Senior Customer Relations & Account Management Manager

Senior Account Manager / Receivables ManagerThe Senior Account Manager / Receivables Manager is responsible for overseeing customer relations, account relationship management, accounts receivable, and all collection activities, including both in-house collections and outside collection agencies. This position serves as a senior point of contact for customer relationships, helping maintain customer satisfaction, resolve account concerns, address billing and payment issues, and support long-term business partnerships while ensuring compliance with established payment terms.This role directly manages and develops a team of nine Account Managers, establishes performance expectations, monitors daily collection and customer contact activities, and ensures the team consistently meets established call, contact, and collection quotas. The position is also responsible for monitoring open accounts receivable, reducing past-due balances, and ensuring payments are received within the appropriate time frames.The Senior Account Manager / Receivables Manager will periodically meet with customers at their business locations and represent the company at trade shows, corporate events, and other business functions to strengthen customer relationships and support continued business growth. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who balances strong customer relationship management with financial accountability, effective collections, and measurable team performance.Essential Duties and Responsibilities1. Customer Relations and Account Relationship ManagementOversee and maintain strong, professional relationships with existing customers to support customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term business partnerships.Serve as a senior point of contact for key customers regarding account concerns, billing issues, payment matters, service-related questions, and relationship management.Proactively communicate with customers to address concerns, resolve disputes, and facilitate solutions that support both customer relationships and the company's financial objectives.Occasionally meet with customers in person at their business locations, industry trade shows, corporate events, and other customer or networking functions.Represent the company professionally at customer meetings, trade shows, corporate events, and other business functions to strengthen relationships and support continued business development.Collaborate with internal departments, including Operations, Billing, and Account Management, to resolve customer concerns and ensure a consistent customer experience.Balance customer relationship management with the responsibility of enforcing payment terms, resolving delinquent accounts, and achieving collection objectives.2. Collections ManagementOversee all aspects of the company's collections process, including in-house collections and outside collection agencies.Establish and enforce consistent collection procedures, escalation protocols, and follow-up expectations.Monitor delinquent accounts and ensure appropriate collection actions are taken in a timely manner.Oversee the management and resolution of disputed invoices, payment delays, and collection issues.Coordinate with outside collection agencies and legal representatives, as necessary, to pursue outstanding balances.Identify opportunities to improve collection effectiveness and reduce outstanding receivables.3. Team Leadership and Performance ManagementDirectly oversee, manage, and support a team of nine Account Managers.Establish daily, weekly, and monthly call, contact, and collection quotas for the Account Management team.Monitor individual and team performance to ensure established quotas and collection objectives are consistently met.Review collection activity, account follow-up, customer communications, and overall productivity.Provide coaching, training, and performance feedback to improve employee effectiveness and accountability.Address performance deficiencies and implement corrective action when necessary.Ensure appropriate workload distribution and consistent coverage of assigned customer accounts.4. Accounts Receivable OversightMaintain oversight of all open accounts receivable and ensure outstanding balances are actively managed.Monitor aging reports, past-due balances, payment commitments, and collection progress.Ensure Account Managers follow up on outstanding invoices and secure payment within established payment terms.Identify high-risk accounts and develop action plans to resolve overdue balances.Track payment promises and ensure customers fulfill agreed-upon payment commitments.Escalate significant delinquent balances, unresolved disputes, and collection risks to executive leadership.Work with internal departments to resolve billing discrepancies and remove obstacles to payment.5. Reporting, Metrics, and AccountabilityPrepare and review regular reports detailing accounts receivable aging, collection activity, payments received, and delinquent accounts.Track key performance indicators (KPIs), including collection rates, call and contact quotas, past-due balances, and team productivity.Evaluate collection trends and identify areas requiring additional attention or process improvement.Hold regular performance reviews with Account Managers to assess progress against established goals.Provide leadership with accurate updates on receivables performance, collection risks, and progress toward department objectives.6. Process Improvement and Operational CollaborationDevelop and maintain standardized collection workflows, documentation requirements, and follow-up procedures.Improve collection efficiency through consistent processes, effective account prioritization, and performance monitoring.Partner with Billing, Operations, and other internal teams to resolve account issues and facilitate timely payment.Ensure collection activities and account documentation are accurate, complete, and maintained in accordance with company policies.Qualifications and Requirements5+ years of experience in accounts receivable, collections, credit and collections, or account management.2+ years of supervisory or management experience leading an accounts receivable, collections team, or sales team.Demonstrated experience managing delinquent accounts and improving collection results.Strong understanding of accounts receivable aging, payment terms, collection strategies, and account reconciliation.Proven ability to establish performance expectations, monitor productivity, and hold employees accountable for measurable results.Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to handle difficult customer collection conversations.Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and accounts receivable, CRM, or collection management systems.Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.Preferred QualificationsExperience managing a team of five or more Account Managers or collection specialists.Experience overseeing third-party collection agencies.Experience in a service-based business with recurring customer accounts and high-volume invoicing.Experience developing collection KPIs, performance dashboards, and standardized operating procedures.Experience working with integrated billing, invoicing, and accounts receivable systems.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Success in this position will be measured by the following:Collection Performance: Achievement of established collection goals and improvement in cash receipts.Account Manager Productivity: Consistent achievement of daily call, customer contact, and collection quotas.Receivables Aging: Reduction of past-due receivables and improved management of balances exceeding established aging thresholds.Payment Timeliness: Increased percentage of invoices paid within established payment terms.Delinquent Account Resolution: Timely follow-up, escalation, and resolution of overdue accounts and payment disputes.Team Accountability: Consistent performance monitoring, coaching, and follow-through across all nine Account Managers.Reporting Accuracy: Timely and accurate reporting of receivables, collection activities, and performance metrics.The primary objective of the Senior Account Manager / Receivables Manager is to ensure the highest level of customer retention, company's accounts receivable are actively managed, collections are pursued consistently, the Account Management team meets established performance expectations, and outstanding balances are converted into cash as efficiently as possible while maintaining professional customer relationships.