Credit Control Manager
20 hours ago
Penrith
Credit Control Manager – Children’s Residential Care Full-Time, Hybrid Contract Location: Penrith, Cumbria Salary: £38,000 - £43,000 We are seeking an experienced and confident Credit Control Manager to take ownership of the credit control function within a growing children’s care organisation. This is a hands-on leadership role where you will manage an established credit controller, strengthen relationships with local authorities, and play a key role in protecting cash flow while supporting a values-driven service that makes a real difference to children and families. This role would suit someone who has a passion for credit control, takes pride in reducing aged debt, and can bring structure, energy, and authority to a busy finance team. Key Responsibilities: • Manage the credit control function day to day, with direct line management of the existing Credit Controller, • Monitor and manage outstanding invoices, ensuring timely collection and accurate allocation of payments, • Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with local authority finance teams to resolve queries efficiently and sensitively, • Review and work through older debt, implementing clear recovery plans where required, • Prepare and present debtor reports, aged debt analysis, and cash flow forecasts to senior stakeholders, • Conduct credit risk analysis and negotiate repayment plans in line with contractual and regulatory requirements, • Collaborate closely with referrals and placements teams to ensure accurate billing, documentation, and correspondence, • Ensure compliance with relevant financial legislation, safeguarding standards, and internal policies, • Review, improve, and streamline credit control processes, particularly around reporting and cash flow management, • Drive continuous improvement, bringing structure and best practice to an already stable and experienced finance team About You: • Proven experience in credit control, with at least a couple of years in a similar role and confidence managing debt end to end, • Previous experience managing or mentoring, • Strong understanding of debits, credits, and accounting fundamentals, • Comfortable using accounting software (experience with SAP Business ByDesign is advantageous but not essential), • Experience working with local authorities or public sector clients, • Analytical, organised, and confident working through complex or historic debt, • Excellent communication skills, able to handle sensitive conversations without damaging relationships, • Passionate about credit control, • Ideally AAT Level 3 or 4 qualified, or qualified by experience (credit control qualifications welcomed), • CICM qualification or equivalent desirable., • Able to drive due to the rural office location What’s On Offer: • Medicash benefits, 3% pension contribution, and generous annual leave (25 days + bank holidays, increasing with service), • Hybrid working model with flexibility, • Option to explore a four-day working week (pro-rata) for candidates who bring strong structure and processes, • Friendly, long-standing finance team with extremely low turnover, • Opportunity to genuinely own and shape the credit control function in a growing organisation, • Stable role with strong retention focus, annual pay benchmarking, and performance-based reviews KPIs & Performance Metrics • Debt Recovery Rate: Achieve 95% collection of invoices within agreed payment terms., • Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): Maintain DSO at or below 30 days., • Aged Debt Reduction: Reduce debt over 60 days by 20% within the first 6 months., • Dispute Resolution Time: Resolve invoice disputes within 10 working days., • Reporting Accuracy: Deliver monthly aged debt and cash flow reports with 100% accuracy and on time., • Compliance: Zero breaches of safeguarding or financial compliance standards., • Team Performance: Ensure credit control team meets individual collection targets and KPIs. Contact Detail: To apply, or for more information and an informal confidential discussion please contact Madeleine Crosley at 0161 507 5060 or Compass Associates Ltd is acting as a Recruitment Consultancy for this permanent vacancy. We offer a £500 voucher for successful referrals following completion of probation.