Collections Contact Center Specialist

If you are motivated and believe in the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People," join our team!

Position Overview:

The Collections Contact Center Specialist is responsible for the skilled and compliant management of accounts in the active collections cycle (typically 90 to 180 days past due(dpd) for consumer loans and credit cards and 1-120 dpd for Mortgage and Home Equity) across various loan products, including mortgage, consumer secured and unsecured loans, and credit cards. This role is a key component of loss mitigation, focusing on early intervention, curing delinquency, negotiating viable solutions, and providing exceptional member service. The Specialist operates within a high-volume, multi-channel contact center environment, ensuring all activities strictly adhere to federal and state regulations while maximizing the return-to-current rate.

Essential Responsibilities:

Responsibilities (100%)

• Direct Contact & Counseling: Initiate and receive high-volume inbound and outbound contacts (phone, digital) to discuss current delinquency. Maintain enhanced Right-Party Contact (RPC) and maximize the number of accounts brought current (Cure Rate). Execute on collection efforts related to segmentation and prioritization frameworks maximizing payment potential across delinquency stages and loan categories. (20%)  
• Assistance: Utilize negotiation and financial counseling techniques to secure Promises-to-Pay (PTPs), establish short-term repayment plans, confirm qualified for loan deferment, extension or credit card reage and facilitate the qualifying of members eligible for real estate secured Mortgage or Home Equity hardship assistance. (20%)
• Regulatory Adherence: Execute all collection activities in strict adherence to federal and state regulations, including relevant aspects of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). (20%)
• Documentation: Accurately and thoroughly document all collection efforts, member correspondence, and agreed-upon payment arrangements in the appropriate servicing and collections systems of record. Adhere to all call monitoring protocols and coaching frameworks implemented by the Manager to meet internal quality and compliance standards. (20%)
• Referral Preparation: Identify and prepare accounts that cannot be cured for escalation to next-step processes, such as Foreclosure, Repossession, or Charge-Off recommendation, ensuring all necessary pre-cursors and documentation are complete.(10%)
• Systems and Skip Tracing: Effectively utilize core servicing and collections systems to research account history, facilitate timely and accurate processing of payments, and update member information. Execute basic skip-tracing protocols, leveraging internal and approved external tools to locate members whose primary contact methods have failed, and update validated information in the system of record. (10%)

Required Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related field required.

• Minimum 2-5 direct years of experience in a high-volume collection, recovery, or contact center environment, preferably within mortgage and/or consumer lending. 

• Proven ability to meet and exceed key performance metrics (KPIs) such as Cure Rates, right-party contact (RPC) rates, and promise-to-pay conversion rates.

• Fundamental verbal communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to handle difficult conversations using empathy and persuasive negotiation to resolve delinquency while adhering to regulatory guidelines and maintaining a professional and member-centric approach.

• Working knowledge of federal and state consumer financial protection laws relevant to collections, including FDCPA with the ability to quickly absorb and apply updates to compliance requirements.

• Proficient computer skills, including experience with collections/servicing software, skip-tracing tools, and standard office applications.

• High level of detail orientation with the ability to accurately document all collection activities and follow process protocols.

• Ability to operate in both inbound/outbound contact center operations.

• Working understanding of the collections process, including knowledge of bankruptcy, charge-off, repossession/foreclosure processes.

• Working knowledge and understanding of mortgage and consumer loan servicing operational systems and technologies. 

Preferred Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Banking/Credit Union or Collections related Industry certifications are a plus.

• Experience preferred with systems including but not limited to ICE/MSP, ALS, NICE, Omilia, FDR, Default Manager, and OnBase.

• Working knowledge of investor/insurer servicing guidelines (e.g., Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) for mortgage collections.

• Experience with telephony systems, including IVR and quality monitoring and call recording systems (e.g., NICE).

Job Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Work is performed in an office setting, hybrid or remote.

• Internal candidates meeting all requirements will be given preference.

• Other duties as assigned by leadership

SECU provides equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law.

Disclaimer

State Employees' Credit Union reserves the right to fill this role at a higher/lower level based on business need.