Credit Manager at Vector Logistics

Job Purpose

• To ensure correct payments are made on time by corporate customers, that price and stock claims follow the correct process to finalisation, and customer queries are dealt with.
• To ensure the execution of credit initiatives and build customer relationships with special emphasis on coaching and mentoring senior staff on the planning and execution of critical business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Credit Management

• Ensure all customers receive a statement reflecting outstanding invoices, credits passed, current amounts due and any outstanding amounts.
• Ensure customers’ statements are reconciled back to SAP and ensure credits generated by pricing are correctly processed.
• Ensure Credit Controllers and Supervisors are correctly and accurately allocating payments made by customers.
• Oversee the payment process for corporate customers to ensure that up-to date payments are made.
• Track and analyse movements on all accounts on a weekly basis.
• Monitor and review corporate accounts that are at sixty days plus to ensure that they do not exceed agreed credit targets.
• Ensure customer queries are effectively dealt with and that the follow-up and finalisation of customer pay-backs occur where required.
• Ensure that all payments are received and processed within month-end deadlines.
• Ensure customer master workflows are actioned within the required timeframes.

Claims Management

• Oversee the processing of all price claims on a monthly basis (difference between invoice price and customer price).
• Ensure claims have been resolved and sent through to the pricing department.
• Monitor the finalisation of stock claims – that all stock claims are identified and that no credits have already been passed.
• Ensure that all stock claims are processed and, where necessary, referred back to the depot for the depot to either pass a stock credit or confirm the claim as invalid.

Claims Analysis

• Manage the age analysis for corporate (eg. Pick and Pay, Shoprite) accounts and identify the status of accounts and any possible problems.
• Analyse the ‘cash tracking’ reports from SAP, identifying arrear payments from customers.
• Project claim volumes and communicate with principals to develop processes to reduce.
• Manage and monitor outstanding claim documentation from customers and set up meetings and processes to reduce the number of outstanding documents.
• Communicate regularly with internal teams and the Credit Relationship Manager in particular, to set up processes to reduce the number of outstanding stock claims with the various Vector sites.
• Establish communication with and develop processes in conjunction with the Central Pricing Department and EDI to ensure claims are kept to a minimum.

Month-End Reporting

• Ensure all month-end reports are completed accurately in line with agreed deadlines for distribution.
• Ensure that all staff have completed their assigned tasks to enable accurate monthly reporting.

Customer Relationship Management

• Engage regularly with customers regarding related credit issues.
• Manage service levels in accordance with agreements (SLA’s) with customers.

Internal Control

• Implement identified opportunities to improve credit control procedures.
• Follow up on audit queries and ensure that corrective action is taken by responsible team members.
• Ensure compliance with approved procedures through the performance of control checks on the credit team.
• Execute on the risk management plan and risk mitigation strategy.

Staff Management

• Lead and develop staff within the context of the Labour Relations Act, Employment Equity Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Skills Development Act.
• Monitor staff performance and provide regular feedback.
• Manage staff activities, ensuring service levels are met and protocols are adhered to.
• Coach and support staff where necessary to achieve objectives.
• Manage staff leave and general time management issues in line with organisational deliverables and standards.
• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates.
• Establish sound staff and labour organising and communication structures and systems.
• Develop and manage high performance multidisciplinary teams in order to solve problems within the commercial arena.
• Conduct regular meetings and ensure that records are kept and shared across the team and that action plans agreed to within team meetings are delivered upon.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Vector executive and senior management
• Broader finance team
• Operations – all depots
• Primary transport

External

• Corporate customers at a management level
• Principals

Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required for the Job

Qualifications and Experience

• Finance or Accounting Degree
• An accounting background would be an advantage
• Minimum of 8 years credit control experience with at least 3 in a management position.

Skills and Competencies

• Planning, organisation and coordination
• Negotiation and influencing
• Relationship building
• Numeracy
• Computer literacy
• Verbal and written communication
• Interpersonal
• Logical thinking
• Problem solving
• Decision-making
• Analytical thinking
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Analytical and evaluative thinking
• Accounting principles and practices
• Commercial and contract law
• Good understanding of tax, credit and VAT Acts
• Broad knowledge of group operations and systems
• An understanding of multiple key performance indicators, inter-relationship and bottom-line sensitivity