Manager, Collections
XPO
- Pune, Maharashtra
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Lead the Collections tower and drive performance through strategic direction and daily operational oversight.
- Ensure compliance with credit exposure limits, drive outbound call effectiveness, and maintain consistent touchpoints across accounts.
- Build collaborative relationships with internal teams (Sales, Disputes, Operations) and key customers.
- Manage end-to-end people responsibilities: assign tasks, appraise performance, coach, reward, and discipline where needed.
- Cultivate a high-performance culture and foster continuous team development.
- Ensure delivery excellence against agreed KPIs/SLAs within a robust internal control framework.
- Monitor and reduce past-due percentages, improve cash collections, and minimize bad debt risks.
- Ensure timely documentation of customer interactions in the collections tool.
- Build deep customer insight through analysis of outstanding balances, payment patterns, and cash flows.
- Track and manage SLAs, support service reporting, and facilitate service transitions when necessary.
- Proactively resolve issues flagged by the Business Account Manager.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement, applying Lean principles to enhance O2C efficiency.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure aligned service delivery.
- Own customer relationship management, including issue resolution and root cause analysis.
- Act as the escalation point for critical issues across the collections process.
- Champion innovation to drive value and challenge the status quo.
- Bachelor's degree in Commerce from a recognized university.
- Basic accounting knowledge with Six Sigma, LEAN, or similar quality management certification.
- 15+ years of experience, with a strong background in Collections within logistics, shipping, or transport industries (mandatory).
- At least 10 years managing client-service functions in a shared services environment.
- Deep understanding of end-to-end O2C processes and best practices.
- Strong financial, operational, and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Proven experience in managing large teams and leading complex projects.
- Familiarity with budgeting, recruiting, coaching, and employee development.
- Strategic thinker with a balanced short- and long-term view.
- High motivation and strong growth mindset, both personally and for team development.
- Entrepreneurial approach and ability to thrive in a start-up or evolving service center environment.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills across all levels.