Job Purpose:

The AR Manager for East Africa is responsible forTo be accountable for delivering targeted performance for the East Africa Credit Control Department. To take charge and proactively drive the attainment of the Key Performance Indicators of the department, especially Collections, DSO , bad debt and dispute management.The holder should exercise strength in team management ,leadership,coaching and be of high integrity ,honesty and discipline.

Direct Reports: Team Leaders, Credit Controllers, Legal and Dispute Administrator and AR Accountant

Areas of Responsibility:

• Review of the Credit Management process to drive attainment of overall target DSO o Review and advise on current level of Risk Management & exposure and champion strategies to minimize the credit risk 
• Advise on quality management of the debtor asset 
• Credit analysis & preparation of progress reports 
• Review and follow up on daily basis team’s updates of daily KPIs like cash tracker,productivity, disputed accounts, escalations log, and take needful action 
• Drive collection & strategy planning of debt control, particularly mitigate roll over of debt past the 90-day category 
• Enforce the credit policy and assure adherence to accepted standards 
• Proactively drive improvements in business processes and procedures, e.g. invoicing, follow up, and query/dispute management 
• Spearhead escalations and ensure prompt stop service on non paying accounts 
• Actively manage and attain reduction of company bad debt provision as per KPIs o Improve company cash cycle and enhance cash conversion as per KPIs 
• Preparation of weekly rollover and month end MMA reports. 
• Take a leadership role in the Top debtors and suspension review meetings.

• Ensure basic Governance processes are in place across the EA Region with respect to the 26 key controls impacting the Credit Control Department 
• Ensure that all the necessary controls are implemented and embedded to minimize fraud risk related to debt collections and receipt allocations across East Africa 
• Support the year-end audit process in debtors related matters, ensuring that we complete the audit within budget for this area and Group deadlines 
• Support the Team Leaders to ensure that Onguard utilization in country is fully embedded, CC's activity is monitored effectively and command center reporting is used 
• Provide Induction training to all new Sales Consultants and annual refresher training to the Credit Control Department. 
• Manage disputes through dispute resolution meetings with the Branch Managers and analysis of the underlying dispute root causes 
• Use insights from debtors collection & ledger analysis to identify collection trends, prepare root cause analysis and support FD to drive plans to mitigate impact on OCF 
• Maintain, and retain principal information ownership and access to the Company debtors database/portfolio and ensure proper safeguards are in place in line with information confidentiality IT policies 
• Allocate and reallocate on need basis the debtors portfolio to respective Credit Controllers to improve and address collections challenges 
• Support in the management of cash accounts to ensure prompt collections 
• Actively motivate the Credit Control Team and provide effective guidance and leadership o Proactively plan for and execute thorough and structured performance review of each Credit Controller’s performance on monthly basis with support of the Team Leaders 
• Proactively enlist the concerted support of the teams from other departments, especially service operations in driving debt collection activity in their own capacity 
• Review Top Debtors allocated to Branch Managers, offering requisite support and follow through to ensure proactive action to collect is taken 
• Actively follow up and review collection progress by the external debt collectors, including the lawyers, noting to monitor their active involvement

Requirements:

Essential:

• Bachelor's Degree in Credit Management 
• Diploma in Credit Management is an added Advantage 
• At least 5 years experience in a busy Credit Control department , two years of which should have been in a supervisory or management level.
• Leadership and management: Strong leadership, management, and team-building skills are essential.
• Analytical skills: Proficiency in financial analysis and the ability to create and interpret reports like aging reports.
• Attention to detail: A high degree of accuracy is crucial for financial tasks.
• Communication: Strong communication skills are needed for interacting with customers and other departments.
• Organizational skills: Ability to manage time, prioritize tasks, and work under pressure. 

Desirable:

• Strong belief and practice in overcommunicating to keep teams on the same page
• Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy and organization
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills to address AR-related challenges
• Effective leadership and communication abilities, with a focus on teamwork and collaboration
• Ability to work collaboratively and adapt to changing priorities in an ambiguous and rapidly evolving environment

Benefits:

1. Medical Coverage: Arranged upon employment start.
2. Pension & Life Assurance: Established post-employment confirmation.
3. WIBA Coverage: Effective immediately upon joining.
4. Working Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM; Sat 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (alternate Saturdays off).
5. Leave: 23 days paid annual leave, paternity/maternity leave, sick leave, and compassionate leave; increases to 30 days after five years.
6. Tools Provided: Mobile phone, laptop, and necessary resources.
7. Professional Development: Training opportunities through various programs and access to free online courses.
8. Quarterly Incentives: Possible earnings boost and incentive trips during vacations.
9. Advancement Opportunities

• Review of the Credit Management process to drive attainment of overall target DSO
• Review and advise on current level of Risk Management & exposure and champion strategies to minimize the credit risk
• Advise on quality management of the debtor asset
• Credit analysis & preparation of progress reports
• Review and follow up on daily basis team’s updates of daily KPIs like cash tracker, productivity, disputed accounts, escalations log, and take needful action
• Drive collection & strategy planning of debt control, particularly mitigate roll over of debt past the 90-day category
...

• Leadership and management
• Analytical skills
• Attention to detail
• Communication
• Organizational skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Credit Management
• Diploma in Credit Management is an added Advantage
• At least 5 years experience in a busy Credit Control department , two years of which should have been in a supervisory or management level