Collections Officer

Learn, grow, develop and tap into extensive industry knowledge Truly contribute to a growing business that has an incredible history and team Melbourne based opportunity About the Opportunity Reporting to the Credit Manager, the Collections Officer is responsible for actively managing the collections activity on a portfolio of residential and mortgage clients. The Collections Officer will be liaising with internal and external parties to ensure a smooth process and high standard of customer experience. This position is integral to VMG's overall success as the Collections Officer and the ability to have effective conversations with clients who may be in financial distress is key.  Monitor and report on client arrears. Manage the Collections Activity on a portfolio of residential mortgage clients, including issuing arrears notices and letters of demands. Coordinate the resolution of payment defaults and late payments. Handle client hardship requests and respond accordingly in a timely, empathetic and professional manner. Ensure customer service excellence by answering all client queries in a timely and professional manner via telephone and email. Assist the wider Post Settlements team when required. Assisting in possible legal action against delinquent clients. Manage risk by escalating to the Senior Management any accounts where there are concerns as to the collectability. Ad-hoc projects as required. Our Ideal Candidate: Ideally, our new Collections Officer has: A minimum of 7-10 years of related experience within customer service, collections or debt recovery. Excellent problem solving skills with a solutions focused mindset. Competent knowledge of financial hardship laws and processes to best service our clients that are experiencing financial distress. Agile and collaborative in your approach to working with your team and stakeholders. Proven continuous improvement mindset: ability to challenge the status quo and a desire to drive optimal outcomes. A willingness to accept responsibility and to account for their own actions and quality of work. Expected to justify these actions and make decisions that are considered, responsible, compliant and in the best interests of VMG.  Confidence to challenge in the right way, balancing between commercial outcome and delivery against controls and governance framework. Strong ability to learn, interact with and manage different systems and software. What's in it for you: We are a smaller business environment with a team size of about 30 people. Because of our size, you will be joining a highly collaborative, friendly and adaptable environment that enables quick decision making, idea and knowledge sharing and the development of strong relationships with your colleagues. Work alongside senior colleagues that have a wealth of industry knowledge. This is you opportunity to learn and develop at your own pace and in line with your career aspirations and ambitions. Market competitive salary based on experience Melbourne CBD location Training and support from a highly experienced team Opportunity to join a fast-paced, growing Home Loan originator where you take pride in completing tasks with precision and accuracy Working in a fun team Great culture/family business Diverse and growing broker market opportunities Further career development prospects About Us Victorian Mortgage Group is a family-owned and managed business and is one of Australia's largest non-bank lenders. For over 75 years we have given hope to borrowers who have been turned away by the major lenders. By providing a flexible approach to the assessment of our client's finances, we have supported countless families with opportunities to secure their future. For years our team of professionals has been helping Australian borrowers achieve a diverse range of financial goals. Our ability to understand an individual's circumstances and our expertise in finding flexible lending solutions for those who have been turned away by the major lenders, means that we will make sure you get the best product at the right price. Please Note: You must be an Australian Permanent Resident or a Citizen to apply for this role.