Credit Control Manager
Credit Control Manager
Chapeltown, Sheffield \| £45,000–£50,000 per annum DOE \| Full\-time, Permanent
A leading food manufacturing business, part of a larger established retail and food group, is looking for an experienced and commercially focused Credit Control Manager to take ownership of its credit function.
This is a key role within the Finance team, with responsibility for maximising cash collection, reducing debtor days and overdue debt, managing credit risk and ensuring robust credit\-control processes are followed across the business.
You’ll lead and develop the Credit Control team, work closely with Sales, Customer Service and Finance, and provide clear reporting and insight to senior management.
The successful candidate will be based at the group's offices in Chapeltown, Sheffield, with a requirement to travel to Poole, Dorset, as required for initial training, onboarding and ongoing business requirements. Candidates must therefore be comfortable and willing to travel between locations when required.
The Role
As Credit Control Manager, you will take ownership of the end\-to\-end credit\-control function, from assessing new customers and setting appropriate credit limits through to collecting overdue debt and managing complex disputes and recoveries.
You will lead the Credit Control team, set clear performance expectations and ensure collection activity is focused on the accounts presenting the greatest financial risk.
You will also work closely with commercial teams to resolve disputes and remove barriers to payment, while maintaining positive and professional customer relationships.
Key Responsibilities
Credit Control \& Cash Collection
- Own and manage the company's debtor book, ensuring cash is collected within agreed payment terms
- Set and monitor targets for cash collection, DSO and overdue debt reduction
- Review aged debt and prioritise collection activity based on value and risk
- Proactively manage overdue accounts and escalate high\-risk balances
- Negotiate professionally and confidently with customers to secure payment
- Identify potential bad debt risks and take appropriate action
- Manage account queries, credit notes and customer statements
- Ensure the debtor ledger remains accurate and fully reconciled
- Produce and circulate weekly outstanding debt and aged\-debt reports
- Provide regular reporting to the Finance Director and senior management on cash collection, DSO, overdue debt and credit risk
- Analyse debtor trends and identify areas requiring corrective action
- Provide meaningful commentary and recommendations alongside financial information
- Prepare management information for Finance and commercial meetings
- Ensure senior management has clear visibility of significant risks and disputed accounts
- Lead, manage and develop the Credit Control team
- Set clear KPIs, objectives and collection targets
- Monitor individual and team performance
- Allocate workloads and ensure collection activity is appropriately prioritised
- Coach and develop team members to improve capability and performance
- Provide support with complex accounts and difficult collection situations
- Build a proactive, professional and results\-focused team culture
- Own and enforce the company's credit\-control policy
- Assess the creditworthiness of new and existing customers
- Set and review appropriate customer credit limits
- Support the onboarding and credit assessment of new customers
- Manage relationships with credit insurers and credit reference agencies
- Maintain appropriate credit insurance cover
- Liaise with insurers regarding customer risk and claims
- Take the lead on the recovery of overdue or disputed debt through solicitors, debt collection agencies and other appropriate channels
- Chair weekly debt collection meetings with Sales
- Review key customer accounts, agree actions and remove collection blockers
- Work closely with Sales and Customer Service to resolve disputes
- Partner with Finance to ensure accurate reporting and appropriate bad debt provisions
- Act as the key point of contact for credit\-control matters across the business
- Balance effective credit control with maintaining strong customer relationships
- Identify opportunities to improve credit\-control processes and cash collection
- Lead process improvement and automation initiatives
- Work with Finance and IT to improve systems, reporting and processes
- Identify opportunities to reduce manual administration and improve efficiency
- Continuously review and improve credit\-control procedures
- Support the Finance team during month\-end close
- Complete and review debtor ledger reconciliations
- Support appropriate bad debt provisioning
- Ensure customer accounts, statements and credit notes are accurate
- Maintain appropriate financial controls across the credit function
We're looking for an experienced credit professional who combines strong technical knowledge with proven leadership skills and commercial awareness.
You'll ideally have:
- Proven experience in Credit Control or Credit Management
- At least 2 years' experience in a supervisory or management position
- A strong track record of improving DSO and reducing overdue debt
- Experience managing a busy debtor book and delivering measurable cash\-collection results
- Previous experience managing, coaching and developing a Credit Control team
- Experience producing and presenting reports to senior management and/or Directors
- Strong Excel skills and confidence working with large volumes of financial data
- Good knowledge of credit insurance, credit referencing and debt recovery
- Experience setting or reviewing customer credit limits
- Strong negotiation skills and confidence managing difficult conversations
- Excellent communication and relationship\-building skills
- Experience working closely with Sales, Customer Service and Finance
- Experience using ERP or accounting systems
- A good understanding of financial controls and month\-end processes
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn financial information into clear actions
- A proactive, resilient and commercially focused approach
- Experience within food manufacturing, FMCG, retail or a similar environment
- CICM qualification or currently working towards one
- Experience with finance process improvement and automation
- Experience using Microsoft 365 to improve reporting and processes
This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a busy Credit Control function and make a measurable difference to cash flow and financial performance.
You'll have direct exposure to senior management, responsibility for leading and developing a Credit Control team, and the opportunity to influence how the business manages credit risk, customer relationships and cash collection.
If you're an experienced Credit Control professional ready to step into a role where you can lead a team, influence senior stakeholders and directly impact business performance, we'd like to hear from you.
Apply today with your CV.
Pay: £45,000\.00\-£50,000\.00 per year
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Sheffield S35 2PY: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
- Are you willing to travel to Poole when needed?
- Do you have any experience within the food, FMCG or manufacturing sector from a Credit control side?
- How many years of Credit Control Management experience do you have?
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