National Collections Manager

Job Purpose:

One of our clients is seeking a high-caliber National Collections Manager to design, implement, and lead our pan-India collection strategy. In this critical leadership role, you will oversee credit recovery for our specialized portfolio, focusing on microfinance (MFI), affordable housing loans, and small-ticket secured loans. You will be directly responsible for minimizing Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), optimizing recovery rates, and managing a scaled, distributed field and maintaining strict compliance with regulatory frameworks.

Key Responsibilities:

- Strategy Formulation: Define and execute data-driven, end-to-end collection and recovery strategies for early-stage delinquency (bounce management) to write-offs.

- Portfolio Diagnostics: Analyze delinquency trends, vintage curves, and roll-forward rates to proactively identify credit risks and implement corrective measures.

- Operational Optimization: Segment portfolios based on risk profiles to allocate collection resources (tele-calling vs. field visits) efficiently.

- Vendor & Agency Governance: Onboard, evaluate, and manage third-party collection and repossession agencies, ensuring adherence to strict SLAs and pricing models.

- Field Presence: Travel extensively across rural and semi-urban markets to audit field operations, understand localized collection challenges, and resolve high-ticket or complex defaults.

- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure 100% adherence to central banking guidelines, fair practices codes, and customer data privacy laws. Zero tolerance for coercive collection practices.

- Legal Action: Oversee legal recovery frameworks, including arbitration, Section 138 (Cheque Bounce), SARFAESI acts, or local legal notices where applicable.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

- Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field (MBA or Master's degree preferred).

- Experience: A minimum of 15+ years of core collections experience in Banking or NBFC sectors, with at least 5 years in a national or large regional leadership role.

- Domain Expertise: Proven track record in handling high-volume, low-ticket portfolios like Microfinance, Affordable Housing Loans, and Small Ticket Loans.

- Geographic Knowledge: Deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban lending landscape, local demographics, and regional cultural nuances affecting collections.

- Exceptional negotiation, conflict-resolution, and crisis-management capabilities.

- Excellent vernacular communication skills (multilingual capabilities are a significant advantage).

- Uncompromising ethical standards and commitment to customer-centric collection practices.