Collections Analyst (6 Month Contract)

Collections Analyst – 6-Month Contract

Summary

The Collections Analyst is responsible for managing an assigned portfolio of customer accounts and driving the timely collection of outstanding receivables. The role will proactively communicate with customers, obtain payment commitments, resolve disputes and coordinate with internal departments to remove barriers to payment.

The position also supports cash application, account reconciliations, customer account administration and the monitoring of project holdbacks. Success requires strong communication, persistence, sound judgment and a high level of accuracy and follow-through.

The Ideal Fit – Core Competencies

• Accountability and dependability
• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Professional persistence and confidence
• Organization, prioritization and time management
• Problem-solving and root-cause analysis
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Sound decision-making and judgment
• Ability to manage difficult conversations professionally
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Continuous learning and process improvement

What You'll Do – Responsibilities

Collections and Portfolio Management

• Manage an assigned portfolio of customer accounts and take ownership of collecting outstanding receivables.
• Review the AR aging daily and prioritize collection activity based on invoice age, value, customer risk and payment commitments.
• Proactively contact customers by telephone and email to collect overdue balances and obtain firm payment dates.
• Document collection activity, customer correspondence, disputes, promises to pay and required follow-up actions in the applicable system.
• Monitor payment commitments and follow up promptly when promised payments are not received.
• Send customer statements, invoice copies and supporting documentation required to facilitate payment.
• Reconcile customer accounts and work with customers to resolve payment discrepancies, short payments, deductions, credits and unapplied cash.
• Identify high-risk, significantly overdue or unresponsive accounts and escalate them in accordance with company procedures.
• Recommend accounts for credit hold, account restrictions or further collection action when appropriate.
• Maintain professional and collaborative customer relationships while ensuring compliance with contractual payment terms.

Dispute Resolution and Internal Coordination

• Investigate the root cause of overdue balances, including billing errors, missing documentation, pricing discrepancies, purchase-order issues and incomplete delivery or service support.
• Coordinate with invoicing, operations, sales, service and project teams to resolve disputes and remove barriers to collection.
• Maintain an accurate record of disputed invoices, responsible internal parties, required actions and expected resolution dates.
• Identify invoices aging because of internal process issues and follow up with the responsible department until resolved.
• Escalate unresolved disputes or internal delays that may affect collection.
• Provide customers with invoices, proof of delivery, service documentation, purchase-order support and other required information.
• Escalate situations where customers are withholding payment because they have not been paid by their own customers when this is inconsistent with the agreed contractual terms.

Cash Application and Account Administration

• Receive and apply customer payments accurately to the appropriate customer accounts and invoices.
• Investigate unidentified or unapplied payments and request remittance details from customers as required.
• Process cheque deposits using the cheque scanner or through the applicable branch process.
• Process credit card payments in accordance with company policies and internal controls.
• Support the setup and maintenance of customer accounts, including tax status, credit limits and payment terms.
• Assist with processing credit applications and obtaining required supporting documentation.
• Monitor the shared AR inbox and respond promptly to internal and external requests.
• Support the reconciliation of the AR subledger and other month-end activities as required.

Reporting and Team Support

• Maintain accurate and current collection notes, expected payment dates and account statuses.
• Prepare regular updates on overdue accounts, disputes, payment commitments, holdbacks and collection risks.
• Participate in weekly collection meetings and provide clear updates on significant or high-risk accounts.
• Support initiatives to reduce past-due receivables, improve cash flow and strengthen the order-to-cash process.
• Identify recurring billing or collection issues and recommend process improvements.
• Perform other related duties and tasks as assigned.

Measures of Success

Performance in this role may be measured based on:

• Timely and consistent completion of collection activity.
• Reduction in balances aged over 60 and 90 days.
• Improvement in the percentage of receivables that are current.
• Achievement and monitoring of customer payment commitments.
• Timely identification and resolution of disputes.
• Accuracy of collection notes, payment forecasts and holdback schedules.
• Timely escalation of high-risk or unresponsive accounts.
• Accuracy and timeliness of cash application and account reconciliations.
• Contribution to improved cash flow and reduced days sales outstanding.

What You Need – Requirements

• One to three years of accounts receivable, collections, customer account reconciliation or cash application experience.
• Demonstrated experience conducting outbound collection calls and obtaining payment commitments.
• Post-secondary education in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field is preferred; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience managing a high-volume or high-dollar customer portfolio is preferred.
• Ability to interpret invoices, customer contracts, purchase orders and payment terms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to handle difficult collection conversations professionally.
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, time-management and prioritization skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate records.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook.
• Experience using computerized accounting or ERP systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Intermediate Excel skills, including filters, pivot tables and lookup functions, are considered an asset.
• Written and verbal fluency in English.
• French-language proficiency is considered an asset.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with Finance, Operations, Sales, Service and Project teams.