Credit services team leader

Closing date for applications: 13th December 2024

Salary: Dependent on experience £30k-£32k

Contract: Permanent

Are you a skilled leader with a passion for delivering exceptional customer service and building strong partnerships in a fast-paced, global environment?

We, Hachette UK Distribution, are the leading book distribution company in the UK.   We are one of the most advanced distribution centres in Europe, with leading-edge automation and modern systems which will ensure world-class service to customers and publisher clients. We ship in excess of 60 million books globally each year and supply one out of every four books to the UK trade.

Our mission is to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment and opportunity. Hachette UK Distribution is part of the Hachette UK publishing group.

What you'll be doing

We are looking for a Team Leader to manage the team and to drive and empower the team providing outstanding customer service with expertise in cash collection. Taking ownership and being solution-focused in order to be a trusted partner to our customers and publishers.

We are looking for proven experience of working in a customer focused function, effectively driving engagement and leading the day to day running of the team, managing the workflows and resource, whilst working to agreed deadlines and service levels.

Tasks involved in the role include (but not limited to):

• Develop effective working relationships with clients and customers to become a trusted partner. This includes being involved in regular meetings with customers and publishers, ranging from attendance to running the meeting.
• Improve efficiency in cash collection activities and reduce bad debt exposure
• Produce and analyse reports to identify trends and areas to focus
• Evaluate the creditworthiness of potential customers
• Commercial appraisal of credit risk in growth territories and new relationships
• Attend client ledger review meetings
• Work with sales teams to ensure harmonisation of processes and best practice is being carried out
• Promote a positive and inclusive attitude with other departments, customer, clients and other external parties.
• Act as point of contact for all matters relating to collections and credit management

Following your initial training period which will be office based (in Didcot, Oxfordshire), you will be able to make the most of the current hybrid model.  The hours will be 9am to 5pm (35 hours per week) with a one hour lunch break working Monday to Friday.

Who we are looking for

The ideal candidate will:

• Have proven experience of working within a fast-paced customer focused environment.
• Be able to demonstrate their understanding of Publishers and their needs.
• Have excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Possess good problem-solving skills and have the confidence to use initiative to resolve queries.
• Need to be competent in IT skills such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook.
• Have existing knowledge (or be willing to learn) SAP CRM and SAP ECC.
• Be expected to have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal including using Microsoft Teams and the telephone to internal and external customers at all levels.
• Have demonstrable management experience or be ready to step into a people management role.

What we offer

Our people are our greatest asset and our benefits reflect this. Therefore, we offer an extensive list of benefits that include:

• 33 days annual holiday including Bank Holidays
• Pension Plan and Life Assurance schemes
• Company enhanced family policy including maternity, paternity and shared parental
• Reward programme giving discounts, savings and cash back at numerous retailers
• 2 Community Days per year
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Generous discounts on books we publish
• Mental Health First Aiders / Champions and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development Programmes including Mentoring
• Staff Events e.g. Burrito van, Pie van, Ice Cream van, Staff Party
• Many employee networks to join
• Free onsite parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Creating an environment of inclusion so everyone can be their true self #Ibelong #AndSoDoYou #OneTeam

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities.  We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

We will notify all candidates of the outcome of their application.

Please include in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.