Credit Controller Job Description
Hire a reliable Credit Controller to protect cash flow, reduce overdue balances and maintain strong customer relationships across your client base.
What does a Credit Controller professional do?
A Credit Controller manages invoices and collections, chases overdue payments, assesses customer creditworthiness and works with colleagues to reduce bad debt and improve cash flow.
Credit Controller 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 Controller
About the role
We are looking for an organised Credit Controller to join our finance team in [Location]. You will manage the debtor ledger, chase overdue accounts, resolve payment queries and raise disputes where required. You will work closely with sales and operations to agree payment plans, monitor credit limits and provide regular reports to management. This is a [full-time/part-time], [permanent/temporary] role with [hybrid/office-based] working and a salary of [Salary range].
Key responsibilities
- Maintain the debtor ledger and ensure invoices are issued accurately and on time.
- Contact customers to chase outstanding payments by phone, email and written correspondence.
- Investigate and resolve payment queries and disputes with clients and internal teams.
- Monitor customer credit limits and terms; recommend changes or holds where appropriate.
- Apply and reconcile customer receipts, allocate payments and process refunds or credits.
- Prepare regular aged-debt reports and highlight high-risk accounts to finance management.
- Negotiate payment plans and, when necessary, oversee handover to debt recovery or legal teams.
- Liaise with sales and operations to ensure billing issues are resolved and to reduce future disputes.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience in a credit control or accounts receivable role.
- Strong numerical skills and attention to detail.
- Good written and verbal communication with the ability to negotiate professionally.
- Comfortable using accounting or ERP systems and Microsoft Excel for reporting.
- Able to manage a caseload of accounts, prioritise effectively and meet KPIs.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Formal accounting qualification or AAT part-qualified / qualified.
- Experience with automated collections tools, debt recovery or tracing agencies.
- Previous experience in the relevant industry (e.g. professional services, manufacturing, wholesale).
- Knowledge of credit referencing and relevant legislation governing debt collection.
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior team members.
What we offer
- [Pension contribution scheme]
- [Annual leave allowance (e.g. X days) + bank holidays]
- [Flexible / hybrid working options]
- [Performance-related bonus or commission structure]
- [Health cash plan or private medical insurance]
- [Training and professional development support]
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 Controller role?
A Credit Controller focuses on managing a business's accounts receivable. The role involves issuing invoices, chasing overdue payments, resolving disputes, assessing customer credit risk and recommending credit terms. Credit Controllers work across finance, sales and operations to protect cash flow, reduce bad debt and provide management with accurate aged-debt reporting and forecasting.
Primary objective
Protect cash flow by securing customer payments, reducing days sales outstanding and minimising bad debt.
Typical workload
Daily combination of account chasing, reconciliations, reporting and stakeholder communication.
Who they work with
Finance colleagues, sales/account managers, operations teams and external debt recovery providers where required.
Key outputs
Aged-debt reports, cash collection performance, dispute resolution logs and agreed payment plans.
Typical Credit Controller responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Maintain the debtor ledger
Maintain the debtor ledger and ensure invoices are issued accurately and on time.
Contact customers
Contact customers to chase outstanding payments by phone, email and written correspondence.
Investigate
Investigate and resolve payment queries and disputes with clients and internal teams.
Monitor customer credit limits
Monitor customer credit limits and terms; recommend changes or holds where appropriate.
Apply
Apply and reconcile customer receipts, allocate payments and process refunds or credits.
Prepare regular aged-debt reports
Prepare regular aged-debt reports and highlight high-risk accounts to finance management.
Negotiate payment plans and
Negotiate payment plans and, when necessary, oversee handover to debt recovery or legal teams.
Liaise with sales
Liaise with sales and operations to ensure billing issues are resolved and to reduce future disputes.
Credit Controller 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 experience in a credit control or accounts receivable role.
- Strong numerical skills and attention to detail.
- Good written and verbal communication with the ability to negotiate professionally.
- Comfortable using accounting or ERP systems and Microsoft Excel for reporting.
- Able to manage a caseload of accounts, prioritise effectively and meet KPIs.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Formal accounting qualification or AAT part-qualified / qualified.
- Experience with automated collections tools, debt recovery or tracing agencies.
- Previous experience in the relevant industry (e.g. professional services, manufacturing, wholesale).
- Knowledge of credit referencing and relevant legislation governing debt collection.
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior team members.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Credit Controller job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with measurable outcomes
Mention the size of the ledger, typical monthly collections or key KPIs the role will own to attract candidates motivated by targets.
Be clear about escalation
State whether the role manages litigation or hands cases to third-party collectors — experienced candidates need to know the limits of authority.
Specify systems and hours
List the core accounting software and whether evening or occasional travel is required. This reduces unsuitable applications.
Outline team structure
Clarify reporting lines and whether the role includes supervisory duties or is an individual contributor position.
Credit Controller salary considerations
Salary for Credit Controllers varies with sector, ledger complexity and seniority. Rather than a single market figure, consider the following factors when setting pay for this role.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Credit Controller 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 average size and age profile of the debtor ledger?
Candidates want to know workload and collection difficulty — a small number of large overdue accounts differs from many low-value accounts.
Which accounting/ERP systems and collections tools are used?
Knowledge of the systems helps applicants assess their fit and whether training will be needed.
Will I be working alone or within a credit team?
Candidates need to understand if they will manage accounts independently or share responsibilities and supervision.
What authority does the role have to agree payment plans or stop services?
Clear escalation and authority levels affect decision-making and candidate suitability.
Are there any collection targets, incentives or bonus schemes?
Experienced collectors often expect transparent KPIs and any performance-related pay arrangements.
Where to post a Credit Controller job
Credit Controller roles are best advertised where finance professionals look: general UK job boards for volume, sector-specific boards for industry experience, and professional networks for qualified candidates. Consider targeting accountancy and small-business forums if you need sector-specific expertise, and local or regional channels if in-office presence matters. Use a mix of paid boards plus relevant LinkedIn groups and finance-focused communities to balance reach with candidate relevance.
Credit Controller job description FAQs
Do I need to specify an exact salary on the advert?
You should provide a salary range or note 'competitive' to attract appropriate applicants. Be transparent about incentives or bonus structures where they are material to total pay.
Should I require accounting qualifications?
Formal qualifications are useful but not always essential. Many employers prioritise proven collections experience and system literacy; list qualifications as desirable unless they are critical to the role.
Is previous industry experience necessary?
Industry experience can reduce onboarding time for complex sectors, but strong credit control fundamentals and transferable skills are often sufficient for general roles.
How should I set KPIs for this role?
Use a mix of activity and outcome metrics—e.g. days sales outstanding (DSO), cash collected versus target, number of accounts resolved and dispute turnaround times.
What checks or right-to-work requirements should I include?
Confirm candidates have the legal right to work in the UK. Additional background checks are optional and should be appropriate to the role and sector.
Ready to hire a Credit Controller?
Use this template to build your advert, specify ledger size and systems, and choose channels that reach finance professionals. If you need help posting the vacancy to multiple boards or improving the advert for better responses, consider targeted distribution options.
