Credit & Collections Manager

A well-established, growing organization in the northern Chicago suburbs is seeking an experienced Credit & Collections Manager to lead its commercial credit and collections function. This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who can evaluate customer risk, improve accounts receivable performance, develop a strong team, and partner effectively across the business.

The ideal candidate will combine commercial credit expertise with practical collections leadership and experience supporting a product-based, manufacturing, wholesale, or distribution environment.

• Lead, coach, and develop the credit and collections team.
• Establish, maintain, and enforce credit and collections policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Evaluate the creditworthiness of new and existing commercial customers.
• Review financial statements, commercial credit reports, bank references, trade references, and other available credit information.
• Establish and monitor customer credit limits, payment terms, and risk classifications.
• Oversee portfolio aging, DSO, past-due balances, bad-debt exposure, reserves, write-offs, and collection effectiveness.
• Develop collection strategies that improve cash flow while preserving productive customer relationships.
• Manage escalated collection matters, payment disputes, credit holds, payment arrangements, and high-risk accounts.
• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Returns, and other departments to resolve deductions, discrepancies, short payments, and customer-account issues.
• Monitor departmental and portfolio performance through KPIs, dashboards, and recurring reporting.
• Identify opportunities to improve credit, collections, cash application, and broader invoice-to-cash processes.
• Support account reconciliations, month-end close, audit requests, and financial reporting.
• Develop and deliver training for team members and relevant business partners.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable credit and collection requirements.

• Seven or more years of progressive experience in commercial credit, collections, accounts receivable, or a related function.
• Prior experience managing and developing a credit and collections team.
• Demonstrated authority for evaluating customer risk and establishing credit limits and payment terms.
• Experience reviewing financial statements, D&B or other commercial credit reports, trade references, and bank references.
• Strong knowledge of aging, DSO, bad debt, reserves, write-offs, cash flow, collection strategy, and dispute resolution.
• Experience with in manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, consumer products, or another product-based environment strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage escalated customer situations while balancing risk, cash flow, and business relationships.
• Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to partner effectively with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, operational teams, and senior leadership.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, commercial credit-reporting tools, and Microsoft Excel.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent directly relevant experience will be considered.

We will handle all inquiries and applications confidentially.