Collections Analyst

Position Summary

The Collections Analyst is responsible for supporting customers through the early stages of the accounts receivable lifecycle, with a primary focus on First Payment Default (FPD) prevention, customer onboarding, and payment success. This role partners with new customers to ensure smooth account setup, timely first-payment completion, and adoption of payment solutions such as autopay and electronic billing.

Rather than focusing primarily on aged debt collections, this position emphasizes proactive customer engagement, issue resolution, account setup support, and process guidance to prevent delinquencies before they occur. The ideal candidate combines strong customer service skills, attention to detail, and analytical thinking to improve payment outcomes, enhance the customer experience, and protect company revenue.

Key Responsibilities

First Payment Default (FPD) & Customer Onboarding

• Manage a portfolio of newly activated customer accounts to ensure successful completion of the first payment cycle.
• Conduct proactive outbound calls and email outreach to welcome customers and support payment setup activities.
• Assist customers with enrollment in automatic payment programs, electronic invoicing, and other payment options designed to improve payment success.
• Guide customers through onboarding processes, including invoice delivery preferences, payment methods, and vendor setup requirements.
• Identify and address potential barriers that could lead to missed first payments, including billing concerns, administrative delays, and setup issues.
• Monitor newly onboarded accounts for payment-risk indicators and take preventive action before accounts become delinquent.
• Act as a customer advocate by providing education and support related to billing, payment expectations, and account management

Collections & Account Management

• Manage assigned accounts to ensure timely payment of invoices and reduction of early-stage delinquencies.
• Conduct professional outbound communication via phone, email, and written correspondence.
• Resolve payment delays by identifying and addressing root causes, including billing discrepancies, process gaps, and customer onboarding challenges.
• Document customer interactions and account activity accurately within company systems.

Customer Experience Focus

• Serve as a trusted point of contact during the onboarding and early customer lifecycle stages.
• Build strong customer relationships that encourage positive payment behavior and long-term retention.
• Utilize a consultative approach to understand customer needs and recommend payment solutions.
• Deliver an exceptional customer experience through professional, responsive, and empathetic communication.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Customer Success, Billing, and Operations teams to facilitate a seamless customer onboarding experience.
• Assist in resolving customer setup issues related to vendor registration, payment processing, invoicing, and account maintenance.
• Identify trends contributing to first payment defaults and recommend process improvements.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 2+ years of experience in collections, accounts receivable, or credit analysis
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial data and aging reports
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Proficiency in Excel and financial systems (e.g., ERP, AR platforms)

Preferred

• Experience in a high-volume or B2B collections environment
• Familiarity with dispute management processes and root cause analysis
• Experience working in a customer-centric or service-oriented finance team
• Experience in customer onboarding, account setup, customer success, or early-stage collections.
• Experience conducting outbound customer outreach focused on payment enrollment, autopay adoption, or account activation.
• Familiarity with vendor setup processes, customer account administration, and billing support functions.
• Experience supporting customers through payment method enrollment and invoice delivery setup.
• Strong customer service background with the ability to build rapport and influence customer behaviors through consultative conversations.

Key Competencies

• Customer-Centric Mindset: Balances business objectives with customer relationships
• Problem Solving: Identifies root causes and develops effective solutions
• Communication Excellence: Clear, professional, and empathetic across all channels
• Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy in account handling and reporting
• Accountability: Takes ownership of portfolio performance
• Collaboration: Works effectively across teams to resolve issues
• Customer Onboarding Excellence: Effectively guides customers through setup and account activation processes.
• Relationship Building: Establishes trust and credibility during early customer interactions.
• Influencing Skills: Encourages customer adoption of payment solutions that improve payment success and reduce delinquency risk.
• Process Improvement: Identifies onboarding and payment-process gaps that contribute to First Payment Default trends.

Success Metrics

• Reduction in First Payment Default rates.
• Increase in autopay enrollment and electronic payment adoption.
• Timely completion of customer onboarding and vendor setup requirements.
• Improvement in first invoice payment success rates.
• Strong customer satisfaction and retention indicators.
• Accuracy and timeliness of account documentation and reporting.
• Achievement of individual and team FPD prevention goals.

Why This Role Matters

This role is critical in supporting the company’s financial health while reinforcing a customer-first philosophy. The Collections Analyst plays a key role in protecting revenue, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening customer trust.