The role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Credit Control Manager looking for a rewarding career at a global law firm.

Reporting to the International Credit Control Manager, you will be responsible for managing the process of efficient collections and business partnering across the UK.

You will achieve this through leading a team of 9 to be proactive, highly motivated and client focused on chasing of non-payments, minimizing bad debt write-offs and effective management of group exposure.

The UK Credit Control Manager will also work closely with the International Credit Control Canager to provide collection governance to the firm international credit policy, collection performance improvement, and proactive financial support to partners.

You will be someone who can demonstrate strong written and verbal communication and the required soft skills to work effectively with stakeholders, quickly developing a trusted adviser status.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Management

• Day to Day management of the UK collection team – ensuring collection targets and objective set by International Credit Manager are achieved in line with department timescales
• Monitoring workload and understanding external influences that impact the team’s ability to achieve objectives
• Management of all legal proceedings in line with the Pre-Action Conduct and Protocol
• Be responsible for monitoring and managing the reduction of UK aged debt, improving cash flow and UK ledger profile in line with firm’s credit policy
• Monitoring team compliance and ensuring quality is maintained across the team. Whilst maintaining accurate and timely collection notes in-line with departments standard practices
• Develop the UK team by provide training and on-going development to team members including regular 1-2-1 reviews
• Work closely with the International Collection Manager to provide insight on collection to Head of Finance, Group Heads and Head of Finance
• Utilising existing training framework to help support, mentor and improved the UK collection team alignment to standard ways of working
• Work in close collaboration with firms shared service center to ensure a consistent delivery to the UK collection team
• Working with International credit Control manager for credit control to identify process improvements related to the UK collection process

Business Partnering

• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships with Partners, Hub Leaders, and Heads of Finance to help drive improvements in existing collection model
• Support the firm’s international key client strategy by providing a coordinated collection approach across the firm for client partners
• Work closely with Global Process Lead and International Credit Control Manager to help deliver alignment to the firm strategic operating principals

Financial Analysis

• Drive monthly collection reports to the firm’s 7 practice groups, highlighting key issues for discussion and proposed solutions
• Monitoring team collection performance against operational plans and ensure the team are driving partners with the necessary actions to be taken to agreed targets
• Working on ad-hoc projects including international client focused debt initiatives, and geographic expansion of existing team

ABOUT YOU

• An experienced senior credit professional with a track record of leading and managing teams to achieve outstanding results within a credit collections function.  Ideally having demonstrable experience working in professional service
• Experience of managing, supporting and developing a collections team including appraisals, inductions and recruitment if necessary
• Ability to work within structured processes managing tasks efficiently and effectively
• Comfortable multi-tasking and working to sometimes conflicting timescales with multiple priorities in a robust and fast-paced environment
• Have a proactive approach to be a driver of change and be able to manage others to adapt to change
• Show a sound practical understanding of the UK Solicitors Accounts Rules
• Strong analytical skills and demonstratable attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability operate at all levels internally and externally and if needed challenge senior stakeholders when necessary
• Excellent written and verbal communication and has strength of personality to ensure the firms collections view is clearly communicated
• Ability to drive a continuous improvement mindset in your team and demonstrating a good understanding of process management and improvement methodologies
• Excellent MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint skills

ABOUT US
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers and business service professionals located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES
In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative – we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
• Be Bold – we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional – we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.

Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

HYBRID WORKING
We recognise that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That’s why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING
In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits and where relevant, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and work-related references.