Specialist, Credit and Collections

JOB TITLE: Specialist, Credit and Collections

Location: North Fort Myers, FL

Work Hours: M-F 8-5:30pm with varying shifts

Our benefits include:

• Company-wide annual incentive plan
• Medical, vision and dental insurance
• 401(k) plan with a generous 6% company match
• Company funded Pension Plan
• On-site wellness/medical facility
• Company paid Short & Long-Term Disability insurance
• Health Savings Account with an employer contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Wellness program with financial rewards
• Tuition reimbursement
• Group life insurance
• Critical Illness and Accident Insurance

LCEC provides reliable, cost-competitive electricity to more than 250,000 members throughout a five-county service territory located in Southwest Florida. We employ approximately 460 skilled employees and are one of more than 900 electric distribution cooperatives located throughout the United States. LCEC has been recognized locally and statewide as an industry leader and continually receives acknowledgment for the work that our employees do in the community along with other civic, environmental and professional honors.

Position Summary: The Credit & Collections Specialist serves as the focal point for all aspects of credit and collection activities. This position is responsible for monitoring and analyzing aging accounts receivable and for the oversight of accounts from delinquency to disconnect for non-payment and bad debt write-off, as well as researching and processing bankruptcies, deposits, medical necessity and life support, and collection referrals. This position will contribute to the organization's financial strength by reducing accounts receivable delinquency, combatting electricity theft and meter tampering, and improving post-disconnect collections recovery.

Position Responsibilities

• Monitor collection processes to ensure expected results on qualifying accounts. Track counts of records processed, analyze data, and notify Supervisor of trends and anomalies.
• Research accounts eligible for disconnect for non-payment. Initiate field and remote disconnect service orders; investigate remote disconnect and reconnect failures, field access issues, and safety issues. Ensure service orders are completed within an acceptable timeframe to prevent rollovers.
• Initiate a courtesy contact prior to disconnect for non-payment for qualified accounts, including but not limited to, accounts with medical necessity or life support alerts and Key Accounts.
• Respond timely to inquiries from field personnel and other departments regarding collection activities. Report physical threats made to field personnel immediately using established guidelines to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
• Monitor accounts disconnected for non-payment and update agreement statuses and alerts for final billing. Initiate field investigations for usage on meters disconnected for non-payment.
• Monitor and track accounts with aging accounts receivable balances. Research accounts with 60-day and 90-day arrears; update account as needed to expedite collection processes.
• Manage accounts with medical necessity and life support conditions. Includes processing new applications and renewals and updating account records and outage priority alerts.
• Plan and coordinate changes to collection activities, including system configuration changes, during storm restoration and other emergency response situations. Collaborate with other departments to test and validate changes and inform impacted departments.
• Serve as subject matter expert on credit and collection related projects and initiatives, including system upgrades and new feature releases. Participate in meetings, testing, and implementation activities; deliver training to others in the department; develop or update departmental procedures.
• Evaluate accounts for new and additional deposits, including non-cash deposits, using established guidelines. Add deposits to qualifying accounts, send notice to customers, and make adjustments as needed or requested. Monitor deposit reports to ensure quality data entry and manage errors and exceptions.
• Initiate bad debt write-off process, review output, and investigate held accounts and other exceptions. Notify appropriate departments of monthly write-off amounts. Ensure outstanding bad debt is collected prior to reconnection of service.
• Initiate collection referrals to third-party agency within established timeline. Process files from collection agency and update accounts records accordingly upon payment and adjustments to accounts receivable balances. Act as liaison between LCEC and collection agency.
• Coordinate post-disconnect collection activities, including but not limited to, in-house phone calls and emails. Perform phone number and address research utilizing skip-tracing and credit data tools.
• Monitor past due miscellaneous receivable invoices. Follow-up with other departments or customers to ensure timely payment or cancellation of invoices.
• Identify active accounts with an unpaid uncollectible or accounts receivable balance; perform balance transfer using established procedures and initiate customer notification.
• Act as first point of contact for customer bankruptcies and probate. Compile account information and forms for Supervisor review and approval; submit timely claims and other appropriate paperwork to the courts; update pre and post-bankruptcy accounts and apply deposit when needed.
• Identify and investigate cases of potential and confirmed energy theft or diversion based on billing or usage anomalies, outside reports and tips, and observations reported by field staff.
• Conduct research and document investigations into suspected fraud and theft of electric service; determine unbilled revenue amounts and tamper fees; prepare documents for prosecution, when applicable.
• Initiate disconnection of illegal electric service and correct unsafe situations caused by tampering with the service. Coordinate field investigations between LCEC personnel and outside entities, i.e. law enforcement agencies, city and county inspectors.
• Document credit and collections processes and procedures. Maintain accurate documentation; train and educate others as needed.
• Ensure all credit and collections activities are adhered to in accordance with LCEC's corporate Credit & Collections policy.
• Identify and recommend system enhancements, process changes, and new technologies to improve collection effectiveness. Utilize industry best practices to conduct root cause analysis in order to identify underlying credit related issues.
• Support Storm Restoration efforts when needed. Work in emergency storm situations (i.e. hurricanes) and work long hours (>12 hours per day) for many continuous days/weeks as needed.
• Maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels within LCEC. Ensure smooth operations, productive communications, and effective understanding during all interpersonal contacts. Provide current and accurate information to all requesters.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Education

• High School Diploma or the equivalent. (Required)
• Associate's Degree (Preferred)

Experience

• 2+ to 5 Years Minimum of two years of experience working in a customer service-related area with collection of past due accounts and revenue recovery. (Required)
• 2+ to 5 Years Four years of experience working with collection of past due accounts, revenue recovery, bad debt write-off, bankruptcy, and energy theft and diversion. (Preferred)
• 2+ to 5 Years Four years of experience in customer service or customer accounting in a utility business working with all phases of electric service and billing information. (Preferred)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to perform basic math calculations such as percentages and more multi-step math calculations and analyses. (Required)
• Proficient with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). (Required)
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail when performing tasks and relaying written and verbal messages. (Required)
• Possess data and system integrity and proven ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and manage sensitive situations. (Required)
• Proven organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills. (Required)
• Knowledge of geographic area served by company. (Required)
• Experience working with departmental metrics, quality assurance, and process improvement methodologies. (Preferred)

Physical Demands and Working Environment: The physical demands and working environment characteristics described here must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical Demands: Standing Occasionally,
  Walking Occasionally,
  Sitting Constantly,
  Lifting Rarely,
  Carrying Rarely,
  Pushing Rarely,
  Pulling Rarely,
  Climbing Rarely,
  Balancing Rarely,
  Stooping Rarely,
  Kneeling Rarely,
  Crouching Rarely,
  Crawling Rarely,
  Reaching Rarely,
  Handling Occasionally,
  Grasping Occasionally,
  Feeling Rarely,
  Talking Constantly,
  Hearing Constantly,
  Repetitive Motions Frequently,
  Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination Frequently.

• Working Environment: Constantly Air-conditioned office environment, Rarely Extreme cold, Rarely Extreme heat, Rarely Humidity, Rarely Wet, Occasionally Noise, Rarely Hazards, Rarely Temperature Change, Rarely Atmospheric Conditions, Rarely Vibration.

STORM DUTY REQUIREMENTS.... Responding to storms may be considered a condition of employment: LCEC provides critical services to our community during an emergency. Employees may be required to participate in the response/recovery activities related to emergencies/disasters to maintain service to our LCEC members. Employees are required to work in their normal job duties or other assigned activities. Proper compensation will be made in accordance with the company's guidelines and procedures.

Please note that at the time a candidate is made a job offer, the candidate will be subject to a background check and a drug screening.