Senior Commercial Recoveries Specialist (Legal & Hard Collections)
Salary: Highly Negotiable
Area: JHB East
Type: Onsite
The Role
Some accounts pay on time. This role isn't about those ones.
This is for the collector who's already done the easy stuff and wants the accounts that actually test you: the aged, the disputed, the six-figure balances sitting with directors who've stopped answering their phones. You'll manage a full portfolio of commercial and corporate debtors, from SMEs to larger corporates, and you'll be the one deciding whether an account gets negotiated, escalated, traced further, or handed to the attorneys.
If you like the chess game of recovery, tracing a director through three company changes, reading a bank statement for what it's not saying, building a case for legal action that actually holds up, this is built for you.
About the Client
Our client operates in the credit and financial services space, managing a serious book of commercial debt. They take recovery seriously, not just as a numbers exercise, but as a discipline. This is a business that wants someone who can run a portfolio with judgement, not just a script.
What You'll Be Doing
Commercial Collections & Recovery
· Own a portfolio of commercial and corporate debtors, from SMEs and close corporations through to larger companies and trusts
· Assess each account on its own terms and decide the right recovery approach, whether that's negotiation, structured repayment, or escalation
· Negotiate settlements, payment plans and acknowledgements of debt within your delegated authority
· Track commitments and act fast when they're not honoured
· Prioritise your book by value, age, risk and how likely it is you'll actually recover the money
Pre-Legal & Legal Collections
· Take accounts through to pre-legal and legal recovery when that's the right call
· Prepare complete, accurate legal handover packs, no gaps, no delays
· Work directly with attorneys, sheriffs, liquidators, trustees and business rescue practitioners
· Monitor litigation, judgments and enforcement processes, and keep an eye on whether continued legal action still makes commercial sense
· Catch accounts heading towards prescription before it's too late
Tracing & Investigation
· Trace directors, members, trustees and sureties using CIPC records, credit bureau data and commercial tracing tools
· Investigate a debtor's trading status, ownership structure and financial position
· Turn what you find into a clear next step, not just a note on a file
Strategy & Portfolio Risk
· Read financial statements and payment history to judge what's actually collectable
· Build tailored strategies for the complex, high-risk accounts that don't respond to standard process
· Weigh up recovery value against legal cost and time, and make the call
· Spot the patterns across your book before they become a problem
What You'll Need
· Grade 12, plus a relevant qualification in Credit Management, Debt Recovery, Finance, Commerce, Business Management or Legal Studies (NQF Level 6 or higher)
· Registration with the Council for Debt Collectors
· At least 5 years in commercial or B2B debt collection, including high-value and complex portfolios
· Solid experience in hard collections and pre-legal to legal recovery processes
· A working understanding of liquidation, business rescue, insolvency and sequestration
· Experience negotiating settlements, acknowledgements of debt and structured repayment plans
· Comfortable working with attorneys, sheriffs, liquidators and business rescue practitioners
· Practical knowledge of the legislation that touches this work: Companies Act, Insolvency Act, Prescription Act, and POPIA, among others
· Strong Excel skills and confidence working across collections and CRM systems
· The resilience and diplomacy to handle difficult conversations without losing your professionalism, or your patience
Sound Like You?
If you'd rather work a hard file to resolution than chase easy wins, we want to hear from you. Apply now, or send a message to find out more before you do.
Pay: R70 000,00 - R100 000,00 per month
Application Question(s):
- Do you have a relevant degree/diploma in Credit Management, Commerce, Finance or related?
- Do you have Registration with the Council for Debt Collectors?
- Do you have experience negotiating settlements, acknowledgements of debt and structured repayment plans?
- Are you comfortable working with attorneys, sheriffs, liquidators and business rescue practitioners?
- Do you have practical knowledge of the legislation that touches this work: Companies Act, Insolvency Act, Prescription Act, and POPIA, among others?
Education:
- High School (matric) (Required)
Experience:
- commercial or B2B debt collection: 5 years (Required)
- relevant complex high value portfolio: 5 years (Required)
- hard collections and pre-legal to legal recovery : 5 years (Required)
- liquidation, business rescue, insolvency and sequestration: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
