Position Overview

We are seeking an Industrial Collections Specialist to manage customer accounts and drive the collections process for a large industrial services organization. This role begins after the sales invoice has been generated and is focused entirely on ensuring timely payment collection, resolving invoice disputes, and maintaining strong customer relationships.

The ideal candidate will proactively monitor customer accounts, identify potential payment issues before invoices become delinquent, and work closely with customers, operations, sales, and accounting leadership to resolve outstanding balances. This position requires strong communication skills, persistence, attention to detail, and the ability to research and resolve billing discrepancies.

Key Responsibilities

• Run weekly aging reports and proactively review accounts approaching payment due dates.
• Contact customers prior to invoice due dates to confirm receipt of invoices and verify payment is scheduled according to agreed terms.
• Investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies, billing questions, and payment delays.
• Research customer concerns by coordinating with internal teams to ensure invoice accuracy.
• Maintain regular communication with customers regarding outstanding balances and payment commitments.
• Follow up consistently on past-due accounts through phone calls, emails, and other communication channels.
• Document customer interactions, payment commitments, and collection activities.
• Escalate non-responsive or non-engaged accounts to local operations management and sales representatives who maintain direct customer relationships.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to resolve issues preventing payment.
• Escalate unresolved collection matters to accounting leadership, including the Controller and CFO, when collection efforts are unsuccessful.
• Support continuous improvement of collections processes and customer account management practices.

Customer & Revenue Scope

• Manage collections activities across approximately 300 customers, with the top 50 customers representing roughly 70% of company revenue.
• Support a customer base that includes large industrial facilities such as pulp and paper plants and other manufacturing operations.
• Work with invoices ranging from approximately $50,000 to $3.5 million.

Required Qualifications

• 1–3 years of collections, accounts receivable, credit and collections, or customer account management experience.
• Experience managing aging reports and following up on past-due accounts.
• Strong customer communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to investigate payment delays and resolve invoice disputes.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills with the ability to manage multiple customer accounts simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and reporting tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in industrial services, manufacturing, construction, energy, or other project-based environments.
• Familiarity with time-and-materials invoicing and contract-based customer relationships.
• Experience working with ERP systems such as Workday, NetSuite, or similar platforms.
• Understanding of the quote-to-cash process and its impact on collections performance.

Success Factors

• Proactive and persistent approach to collections.
• Strong problem-solving and investigative skills.
• Ability to build relationships with customers while maintaining accountability for payment collection.
• Comfortable collaborating across accounting, operations, sales, and executive leadership teams.
• Professional communication style with the confidence to escalate issues when necessary.