Credit Specialist Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

The credit specialist is responsible for working with customers and clients to establish credit terms, reviewing and approving credit applications, and maintaining customer credit files. They will also work with sales staff to identify and mitigate risks associated with extending credit to customers. This position is designed to assist the sales team by mitigating the risk associated with extending credit to customers. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, be able to maintain composure when dealing with difficult customers or clients, and have some college coursework in business or marketing. At [Your Company Name] we work to showcase our passion for our consumers, and we need a credit specialist to share that passion when extending credit. 

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Enter, update and retrieve information for credit applications
• Determine the creditworthiness of applicants
• Designate the degree of risk involved in extending credit by performing cash flow analyses of businesses
• Ensure all approved applications comply with firm and lender criteria
• Respond to inquiries from lenders
• Assist with company and client audits

Education and experience

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.

Required skills and qualifications

• Ability to research and evaluate data to make informed decisions and solve problems
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills
• Sense of discretion and willingness to maintain strict confidentiality of pertinent and sensitive information
• A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred qualifications

• Excellent communication skills
• Some college coursework in business or marketing
• 3+ years of Sales experience 
• Experience with credit/debt instruments
• Detail-oriented and organized

The Credit Specialist is responsible for initiating proper action to maintain the integrity of the accounts receivable. This position is required to be a proactive thinker and demonstrate an ability to make sound, timely decisions. The Credit Specialist will consistently work to further enhance administrative processes and procedures to drive operational efficiency.

Essential functions:

• Collection calls and/or emails to customers completed timely and in a professional manner
• Timely database entry of clear, concise notes regarding customer communications
• Provide customer service regarding collection issues
• Responsible for monitoring and maintaining assigned accounts
• Manage production and distribution of customer dunning letters and processing of credit applications
• Oversee processing of customer credit reference requests
• Proactively review and resolve discrepancies with pending price worksheets, tickets & invoices
• Supervise incoming payment process in compliance with policies and procedures
• Proactively contact plant personnel to routinely resolve any open issues within COD purchases
• Manage the accounts receivable ledger to ensure that all payments are accounted for and properly posted
• Generate and distribute invoices in a timely and accurate fashion
• Manage the review and processing of customer’s documents (tax-exempt forms, purchase orders, and quotes)
• Process authorized credit and debit adjustments in a timely and accurate fashion
• Develop effective and collaborative working relationships with Sales & Operations
• Support a collaborative team environment within the department and company

Requirements, education and experience:

• This position requires superior communication skills and frequently interacts with customers, Sales, operations, senior management, and internal department heads
• Strong coordination, time management, active listening, oral and written expression and comprehension, critical thinking, and reasoning skills
• Ability to exercise good judgment with prioritizing tasks
• Goal oriented and task focused
• 5+ years of either accounts receivable, billing, credit and/or collections experience
• Bachelor’s degree
• Proficient verbal and written English
• Legal right to work in the U.S.

Responsible for monitoring and maintaining accounts receivable. Communicates with customers to resolve problems and delinquent accounts.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for monitoring and maintaining assigned accounts
• Accountable for reducing delinquency for assigned accounts.
• Providing customer service regarding collection issues, resolve client discrepancies and short payments.
• Working with internal and external customers to resolve disputed items
• Evaluates credit reports and other customer information and provides recommendations regarding establishment of credit within the company guidelines.
• Review daily orders on hold for reasons such as delinquent balances, balances exceeding credit limits, etc. and determine whether orders can be released, or consequently set expectations as to what action items are necessary in order to resume shipping
• Use Analytical skills to review A/R aging reports and identify areas in need of concentration
• Produce ad hoc reports as required by manager

Competencies and experience

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements/preferences listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• College degree preferred but not required in Business or Accounting
• General knowledge of basic accounting principles
• 5 to 8 years commercial collections experience required
• Ability to problem solve
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Excellent organizational skills and interpersonal skills
• Significant experience using MS Excel and Word
• Commitment to Excellence and Teamwork

The Credit Specialist will be responsible for performing all credit and collections functions associated with mid-tier account portfolio in accordance with the credit department goals and objectives.

Responsibilities of the credit specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Perform account management tasks related to credit and collections and overall accounts receivable management
• Perform periodic analysis on their customer account portfolio. Perform root cause analysis to resolve problems in timely manner
• Recommend credit limits for accounts in the portfolio and Identify issues needing escalation
• Extend credit to customers within their limits of authority and approve credit inquiries
• Generate account statements, provide billing documentation and prepares credit adjustments where applicable
• Identify delinquency drivers and achieve resolution is required
• Ensure optimal cash flow by continued positive contact and relationship building
• Facilitate customer meetings
• Other duties and tasks as assigned by Credit Manager

Qualifications of the credit specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Degree in Accounting/Finance preferred or 3+ years of equivalent experience in AR/AP or credit role preferred
• 2+ years’ experience with electronic billing (ADP, Oildex, EDI)
• Intermediate Excel skills (VLOOKUP/pivot tables/power queries)
• Intermediate knowledge of financial statements and credit reporting tools (D&B, etc.)
• Experience managing portfolio; intermediate understanding of reconciliations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills across all organizational levels
• Work well independently, part of a team and takes initiative to deliver on results in acceptable period of time
• Travel to customer or field locations to perform account reviews with credit manager as required
• Candidate must have an acceptable driving record according to company guidelines