Credit Control Manager Job Description
Use this job-description template to advertise for a Credit Control Manager who will lead your accounts receivable and collections activity. The content below is focused on the UK market and is written so you can copy, customise and publish efficiently.
What does a Credit Control Manager professional do?
A Credit Control Manager leads the credit and collections function, minimising bad debt, protecting cash flow and supervising day-to-day accounts receivable operations.
Credit Control Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Credit Control Manager
About the role
[Company name] is seeking an experienced Credit Control Manager to lead our credit control team and protect cash flow. You will be responsible for managing aged debt, setting and enforcing credit terms, producing management reports and working closely with sales and finance to resolve disputes. This is a [full-time/permanent] role based in [Location] with a competitive salary and opportunity for [bonus/progression].
Key responsibilities
- Line-manage and coach the credit control team, set clear targets and monitor performance against KPIs (DSO, aged debt, collections rate).
- Take ownership of the end-to-end collections process: invoice validation, debt-chasing, dispute resolution and payment allocation.
- Assess customer credit risk, set or recommend credit limits and terms, and review limits periodically.
- Produce regular management reports and forecasts for cash flow, aged debt and recovery performance.
- Work closely with sales, billing and finance teams to resolve queries quickly and prevent recurring issues.
- Liaise with external debt collection agencies and legal advisers when escalation is required, ensuring proportionate and compliant action.
- Maintain and improve credit control policies, procedures and standard letters; ensure adherence to data protection and regulatory requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement in processes and use of systems to increase automation and reduce manual work.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven credit control experience, including managing a small team (typically 3+ years in credit control with at least 1 year in a supervisory role).
- Demonstrable experience reducing aged debt and improving cash collection metrics.
- Strong numerical and analytical skills; comfortable preparing management reports and forecasts.
- Confident communicator able to negotiate with customers and work cross-functionally.
- Proficiency with spreadsheet tools (Excel) and experience with accounting/ERP systems used for invoicing and allocations.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Professional or vocational qualification in finance, accounting or credit (for example AAT or relevant credit accreditation).
- Experience with specific ERP or finance systems (e.g. Sage, Xero, Oracle, SAP) or demonstrable ability to learn them quickly.
- Knowledge of debt-recovery processes and working with third-party collection agencies.
- Experience implementing process improvements or automation within accounts receivable.
- Previous experience in the employer’s sector (e.g. manufacturing, services, telecommunications) where credit terms are industry-specific.
What we offer
- Competitive salary (insert range)
- Annual bonus or performance-related pay (details to be confirmed)
- Pension scheme (employer contribution details)
- Flexible working / hybrid options (as agreed)
- Paid annual leave (insert entitlement)
- Training and professional development budget
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Credit Control Manager role?
A Credit Control Manager oversees a business's accounts receivable function, ensuring invoices are issued correctly and payments are collected promptly. They manage a small team, set credit terms, monitor customer risk and escalate persistent non-payment. The role links operational collections activity with management reporting and cash-flow forecasting.
Team & Reporting
Typically manages a team of credit controllers and reports to Head of Finance, Finance Director or Finance Manager.
Key metrics
Focus on DSO, aged debt, collection rate and bad debt provision to protect cash flow.
Core activities
Credit assessments, debt chasing, dispute resolution, management reporting and policy maintenance.
Working pattern
Usually full-time business hours; hybrid or flexible arrangements are common for experienced managers.
Typical Credit Control Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Line-manage
Line-manage and coach the credit control team, set clear targets and monitor performance against KPIs (DSO, aged debt, collections rate).
Take ownership of the end-to-end
Take ownership of the end-to-end collections process: invoice validation, debt-chasing, dispute resolution and payment allocation.
Assess customer credit risk
Assess customer credit risk, set or recommend credit limits and terms, and review limits periodically.
Produce regular management reports
Produce regular management reports and forecasts for cash flow, aged debt and recovery performance.
Work closely with sales
Work closely with sales, billing and finance teams to resolve queries quickly and prevent recurring issues.
Liaise with external debt collection agencies
Liaise with external debt collection agencies and legal advisers when escalation is required, ensuring proportionate and compliant action.
Maintain
Maintain and improve credit control policies, procedures and standard letters; ensure adherence to data protection and regulatory requirements.
Drive continuous improvement in processes
Drive continuous improvement in processes and use of systems to increase automation and reduce manual work.
Credit Control Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven credit control experience, including managing a small team (typically 3+ years in credit control with at least 1 year in a supervisory role).
- Demonstrable experience reducing aged debt and improving cash collection metrics.
- Strong numerical and analytical skills; comfortable preparing management reports and forecasts.
- Confident communicator able to negotiate with customers and work cross-functionally.
- Proficiency with spreadsheet tools (Excel) and experience with accounting/ERP systems used for invoicing and allocations.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Professional or vocational qualification in finance, accounting or credit (for example AAT or relevant credit accreditation).
- Experience with specific ERP or finance systems (e.g. Sage, Xero, Oracle, SAP) or demonstrable ability to learn them quickly.
- Knowledge of debt-recovery processes and working with third-party collection agencies.
- Experience implementing process improvements or automation within accounts receivable.
- Previous experience in the employer’s sector (e.g. manufacturing, services, telecommunications) where credit terms are industry-specific.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Credit Control Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
State the KPIs candidates will own
Be explicit about the metrics you expect the manager to influence (for example target DSO, monthly collections target or aged-debt reduction).
Specify systems and scale
Mention the finance/ERP systems and typical invoice volumes so applicants can assess fit quickly.
Clarify team size and seniority
Include how many people the role manages and the level of autonomy (budget authority, credit-limit approvals).
Explain cross-team relationships
Describe which internal teams (sales, billing, legal) they will work with frequently to show the role’s influence.
Credit Control Manager salary considerations
Salary for a Credit Control Manager varies by experience, employer and location. Rather than a single market figure, consider the main factors below when setting a pay range for the role.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Credit Control Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the size and structure of the credit control team?
Candidates want to know number of direct reports, whether the team is centralised or regional, and reporting lines.
Which finance/ERP systems and tools are used?
Experienced hires will check for compatibility with systems they know or assess training needs.
What KPIs and targets will I be accountable for?
Clear targets for DSO, collections and aged debt help candidates evaluate achievable performance.
Is there flexibility in working hours or hybrid working?
Flexible arrangements affect candidate interest and availability, especially for senior hires.
How is pay structured (salary, bonus, benefits)?
Applicants want clarity on base pay, any performance-related bonus and benefits that affect take-home value.
What are the progression opportunities?
Candidates often look for routes into Head of Credit, Finance Manager or broader finance leadership roles.
Where to post a Credit Control Manager job
For a Credit Control Manager role use a mix of broad UK job boards and specialist finance channels. Post on major employment sites and LinkedIn for reach, plus sector-specific boards and professional finance groups to target experienced candidates. Consider local/regional advertising and targeted outreach through accounting communities or specialist recruitment agencies when you need senior or sector-experienced hires.
Related finance & accounts receivable job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Credit Control Manager job description FAQs
How long does it typically take to recruit a Credit Control Manager?
Recruitment timelines vary by seniority and market supply, but expect 4–10 weeks from advert to offer for mid-level roles. Specialist or senior hires may take longer.
Should I include a salary range in the advert?
Yes. Including a salary range improves applicant quality and increases response rates while reducing time spent on mismatched candidates.
What checks are advisable before offer?
Standard checks include right-to-work verification, employment references and credit/financial probity checks where relevant and proportionate. Ensure any checks comply with data-protection rules.
Is experience with a particular ERP system essential?
Not always. Practical experience with any mainstream accounting or ERP system and strong Excel skills are often sufficient; specify systems as desirable unless you require a specific platform.
What KPIs should we use to assess candidates?
Common KPIs include DSO, percentage of aged debt over 60/90 days, collections-to-invoiced ratio and reduction in bad-debt provisioning.
Do I need to advertise differently for sector experience?
Yes. If sector-specific terms, billing cycles or credit risks are material to the role, highlight them and target sector-focused boards or recruitment specialists to attract relevant experience.
Ready to hire a Credit Control Manager?
Use this template to create a clear advert, or contact our team to distribute the vacancy across general and finance-specialist channels. We can help target candidates with the specific experience you need and reduce time to hire.
