Accounts Receivable Specialist

I am currently recruiting for an Accounts Receivable Specialist to cover the entire order to cash function for an impressive business in Northwich. Reporting to the Credit Control Supervisor this is a wide ranging role that requires a thorough working knowledge of both the sales ledger and credit control procedures. You will be solely responsible for the maintenance of the customer ledger that is assigned to you primarily through the collection of the debt but with a view to identifying any issues that prevent timely payment collection. You will also continue to look at ways to further develop the department into a world class finance function. Duties & Responsibilities: Maximise cash collection by managing customer accounts to the agreed payment terms and ensure that prompt and appropriate contact is made at the earliest opportunity to minimise overdue debt. Initiate the Direct Debit collection transactions on a weekly rota basis. Assist with the weekly aged debt summary to the Group Finance Manager to include overdue debts movements and provide commentaries for any accounts within your ledger that may have impacted on this Weekly debt summaries are also sent to all National Account Managers each week and any debts causing concern should be notified to them. Working as part of a team, ensure that the weekly invoice run is actioned together with ad hoc monthly / weekly statements sent to customers as required and where preferable in electronic form rather than printed versions. Investigate all queries relating to short delivery, returned goods and pricing errors and raise credit notes in the shortest possible time to avoid invoices being held for payment. Close attention should be paid to credit claims to ensure any process weakness within the business can be addressed and also to see if any familiar traits are evident with particular customers. Generate a blocked credit memo report on a weekly basis for the Business Partners thus allowing the liability to be provided for within the management accounts. Using your effective sales ledger skills, ensure the credit memo report is monitored, maintained and cleansed so that the provision is realistic and accurate at all times. Assist with the weekly accounts receivable checklist to include frequent credit insurance portal logins, blocked credit memo reports, held order reports etc Assist the Credit Control Supervisor in assessing the credit worthiness of potential new customers or increases in credit limits for existing customers. Provide and seek knowledge regarding the interpretation of credit reports to understand how risk is assessed and credit limits calculated. Based on this, make recommendations to the Sales Team regarding business risk, credit limits, payment terms and insurance cover. Assist and take ownership during the period end reconciliations within the Finance Team ensuring unallocated cash is minimal, approved journals are posted, invoicing runs complete etc. Produce, review and analyse debts outside agreed tolerances and report to the company's credit insurer monthly in line with policy guidelines. Build relationships with the broker / credit insurer regarding a change in customer circumstances and where increased cover above any discretionary limit is needed. Further review and update any master file information is current and correct and ensure credit insurance cover remains valid. Apply discretionary credit limits where required using the prescribed criteria recommended by the insurance company. Assist the Credit Control Supervisor in carrying out the annual review of insurance cover to ensure effectiveness and the renewal invitation from other insurers from which premium and cover can be compared. Assist the Credit Control Supervisor in developing and monitoring departmental KPI's and takes proactive and collaborative steps to achieve these targets. Support with daily sales ledger functions to ensure reliable debt management Key Attributes and Skills Demonstrable experience in a previous similar role Ability to work autonomously Experience in senior/supervisory capacity would be beneficial Retail/FMCG experience would be beneficial Experience in a complex ledgers in a pressurised environment ERP system (SAP preferred)