Credit Control Manager – FMCG Retail Head Office – Cape Town

Position Purpose
To collect all outstanding debt, process claims in a timely manner and ensure all customers are dealt with consistently and courteously.
Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain sound business relationships with: Customers (Key Accounts, Distributors); Fellow employees (Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Customer Services)
• Process claims timeously and accurately, ensuring that backlog is not older than 2 weeks
• Ensure that all outstanding debt is chased/collected by appropriate medium in a timely manner and that all customers are dealt with consistently and courteously. Including but not limited to the following:
• Resolving of returns, shortages and pricing claims
• Markdowns, rebates and trade promotions
• Reconciliation of Key Accounts
• Payment allocations
• Oversee month end procedures to ensure that all statements/debt letters are sent out
• Review all proposed credit limits for new customers and authorize as appropriate
• Ensure credit limits are regularly reviewed
• Ensure that the hold list is processed in a timely manner and outstanding orders kept to minimum to make sure that decision making on order release is consistent
• Undertake all legal action for Credit Control
• Provide constructive feedback at weekly Credit Control meetings with direct reports and the Head of Corporate Finance
• Achieve targeted Days Sales Outstanding as agreed upon in goal setting
• Assist with year-end statutory audit
• Understanding and review of existing internal control processes
• Assist with training of new credit controllers
• Prepare monthly over 60 days outstanding reports
• Responsible for understanding, complying with, creating and recommending updates
  to the policies and procedures related to the credit control functions
• Maintains current knowledge of the Fair Debt Collection Act, The National Credit Act and all state and federal laws and regulations applying to credit granting or collection activities
• Provide robust forecasting on DSO, AR balance, and cash inflows to support company Cashflow forecasting
• Process champion for driving SAP improvements in the department

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Needs to have excellent attention to detail, strong PC skills including SAP and Excel
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills able to influence and communicate clearly at all levels
• Quick comprehension
• Handles conflict with customers in most effective and professional manner
• Able to set priorities and clear targets
• High flexibility
• Able to grow with the level of responsibilities and with the size and structure of the business
• A minimum of 3 years FMCG experience in Credit Control
• Credit Management certification is desired by not required
• Good understanding of SA credit regulations/National Credit Act.
• A good understanding of supply chain, customer services and invoice processes
• Experience in managing a team
• Use tools and software available, in the most effective way to complete day to day activities, credit control SAP experience required
• Should have a good understanding of the grocery marketplace expectations i.e. should have experience dealing with national accounts such as Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Spar, etc. Credit Control experience to effectively manage cash collection process, returns reconciliations and limit days sales outstanding
• Excellent attention to detail, strong PC skills including SAP and Excel