Director – Collections

Reporting to the Senior Director, North America Credit, Billing, Collections, the Director, Industrial Credit and Collections will partner with sales, finance, and other functional leaders to drive Order to Cash excellence across the Ecolab Industrial businesses. This role is responsible for building and developing an exceptional performing team in driving Credit and Collection operations to manage trade collections while supporting the company’s growth and protecting shareholder value.

Location: Naperville, IL

What You Will Do:

• Accountable for >$500M trade accounts receivable portfolio across NA Industrial divisions
• Partner with business leaders across multiple divisions and across various organizational levels to implement solutions to drive end-to-end OTC process execution.
• Work to resolve barriers and implement solutions to accelerate customer payments
• Manage high risk customers, controlling and managing credit exposure and extension in compliance with policy.
• Initiate and lead discussions with large, complex customers to address open AR balances up to and including the highest levels in company/corporation
• Lead team of associates, holding associates accountable to accelerate collections, minimize AR aging, hold customers to invoice terms and improve portfolio health
• Review and monitor portfolio write-offs, reserves for bad debt and credits and returns
• Credit policy enforcement and development
• Manage and maintain external relationships: networking, service providers, outsource partners and systems providers
• Monitor AR portfolio and working capital trends to manage issues, accelerate cash flow, identify opportunities for process improvement and provide KPI’s, commentary and analysis for senior finance leadership, division management and internal/external/SOX auditors
• Collaborate with Divisional finance and sales management on key credit issues, impacts to the division, portfolio trends, and balance sheet planning.
• Actively contribute to CBC and order to cash ideation leading to efficiency and effectiveness and promote continuous improvement approach for self and team
• Lead communication effort with corporate and divisional leadership to manage known credit risks, bad debt, and material bankruptcies.
• Lead special projects affecting Credit and Collections (integrations, divestitures, system upgrades, audits, policy harmonization)
• Work closely with Order-to-Cash functional leadership, project deployment leaders and IT on business or system issues and process improvement initiatives
• Collaborate with off-ledger divisions or regional counterparts on standardization activities regarding credit management
• Lead, manage and develop large team of associates: 3 direct reports and 20+ indirect reports.  Includes managing HR issues, annual budget support, headcount & salary plan, PP&D oversight, talent plan and organization structure
• Build network of Credit professionals, share best practices and drive ideation.
• Train and develop high performing teams while driving standardization and continuous improvement
• Foster and promote environment of individual accountability with self and team, supported by metric-driven success
• Energize and Empower team to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of operations

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 10 years of combined experience in accounting, finance or credit management
• Minimum 3 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrix environment, delivering complex projects with significant results
• Demonstrated experience in leading a high performing team, business-oriented teams that have a sense of urgency, a focus on results, and a commitment to quality
• Experience leading cross-functional projects in a finance environment
• Experience working on strategic initiatives in cross functional environment
• Demonstrated ability to understand the goals of a global business and develop an in-depth vision in support these goals
• Experience communicating to all levels of the organization
• Experience building and leading high performing teams
• Ability to travel on limited basis domestically

Preferred Qualifications:

• BA in Accounting or Finance
• Experience managing time demands, incomplete information or unexpected events
• Strong skills leading and developing subordinates
• Solid organizational and planning skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral
• Experience delivering results while leading a large team
• Success in leading change initiatives
• Experience with managing external vendor relationships (collection agencies, receivables management teams, etc.)

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The base salary range for this position is $141,800.00 - $212,800.00. This position is eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentives based on performance, per plan terms. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining compensation, such as experience, education, training, geography, etc. We comply with all minimum wage and overtime laws.

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits. 

If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here.