| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Finance Manager |
| Direct reports | Credit Control Executive, Accounts Receivable Executive |
| Experience | 6 to 9 years in credit control or receivables |
Credit Control Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Credit Control Manager
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: Finance Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Credit Control Manager makes sure the company gets paid. They set customer credit limits, monitor exposure, drive collections and keep overdue accounts and bad debt under control. The role protects cash flow and works closely with sales, billing and customers, and manages credit control and receivables staff. A good Credit Control Manager balances sales growth with collection discipline, releases orders safely and keeps days sales outstanding from creeping up.
Key responsibilities
- Set and review customer credit limits and payment terms based on risk and history.
- Approve or hold orders against credit limits and overdue balances.
- Drive collections and follow up on overdue invoices with a structured plan.
- Monitor receivables ageing and act early on accounts that slip.
- Assess credit risk for new customers using references and financials.
- Negotiate payment plans for stressed accounts and track adherence.
- Escalate serious defaults for legal action or debt recovery.
- Reconcile customer accounts and resolve disputes and short payment deductions promptly.
- Report collections, ageing and bad debt provision to the finance head.
- Lead the credit control team and coordinate with sales on realisation.
Requirements
- B.Com, M.Com or MBA in Finance
- Strong collections and credit risk experience
- Knowledge of receivables processes
- 6 to 9 years in credit control or receivables
KRAs and KPIs for a Credit Control Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Collections | Collection against due held above the agreed percentage every month |
| Receivable days | Days sales outstanding held at or below the annual target |
| Overdue control | Overdue receivables beyond 90 days kept under the agreed limit |
| Bad debt | Bad debt write off held within the approved percentage of sales |
| Credit discipline | No order released beyond credit limit without approval during the year |
| Dispute closure | Customer disputes and deductions resolved within the agreed turnaround |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP FSCM, Advanced Excel, CRM, Collection tracking tools, Bank portals.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Commercial Manager, Finance Manager, Accounts Manager
Interview questions for a Credit Control Manager
- How do you set a credit limit for a new customer?
- How do you decide when to hold a customer's order?
- Walk me through your collection follow up plan for overdue accounts.
- How do you handle a large customer who always pays late?
- How do you balance sales pressure with credit discipline?
- When do you push an account to legal recovery?
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What does a Credit Control Manager do?
A Credit Control Manager makes sure the company gets paid. They set credit limits, monitor exposure, drive collections, control overdue accounts and manage bad debt. They assess credit risk for new customers, negotiate payment plans and resolve disputes, working closely with sales and billing and leading the credit control team.
What is the difference between credit control and accounts receivable?
Accounts receivable records invoices, receipts and customer balances in the books. Credit control is the active management of that money: deciding credit limits, chasing overdue payments, assessing risk and reducing bad debt. Receivables is the record; credit control is the discipline that turns invoices into cash.
What qualifications does a Credit Control Manager need?
Most Credit Control Manager roles ask for a B.Com, M.Com or MBA in Finance with six or more years in collections or receivables. Strong skills in credit assessment, collection follow up, negotiation and dispute resolution matter most, along with the firmness to hold orders and enforce limits.