Senior Manager, Collections

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We’re on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We’re changing. Because students need a better way.

We’re looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students—and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It’s where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you—from physical and mental to financial and professional. You’ll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We’re obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking “why not?” when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

Position Summary The Senior Manager, Collections is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of late-stage delinquency portfolios. This role drives portfolio performance through data analysis, workforce optimization, liquidation strategy execution, and leadership of multiple collections teams.

The Senior Manager serves as a business leader responsible for identifying performance opportunities, optimizing collection strategies, adjusting priorities based on portfolio performance, and ensuring operational execution aligns with enterprise objectives. This position requires strong analytical expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to make timely business decisions using intraday and trend reporting.

Success in this role is measured through portfolio performance, liquidation outcomes, staffing effectiveness, leadership capability, and the ability to adapt strategies in response to changing business conditions.

Key Responsibilities Portfolio Leadership & Business Ownership Own end-to-end performance of assigned late-stage delinquency portfolios.

Drive liquidation performance, recovery outcomes, collection effectiveness, and portfolio health.

Balance productivity, customer outcomes, compliance requirements, and business objectives.

Establish operational priorities based on emerging performance trends and business needs.

Continuously evaluate portfolio performance and adjust strategies to achieve performance targets.

Strategic Analysis & Decision Making Leverage operational, financial, and portfolio data to identify risks, opportunities, and emerging trends.

Analyze intraday, daily, weekly, and monthly reporting to inform business decisions.

Utilize data to prioritize resources, adjust workflows, and optimize collection strategies.

Develop recommendations supported by quantitative analysis and business rationale.

Lead structured problem-solving efforts to identify root causes and implement sustainable solutions.

Collections Strategy Execution Partner with Collections Strategy, Analytics, and Operations leaders to execute collection strategies and optimize portfolio performance.

Evaluate effectiveness of existing collection treatments, workflows, and recovery efforts.

Recommend strategy changes…