Debt Recovery Manager/Senior Associate (London EC1)

Job Description

Job Title: Debt Recovery Manager/Senior Associate

Location: London (EC1)

Reports to: Andy Wilks, Managing Partner

Company Overview:

We are a fast-growing, progressive and technologically advanced law firm looking to boost its already substantial debt recovery offering.

As a firm we work closely with Debt collection companies, SME’s, banking & finance clients and Insolvency Practitioners, amongst others, which results in significant volumes of debt recovery work naturally flowing to us. Our debt recovery team is backed by a bespoke debt recovery system (now part of our new Visual Files case management system) which enables the smooth and effective management of a caseload and the ability to integrate with our clients’ accounting & finance platforms.

As head of our debt recovery team, you will have oversight of and be accountable for leading and developing our existing team, including people and system development, quality, legal and technical compliance as well as strategy origination and implementation. You will be responsible for all operational implementation and improvements and creating and ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.

You will have the support of our Board of directors and litigation teams to ensure a seamless service to our clients. Further, you will be required to nurture our existing client relationships and monitor, review and deliver on all Key Performance Indicators and Service Level Agreements currently in place.

Role:

An exceptional opportunity for an experienced debt recovery manager to help shape and grow the existing debt recovery offering at FWJ.

You will have relevant business, finance, legal or equivalent experience and be able to demonstrate a proven track record of debt recovery across a variety of industries, effectively managing people, strategic development and implementation and change management. Further, you will require a detailed knowledge of all forms of debt recovery process, including all legal and non-litigation options as well as relevant regulatory / legal frameworks.

You will be a proven leader and be able to demonstrate recruitment, managerial, motivational, analytical, planning, organisational and problem-solving skills.

Creating and maintaining a positive working environment and culture is critical for this role to ensure that it reflects our values and commitment to our staff.

You will also have good experience of working with various clients to not only gain an understanding of their business and their required outcomes but be able to work with them to identify new and innovative ways to resolve their debt defaults and ensure strict compliance with any Service Level Agreements in place.

You must have excellent negotiation, presentation and interpersonal skills as well as being proficient with oral and written communication skills.

In addition, you must be able to work well with third party providers, tracing and enforcement agents etc. to ensure a positive and cost-effective outcome for our clients.

The role will involve the following main elements:

1. The successful candidate will be expected to run a case load of multi, fast and small track as well as insolvency based recovery cases, where appropriate;

2. Supervision and ongoing training of our existing team;

3. Recruitment and integration of new team members;

4. Ongoing development and refinement of our debt recovery case management system, both internally at FWJ and externally with technical developments / link-ups with our clients / third party providers;

5. Continued development of our MI in terms of reporting, performance and other key performance indicators;

6. Undertaking and managing volume sales ledger collect out work;

7. Development and implementation of innovative costing solutions for clients;

8. The successful candidate will be expected to help maintain existing client relationships and, where appropriate, visit clients and ensure they are happy with the service levels being offered. The successful candidate will also help identify, nurture and develop new work opportunities from prospective clients;

9. Supervision of the Firm’s Credit Controller in line with the Firm’s Credit Control Policy;

10. Progress any in-house debt recovery matters through the County and/or insolvency Courts as and when required;

11. Carry out the billing for the Debt Recovery Team at mid-month and end of month;

12. FWJ is highly successful at wining work through the optimisation of its website. As a result, the successful candidate will be expected to assist in this ongoing development, producing industry relevant and accurate content for our website, communications with client and, where appropriate, publishing appropriate materials via various social media platforms in conjunction with our Head of Digital Marketing;

Debt recovery services are central to many of our clients’ needs and as such the role is a very important one at FWJ. We remain one of the few genuinely niche providers of legal services to the Asset Based Lending market and work closely with many leading Factoring and Invoice Discounting companies. Candidates should ideally have experience of working in this industry sector.

In addition, FWJ is keen to expand its debt recovery expertise beyond its traditional market place and we are interested in candidates who also have experience in one or more of the following areas:

1. Asset Finance;

2. Motor Finance;

3. Leasing;

4. Consumer Credit;

5. Secured and unsecured arrears;

6. Property Litigation;

7. Insurance;

8. Solicitor Fees; and

9. Utilities.

As part of our desire to grow our debt recovery offering, it is likely that the existing FWJ team offering will need to be expanded and new personnel recruited. This is likely to be at more of a junior level and the successful candidate will be required to assist in the interview processes moving forward. They

will also be required to train any new joiners in our systems, the work we undertake and the values we hold.

In terms of day to day case work, the successful candidate must have experience of operating Case Management Systems and dealing with volume based debt recovery work - including:

• Dealing with all pre-issue enquiries for the litigation team, such work to oversee processing of LBC’s in a timely manner by the team (including importing and extracting client data to produce load file), producing automated updating tables for each client and reporting to client as required. The role will also include dealing with any incoming phone calls / letters from debtors and reporting to clients.

• Dealing with new debt recovery leads through the internet and other sources and completing client take on information. Taking new matters through our LeadManager system. Candidates should have a clear and confident telephone manner.

• Drafting of Statutory Demands, Bankruptcy Petitions, Winding-Up Petitions and issuing all debt recovery proceedings (through Secure Data Transfer, MCOL or otherwise) for the litigation team. Cases to be progressed through the Case Management System.

• Processing claims through Secure Data Transfer or MCOL up to and including default judgment stage. Candidates should have experience in issuing County Court claims via Secure Data Transfer and MCOL including drafting particulars of claim and witness statements, where required.

• Running, where required, disputed debt recovery claims.

• Providing detailed claim breakdowns to clients and debtors, including all costs, late payment interest and compensation and / or contractual interest, when required.

• Negotiating and ensuring compliance with repayment proposals on behalf of clients.

• Analysis of, amending and reporting to clients on voluntary arrangement proposals received from individuals and / or corporates.

• Recording time and raising invoices in accordance with fixed fee agreements with clients.

• Reporting to the Board of FWJ on all aspects of team performance, including client satisfaction, performance against KPIs and business development.