Collection Specialist

Overview:

In a fast paced, goal-oriented collections department, this role is involved in servicing out of school student accounts, negotiating mutually acceptable payment plans, performing delinquency management on an assigned account portfolio, and providing support to our internal and external partners to promote student success. Our colleagues embody the TEACH values and embrace synergies to create positive student outcomes and prompt account resolutions. This colleague is charged with being a role model for the organization’s TEACH values and fosters a culture of CARE consistent with organization’s mission, vision, and purpose

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversees out-of-school student account collection’s portfolio with the goal of securing timely payments and reducing open receivable balances while adhering to 90.10 and collection regulations. This may entail conducting research, verifying data, and collaborating with other departments to ensure the accuracy of account details.
• Services inbound calls, conducts outbound calls, and sends email communications to cure accounts and negotiate mutually acceptable repayment terms with students.
• Accountable for managing collection workflows to recover past due balances, reduce delinquencies and increase year over year recoveries.   
• Demonstrates understanding and upholds rigorous compliance with FDCPA, CFPB, UDAAP, student loan servicing regulations, credit and finance laws, audit controls and department standard operating procedures (SOP) across all collection activities.
• Provides exceptional student CARE to maintain excellence and prioritize the student experience. 
• Delivers on expected department goals and collections metrics.
• Adheres to procedural service level agreements and maintains annual quality assurance accuracy rating of 95% or better.
• Establishes and maintains an effective, collaborative, and cooperative working relationship with stakeholders, other departments, and functional areas to deliver optimal results.
• Supports User Acceptance Testing (UAT) applying knowledge of the business needs, performs testing, and provides appropriate documentation.
• Actively participates in team meetings, special projects, and other duties as assigned. 
• Seeks areas of continuous improvement and opportunities for automation, system enhancements and cost reductions.
• Flexible in adapting to changes, new procedures, assignments, and perspectives within a continually evolving organization.
• Successfully completes collections, financial literacy, customer service and other relevant training.
• Exhibits TEACH values while remaining receptive to constructive feedback throughout the development journey.
• Serves as a positive role model, shares best practices, and collaborates effectively with peers to reach team goals.
• Actively seeks professional and personal development. 
• Completes other duties as assigned.

How You Can Be Successful

• Exhibit virtues of empathy, resilience, ethical conduct, persistence and strong communication, balancing firmness with compassion to understand debtors’ situations, find solutions, negotiate fairly, and remain professional while adhering to organizational, state and federal policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for supporting student success and helping individuals achieve their educational goals.
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze complex problems and develop innovative solutions through advanced critical thinking skills, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity.
• Collaborate with other departments across various functions to ensure superior student experience. 
• Success will heavily depend on being tech-savvy, as you must possess the ability to effortlessly navigate multiple systems with ease to perform your job.
• Retains a comprehensive understanding of collection regulations and laws to maintain compliance. 
• Highly self-motivated with strong attention to detail and communication skills, able to clearly convey student account information while effectively prioritizing work, managing time, solving problems, and delivering exceptional customer service aligned with our Culture of Care.
• Remain accountable to meeting and exceeding service level metrics.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Shift Expectations
• Working flexible hours including evening and possible Saturdays (based on business needs and team schedules).
  • The first 2 weeks of training requires daily attendance to be successful in the role while working 9AM-5PM CST. 
  • At the conclusion of training, colleagues must be available to work a permanent schedule as follows:
    • 8AM-5PM CST with availability to work until 7PM CST Monday-Friday, based on business needs and team schedules. 
    • 1 Saturday every four weeks, working 4 hours between 8AM-4PM CST based on business needs.

Minimum Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Listed below are the minimum requirements of education, experience, knowledge, and skills required to competently perform in the position.  They may be, however, subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• High School Diploma, with some college coursework preferred. 
• 3+ years of higher education or consumer collections experience required.
• Outstanding customer services skills with 3+ years’ experience required.
• Experience working in a call center environment.
• Knowledge of FDCPA, CFPB, UDAAP and other collection regulations and laws required.
• Knowledge and experience with online learning.
• Ability to proficiently use Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, TEAMS)
• Experience in Banner (ERP), SalesForce (CRM), and TouchNet payment gateway is a plus, along with various web-based applications and database software.
• A work environment free of distractions and interruptions, with no conflicting responsibilities during your scheduled shift.
• Home office must be equipped with DSL or Cable Internet that is hardwired into a modem/router via Ethernet and provides the minimum required internet speeds (wireless, satellite or dial-up internet services are not permissible).