Senior Operations Manager, Collections

The Team

Upstart’s Collections team is seeking a candidate to join the team as a Senior Operations Manager, Collections, to manage Upstarts collections team and process, including all delinquent accounts from 1-120 days past due and working with internal and external partners.  

A Senior Operations Manager, Collections at Upstart will be able to think strategically and analytically, is solutions-oriented, and likes to improve processes and workflows. He/She is self-motivated, a great planner, exercises excellent judgment and handles challenges with positivity and grit. The candidate should also be able to communicate effectively and establish key relationships with Upstart’s vendors and internal teams.

Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time Zone Requirements - This team operates on the East/West Coast time zones. 

Travel Requirements - As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. This individual can expect to travel to vendor sites up to once a month and attend quarterly supplier visits. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Collections to define the strategy for collections, work to scope and operationalize those strategies internally and externally to achieve overall company goals
• Work with Collections and Product Leadership to lead a robust, omni-channel outreach program for Upstart’s loan portfolio to support borrowers and maximize returns
• Apply industry expertise to evaluate, design and modify collections treatments for borrowers experiencing financial hardship and ensure borrowers have access to the best offering for their unique situation
• Leverage performance analytics to provide insights on training, quality, and systems opportunities with a drive to improve performance and customer experience
• Set and manage performance goals using industry expertise, historical data, and collaboration with stakeholder

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategy Development:
  • Help to develop and implement comprehensive debt collection strategies to maximize recovery rates and minimize losses
  • Analyze collection data and trends to identify opportunities for improvement and implement best practices
• Team Leadership:
  • Identify key talent to cultivate a high-performing, high accountability organization
  • Lead, mentor, and manage the members of the collections team, fostering a high-performance culture
  • Provide training and development opportunities to enhance team skills and knowledge, career development
• Operational Management:
  • Oversee day-to-day collections operations, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in all processes
  •  Monitor and evaluate the performance of collections staff, providing feedback and implementing corrective actions as needed
• Compliance and Risk Management:
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and company policies related to debt collections
  • Develop and maintain policies and procedures to mitigate risks and ensure ethical practices
• Relationship Management:
  •  Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including agencies, borrowers, and external partners.
  •  Negotiate and manage relationships with third-party collection agencies and legal counsel
• Reporting and Analysis:
  • Prepare regular reports on collection activities, performance metrics, and financial results
  • Present findings and recommendations to senior management for strategic decision-making

What we’re looking for: 

• Minimum qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • A minimum of 7+ years of experience in debt collections/operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role and proven track record of developing and implementing successful debt collection strategies.
  • Strong knowledge of debt collection laws and regulations.
  • Experience working with debt collection software and tools, familiarity with collections best practices and an eye towards innovation.
  • Agility: Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, rationalize trade-offs and prioritization, willingness to get creative to drive results.
  • Big picture thinker: You understand how all stakeholders (from borrowers to collections agencies) behave and perform, and are highly capable of combining different tools and methods to create an effective collections strategy.
  • Analytical adeptness: You are data-driven, analytical, detail-oriented and relentlessly use data to make decisions on strategy, constantly re-evaluating and updating strategy and needed to maximize effectiveness.
  • Flexible amid change and ambiguity: You are excited and comfortable working in an early-stage, high-growth company with limited historical data. You learn quickly, work independently, think creatively, and adapt well to change. You are comfortable operating quickly and scrappily, and as well as other technical and non-technical audiences at Upstart.
• Preferred qualifications:
  • Curiosity: You are immensely curious about the root cause of issues, think critically from first principles, and never stop asking questions.
  • Thought Partner: You’re open minded and thoughtful about new ideas, and can serve as a thought partner to the team.

What you'll love: 

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart 
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave  
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

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