Full job descriptionCredit Controller
Location: St Helens, Merseyside
Position Type: Full-time, Temp
Salary: £28,000 - £32,000 per annum
Reporting To: Credit Control Manager / Finance Manager
Job Summary
A proactive and results-driven Credit Controller is required to join an established finance team based in St Helens. This role focuses on managing the sales ledger, minimising bad debt exposure, reducing Days Sales Outstanding, and maintaining strong customer relationships while ensuring adherence to agreed credit terms.
Key Responsibilities
*Debt Collection: Proactively contacting B2B and B2C debtors via telephone, email, and letter to secure prompt cash collection against targets.
*Sales Ledger Maintenance: Allocating incoming BACS, card, and cheque payments accurately to customer accounts on a daily basis.
*Credit Risk Assessment: Evaluating new and existing customer creditworthiness using credit agency reports (e.g., Experian, Creditsafe) and setting suitable credit limits.
*Query & Dispute Management: Identifying billing disputes early and liaising with sales and operations teams to resolve root causes and unlock payments.
*Account Holds & Legal Escalation: Monitoring overdue accounts, placing accounts on credit hold, and preparing files for court action (MCOL/CCJs) or debt collection agencies when required.
*Reporting: Producing weekly aged debt reports, cash collection forecasts, and high-risk account summaries for senior management.
*Statement Issuance: Sending regular monthly statements of account and copy invoices to customers.
Person Specification
Required Skills & Experience:
*Minimum 2+ years of hands-on credit control and sales ledger experience.
*Excellent negotiation, assertiveness, and dispute-resolution skills.
*Good working knowledge of UK legal recovery procedures (e.g., Small Claims, County Court Judgments).
*Proficiency in accounting ERP software (e.g., Sage 50/200, Xero, SAP, or Business Central).
*Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, data filtering, vlookups).
Key Competencies:
*Tenacity & Resilience: Comfortable managing difficult cash collection conversations with confidence and diplomacy.
*Target-Driven: Strong motivation to hit key performance indicators (KPIs) and collection targets.
*Organisation: Ability to prioritise high-value overdue accounts effectively while keeping clear, audit-ready ledger notes.
Desirable Criteria:
*CICM (Chartered Institute of Credit Management) study or qualification.
*Previous experience managing high-volume or complex ledgers across Merseyside & the North West.