Customer Service Agent jobs

Collections Agent – Unsecured Lending

• Location: Sheffield Contact Centre – UK
• Function: Operations / Credit & Collections
• Reporting to: Collections Team Leader / Manager
• Salary: £26,500 p/a
• Contract – 37.5 hours per week

Role Purpose

The Collections Agent – Unsecured Lending is responsible for managing arrears on unsecured credit products, such as personal loans, in a fair, proportionate, and customer-focused manner. The role is focused on achieving sustainable repayment outcomes, supporting customers in financial difficulty, and ensuring all activity complies with FCA regulation, Consumer Duty, and internal credit risk and forbearance policies.

Key Accountabilities

• Customer Outcomes and Engagement
• Engage with customers in arrears using a supportive, non-judgemental approach that promotes trust and positive customer outcomes.
• Conduct effective income and expenditure discussions to assess affordability and agree sustainable repayment solutions.
• Identify indicators of vulnerability or financial hardship and apply appropriate forbearance options in line with policy and FCA guidance.
• Ensure customers clearly understand their account status, available options, and the implications of different repayment choices.
• Treat customers fairly at all stages of the arrears journey, balancing customer needs with responsible credit risk management.

Unsecured Lending Collections Activity

• Manage arrears across unsecured lending portfolios, including early, mid, and late-stage delinquency.
• Apply appropriate collections forbearance strategies, such as payment plans, temporary arrangements, interest or fee concessions, and signposting to free debt advice.
• Escalate accounts appropriately in line with policy, ensuring decisions are evidence based and well-documented.
• Support the transition of accounts through different stages of collections while maintaining a customer-centric approach.
• Multi-Channel Workflow Management
• Handle inbound and outbound customer interactions across multiple channels, including telephone, email, SMS, webchat, and written correspondence.
• Work efficiently within automated dialler and workflow systems, ensuring timely and accurate action on assigned accounts.
• Maintain high standards of written and verbal communication across all channels, ensuring consistency, clarity, and regulatory compliance.
• Update customer records accurately and contemporaneously following each interaction.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

• Perform all duties in accordance with FCA principles, Consumer Duty, and Treating Customers Fairly requirements.
• Comply with internal policies, procedures, scripts, and quality standards to ensure fair treatment and consistent decision-making.
• Support complaint avoidance and resolution by addressing customer concerns effectively at first point of contact.
• Maintain awareness of regulatory updates and demonstrate ongoing compliance through daily activities.
• Performance and Continuous Improvement
• Achieve individual and team performance targets, balancing productivity, quality, and customer outcomes.
• Actively participate in coaching, quality assurance, training, and competency assessments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying process inefficiencies or customer pain points.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver operational and regulatory objectives.

Working Hours

• The role is 37.5hrs hours per week worked on a rota basis over 7 days.
• Weekend working is required as part of a rotational shift pattern to meet customer demand and service levels.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Experience in a customer-facing role within a contact centre environment.
• Strong customer-outcomes focus, with the ability to conduct sensitive and sometimes challenging conversations.
• Excellent communication skills across voice and digital channels.
• Ability to assess affordability and make balanced, compliant decisions.
• Strong attention to detail and accurate record-keeping.

Desirable

• Previous experience in unsecured lending collections, debt recovery, or credit risk.
• Knowledge of FCA regulation, Consumer Duty, and vulnerability frameworks.
• Familiarity with income and expenditure assessments and forbearance tools.
• Experience using CRM, collections systems, and automated workflows.

Behaviours and Values

• Acts with integrity and professionalism at all times.
• Demonstrates empathy and fairness when supporting customers in financial difficulty.
• Takes ownership of customer outcomes and personal performance.
• Open to change and committed to continuous learning and development

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £26,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Private medical insurance

Application question(s):

• Do have a disability that will require any reasonable adjustments for the interview/recruitment process or job role (working in-person from the office) ?

Work Location: In person