Payment Support Associate

Ascendus is a nonprofit small business lender working to create economic opportunity by providing entrepreneurs with access to the capital and the business support they need to develop and grow healthy enterprises and contribute to thriving local economies. As an accredited CDFI, since 1991, Ascendus has provided almost $600 million to over 70,000 small business owners across the country. For more information, visitwww.ascendus.org

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The Payment Support Associate plays a critical role in protecting the health of Ascendus' loan portfolio management while helping entrepreneurs successfully navigate repayment challenges. Through proactive client engagement, effective repayment solutions, and disciplined portfolio management, this role supports both borrower success and the organization's long-term financial sustainability. The Payment Support Associate reports to the Director of Credit Risk.

The Payment Support Associate will achieve the following:

Manage a high volume of client phone, email, and written communications while adhering to FDCPA standards andmaintainingprofessionalism.

Proactively engage borrowers experiencing payment challenges to understand the underlying cause of delinquency, identify appropriate repayment solutions, negotiate repayment arrangements when appropriate, and support the organization's portfolio qualityobjectivesofmaintainingdelinquency below 4%.

Support recovery and account management activities by coordinating with approved third-party payment support vendors, posting recoveries, following up on charged-off accounts, andmaintainingaccurateaccount documentation, including returned mail and late notices.

Collaborate with the Credit Risk and Loan Servicing team to support strategies thatmaintainportfolio health and reduce write-offs.

Support daily operations byassistingwith documentation, data entry, and recordkeeping to ensuretimelyandaccurateloan servicing.

Assist with bank report reconciliation and other repayment-related operational tasks as assigned.

Identify account trends, recurring issues, and inefficiencies, and suggest improvements to workflow and documentation processes.

Partner with the Technology department to report system issues, support data cleanup efforts, andassistwith testing or implementing servicing/payment support enhancements.

Collaborate with internal departments to ensure effective communication and resolution of client repayment matters.

Address client and internal staff inquiries related to account adjustments, billing statements, promissory notes, loan funding, and repayment logistics.

Ensure compliance with client correspondence requirements, includingaccuratedocumentation andtimelyfollow-up.

Monitor the loan service inbox daily to ensure client requests and documentation are handled efficiently.

Maintain organized and secure storage systems for both physical and electronic client recordsin accordance with compliance standards.

Perform periodic office responsibilities, including processing physical mail, as needed.

Support the development and implementation of repayment strategies tailored to client needs, including payment arrangements and account adjustments.

Helpidentifytrends in delinquency or repayment issues and share observations to enhance client communication and servicing.

Activelyparticipatein team meetings, contributingupdatesand ideas to support operational efficiency.

Contribute to departmental goals in alignment with Ascendus' mission to promote financial health for clients.

Communication
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The ability to effectively converse and listen to others concerning…