Credit & Collections Manager

A well-established, growing organization in the northern Chicago suburbs is seeking an experienced Credit & Collections Manager to lead its commercial credit and collections function. This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who can evaluate customer risk, improve accounts receivable performance, develop a strong team, and partner effectively across the business.The ideal candidate will combine commercial credit expertise with practical collections leadership and experience supporting a product-based, manufacturing, wholesale, or distribution environment.What You’ll DoLead, coach, and develop the credit and collections team.Establish, maintain, and enforce credit and collections policies, procedures, and internal controls.Evaluate the creditworthiness of new and existing commercial customers.Review financial statements, commercial credit reports, bank references, trade references, and other available credit information.Establish and monitor customer credit limits, payment terms, and risk classifications.Oversee portfolio aging, DSO, past-due balances, bad-debt exposure, reserves, write-offs, and collection effectiveness.Develop collection strategies that improve cash flow while preserving productive customer relationships.Manage escalated collection matters, payment disputes, credit holds, payment arrangements, and high-risk accounts.Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Returns, and other departments to resolve deductions, discrepancies, short payments, and customer-account issues.Monitor departmental and portfolio performance through KPIs, dashboards, and recurring reporting.Identify opportunities to improve credit, collections, cash application, and broader invoice-to-cash processes.Support account reconciliations, month-end close, audit requests, and financial reporting.Develop and deliver training for team members and relevant business partners.Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable credit and collection requirements.What We’re Looking ForSeven or more years of progressive experience in commercial credit, collections, accounts receivable, or a related function.Prior experience managing and developing a credit and collections team.Demonstrated authority for evaluating customer risk and establishing credit limits and payment terms.Experience reviewing financial statements, D&B or other commercial credit reports, trade references, and bank references.Strong knowledge of aging, DSO, bad debt, reserves, write-offs, cash flow, collection strategy, and dispute resolution.Experience within manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, consumer products, or another product-based environment strongly preferred.Ability to manage escalated customer situations while balancing risk, cash flow, and business relationships.Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.Ability to partner effectively with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, operational teams, and senior leadership.Proficiency with ERP systems, commercial credit-reporting tools, and Microsoft Excel.Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent directly relevant experience will be considered.Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply with an updated resume. We will handle all inquiries and applications confidentially.