Lead, Collections Specialist

Job description

With a career at The Home Depot, you can be yourself and also be part of something bigger. Position Purpose: The Collections Specialist will support our Pro Trade Credit program. In this role, you will manage a portfolio of commercial (B2B) accounts, acting as the primary point of contact for past-due customers. The goal is to recover outstanding revenue while maintaining positive relationships with our professional trade partners. Success in this role will be measured by timely recovery rates, customer satisfaction scores, and adherence to compliance standards, ensuring clear benchmarks for performance. The specialist will handle the full cycle of delinquency management from initial outreach and dispute resolution to negotiating payment plans and preparing accounts for legal escalation or lien actions when necessary. Throughout this process, you will also collaborate closely with departments such as Legal and Sales to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach to collections and account management. Key Responsibilities: 30% - Outreach & Negotiation - Conduct high-volume outbound calls and emails to commercial customers with past-due balances. Negotiate payment commitments and follow up to ensure promises are kept. 30% - Account Reconciliation - Research and resolve billing discrepancies, missing purchase orders (POs), or proof-of-delivery (POD) disputes that are holding up payment. 10% - Documentation - Maintain detailed, legally defensible notes on all collection activities within the ERP/Credit software. 10% - Legal & Lien Initiation - Identify accounts that have exhausted all internal collection efforts. Lien Actions: Monitor job-specific lien deadlines. Gather necessary documentation (invoices, contracts) to initiate the preliminary notice or lien filing process for review by the Credit Manager/Legal team. Referrals: Compile comprehensive credit files (notes, call logs, skip-tracing results) to package accounts for referral to third-party collection agencies or attorneys. 20% - Risk Management - Monitor aging reports weekly to identify high-risk accounts. Place accounts on "Credit Hold" according to company policy and communicate status changes to the Sales team. Direct Manager/Direct Reports: Position Reports to Sr. Manager, Trade Credit. Position has 0 direct reports Travel Requirements: No travel required. Physical Requirements: Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions, there may be a need to move or lift light articles. Working Conditions: Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable. Minimum Qualifications: Must be eighteen years of age or older. Must be legally permitted to work in the United States. Preferred Qualifications: Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite. Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with cross-functional teams. Ability to negotiate, handle complaints, settle disputes, and resolve grievances with both internal and external customers. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 2+ years of experience in B2B collections, Accounts Receivable, or a related finance role. (Construction or Trade industry experience is a strong plus). Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables), Power BI and experience with AR/Credit Systems (i.e., Bectran). Familiarity with fair debt collection practices and a general understanding of lien rights/bond claim laws is preferred, but not required (will train). Soft Skills: Strong negotiation skills with the ability to remain professional under pressure. Ability to distinguish between a customer with a temporary cash-flow issue vs. a bad debt risk. Minimum Education: The knowledge, skills and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a high school diploma and/or GED. Preferred Education: The knowledge, skills and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job. Minimum Years of Work Experience: 2 Preferred Years of Work Experience: No additional years of experience Minimum Leadership Experience: No previous leadership experience Preferred Leadership Experience: No additional years of previous leadership experience Certifications: None Competencies: Action Oriented Collaborates Drives Engagement Communicates Effectively Customer Focus Drives Results Manages Conflict