Collections Specialist

Collections Specialist

Dallas College is seeking a detail-oriented and customer-focused Collections Specialist to help manage outstanding receivables and support the institution's financial operations. In this role, you will work directly with students, sponsors, businesses, government agencies, and other customers to resolve account balances, answer questions, and identify solutions that lead to successful payment outcomes.

The ideal candidate combines strong customer service skills with analytical thinking and a proactive approach to account management. You'll play an important role in helping customers resolve financial obligations while contributing to the college's overall financial health and operational effectiveness.

What You'll Do

Manage and Resolve Accounts

• Manage an assigned portfolio of receivables and monitor account activity.
• Review aging reports to identify accounts requiring collection efforts and follow-up.
• Prioritize accounts based on risk, balance amounts, payment history, and collection timelines.
• Monitor invoice due dates and initiate collection activities in accordance with established procedures.
• Track accounts through resolution, ensuring timely follow-up and issue resolution.

Engage with Customers

• Contact customers through phone, email, written correspondence, and other approved communication channels.
• Provide payment reminders and delinquency notices in a professional and respectful manner.
• Discuss account balances, payment expectations, and available resolution options.
• Establish payment arrangements and monitor adherence to agreed-upon payment plans.
• Follow up on missed payments and unresolved commitments.

Investigate and Resolve Issues

• Research account discrepancies and identify barriers to payment, including billing errors, disputed charges, unapplied payments, or missing documentation.
• Partner with internal departments and external stakeholders to resolve account issues efficiently.
• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, payment commitments, and account status updates.
• Escalate accounts for advanced collection activities when appropriate.

Deliver Excellent Customer Service

• Serve as a key point of contact for customers with outstanding balances.
• Provide timely, professional, and solution-oriented support.
• Build positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Help identify opportunities to improve collection processes and customer experience.

Position / Job Summary

The Collections Specialist is responsible for the timely collection and resolution of accounts receivable to reduce outstanding balances and improve cash collections. The position performs proactive account monitoring, customer outreach, payment follow-up, account research, dispute resolution, payment arrangement monitoring, documentation, and escalation of delinquent accounts.

This position serves as a primary point of contact for customers with outstanding obligations and works collaboratively with billing, accounting, cash application, academic and administrative departments, sponsors, businesses, government agencies, and other external entities to resolve issues affecting the institution's ability to collect receivables.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of institutional receivables.
• Review accounts receivable aging reports and identify accounts requiring collection activity.
• Prioritize accounts based on age, dollar value, risk, payment history, and established collection protocols.
• Monitor invoice due dates and initiate collection activity according to established timelines.
• Maintain accurate collection notes, commitments, correspondence, and account status information in the designated system.
• Follow accounts through resolution rather than limiting activity to individual collection contacts.
• Conduct telephone, email, written, and other approved collection outreach.
• Issue payment reminders and delinquency notices according to established procedures.
• Obtain payment commitments and
• Follow up on broken payment commitments.
• Establish and administer payment arrangements and document expected payment dates.
• Prepare accounts for advanced collection activity when internal efforts have been exhausted.
• Identify billing errors, unapplied payments, disputed charges, missing documentation, or other issues preventing collection.
• Communicate clearly with customers regarding balances, payment expectations, and resolution requirements.
• Provide professional and solution-oriented service to internal and external customers.

• Required Dallas College Professional Development Hours per Academic Year.
• All employees are required to complete a minimum of 19 hours.
• People leaders are required an additional 16 hours of leadership development.
• Perform other duties not listed as assigned.

Minimum and Preferred Education, Experience, and/or Certifications

Required Qualifications for Role (necessary or mandatory)

• Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field and two years of accounts receivable, billing, collections, customer account management, or related experience.
• Official transcripts required.
• Must have a valid driver's license.

Other Preferred Qualifications for Role (not mandatory, but advantageous)

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience in Higher education.
• Experience with Workday or other enterprise financial systems.
• Experience with third-party receivables.
• Bilingual and multilingual preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Required Qualifications for Role (necessary or mandatory)

• Knowledge of accounts receivable and collection practices.
• Strong account research and reconciliation skills.
• Ability to interpret invoices and account activity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage a high-volume portfolio and competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and financial systems.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and critical thinking.

Competencies

Dallas College seeks to identify core and professional competencies for each role and level which helps define the level of expertise needed and desired to demonstrate success in the role.

List the core competencies required for success in this role. These should reflect observable behaviors, skills, and attributes that align with the responsibilities of the position. Consider including both technical and interpersonal competencies.

• [Individual Contributor Competency 1] Accountable
• [Individual Contributor Competency 2] Adaptable
• [Individual Contributor Competency 3] Solution Orented
• [Individual Contributor Competency 4] Collaborates
• [Individual Contributor Competency 5] Communicates Effectively

Work Condition Environment / Physical Requirements

• Normal physical job functions performed within a standard office environment.
• Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to individuals with physical challenges to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.
• This position may be eligible for remote work under conditions permitted by Texas SB 2615, including temporary illness, disability accommodations, or assignment to approved remote instruction programs.
• May work weekends and/or extended hours during peak registration periods and/or fiscal year-end close.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Incumbents may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. Position requires regular and predictable attendance.