across problematic and aged debt portfolios.
• Develop, manage, and monitor credit loss models and performance frameworks to support decision-making and forecasting.
• Analyse portfolio performance, identify risks, and implement corrective actions to improve collection effectiveness.
• Ensure all collections and recovery activities operate within regulatory frameworks and customer treatment standards.
• Provide leadership and direction across collections activity, driving operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills & Experience Required

• Proven experience in a senior collections, recoveries, or debt management role within regulated financial services or debt collection environments.
• Strong understanding of FCA regulations and experience operating within highly regulated frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing collections strategies for aged, problematic, or distressed debt portfolios.
• Experience managing end-to-end litigation processes and working directly with legal partners and litigators.
• Strong knowledge of collections operations, arrears management, recoveries, and credit risk principles.
• Experience developing credit loss models, forecasting methodologies, and performance reporting.
• Proven capability managing third-party suppliers and outsourced collections partners.
• Strong analytical and commercial mindset with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions and operate effectively in a change-focused environment.
• Strong leadership capability with the confidence to build and implement new strategies quickly.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with problematic, vulnerable, or high-risk customer debt portfolios.

Why Apply?

This role offers the opportunity to make a measurable impact within a business undergoing growth, with responsibility for shaping debt recovery strategy, improving customer outcomes, and strengthening operational controls across collections and litigation activities.