Credit Control Assistant

To support the Credit Control Team in recovering money owed to the University and
its subsidiary companies.

**Key Responsibilities**
**and Accountabilities**:

- Pursuing non-payment of all University and subsidiaries debts within

making telephone calls, and face to face contact.
- Working within agreed frameworks; negotiate repayment, schedule and re-profile

debt for customers experiencing difficulties with payment.
- Deal with all customers sympathetically whilst ensuring outstanding debts

are settled, to provide a positive experience for our student debtors.
- Once University debt collection procedures are exhausted, make referrals to

collection agency and successfully resolve all issues and queries relating to the
referral, in order to maximise debt recovery and process write-off of debt where
appropriate.
- Liaise with staff in the Planning & Finance Department and Faculties and

Services throughout the University to resolve any queries arising as required.
- Support the Credit Control Coordinator in developing debt collection strategy for

the University group each year and make recommendations as necessary.
- Provide an excellent customer service when dealing with difficult or complex

situations.
- To undertake any other appropriate duties as requested by senior staff within the

grade for the role.
**Special**
**Circumstances**:
University of Sunderland

**Role Profile**

Part 2

**Part 2A: Essential and Desirable Criteria**

**Essential **_Essential _**

**Knowledge and Experience**:

- Previous experience working in a credit control team.
- Demonstrable experience of delivering effective customer service.
- Strong negotiating and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to remain calm under pressure and deal sympathetically but effectively

with difficult and demanding customers.
- A professional approach displaying a helpful, flexible and co-operative attitude

to other team members and customers.

and face to face meetings.
**Desirable **_Desirable _**

**Qualifications and Professional Memberships:
- Recognised credit control qualification or demonstrable experience of

working in a busy credit control environment.

**Knowledge and Experience:
- Understanding of the key requirements of the Data Protection Act (soon to be

replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation) and confidentiality when
dealing with customers.
- Understanding of the challenges of debt collection within the Higher Education

sector.
- Demonstrable knowledge and experience of using the SITS Student Record

System, SAMS invoicing system, and Oracle finance system.

Part 2B: Key Competencies

**Competencies are**
**assessed at the**
**interview/selection**
**testing stage**

**Communication Oral**
**Communication**
- Delivery methods are chosen and tailored to aid understanding and meet

the needs of others
- Takes action to correct any misunderstandings or mistakes
- Checks on recipient's understanding and takes action to remedy any

miscommunications
- Adapts style in response to feedback

**Written Communication**
- Anticipates the others' needs for information
- Adjusts the level of content to suit audiences with varying levels of

understanding and ability
- Provides information in a suitable format so that the others' needs are met
- Uses a range of different formats, chosen to the diverse needs and ensure

understanding
**Decision Making**
**Independent Decisions**
- Considers wider impact of decisions, assesses possible outcomes and their

likelihood
- Uses judgment to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data and

takes account of multiple factors
- Distinguishes between the need to decide, when to defer and when not

to take a decision
**Collaborative Decisions**
- Helps others to explore options that initially appear to be inappropriate or

unfeasible and recognise when a decision is or is not needed
- Enables others to contribute to decisions
- Ensures that options are weighed, outcomes identified, and chances of

success considered
- Challenges decisions, appropriately to ensure consideration and processes

are robust
**Provision of Advice**
- Anticipates and highlights issues that need to be considered
- Outlines possible impacting factors, assessing their degree of influence on

the choice of options
- Ensures previous learning is included

**Pastoral Care & Welfare**
- Deals with difficult situations or confidential matters, according to policy and

procedures
- Involves others or refers elsewhere for assistance if the situation becomes

more complex and if additional help or information is required
**Service Delivery**
- Has accurate and up to date knowledge of services available in own and

related areas of work
- Correctly refers customers elsewhere
- Ensures that the experience of each customer is positive and satisfactory

**Planning and Organising Resources**
- Suggests ways of improving working practice and use of resources
- Creates realistic plans to achieve own deadlines and objectives
- Moni