Collections & Recoveries Executive - Business Loans

Collections & Recoveries Executive Asset Finance | Loans | Early Arrears | Northampton (Onsite) £28,000-£32,000 + Performance Bonus + Benefits An ambitious and growing independent finance provider is seeking a highly capable Junior Collections & Recoveries Executive to join its Workouts & Collections function. This is a critical hire. The business is scaling its own-book lending and requires a commercially aware, detail-driven collections professional who can confidently manage early-stage arrears, loan terminations and recovery processes with judgement, professionalism and accuracy. This is not a script-based call centre role. It is a hands-on position within a Legal-led credit environment, offering exposure to loan recoveries, personal guarantees, asset disposals and statutory demand processes. The Opportunity You will be responsible for managing early arrears and defaulting loan accounts, primarily across unsecured and secured business lending. The focus is: Rapid contact following missed payments Confident, professional negotiation of arrears Accurate preparation of default and termination documentation Supporting statutory demand and recovery processes Escalating complex or high-risk cases appropriately The business adopts a proactive, commercially pragmatic approach: cooperative borrowers are treated fairly and constructively; non-engagement is escalated quickly and decisively. This is a role for someone who understands that time, accuracy and leverage matter in recoveries. What the Role Will Involve Early Arrears Management Contacting borrowers immediately following missed Direct Debits Identifying root cause of payment failure Assessing whether cash flow issues are temporary or structural Agreeing short-term solutions where appropriate Escalating where cooperation is lacking Loan Recoveries & Escalation Supporting termination of loan agreements where required Preparing accurate termination notices and statutory demand documentation Coordinating balances and figures with finance Ensuring documentation is legally robust and error-free Supporting enforcement strategy discussions Negotiation & Judgement Distinguishing between cooperative and evasive borrowers Applying appropriate firmness where required Understanding when flexibility is commercially sensible Supporting settlement negotiations Documentation & Accuracy Maintaining precise CRM notes suitable for legal scrutiny Producing accurate correspondence with zero tolerance for material error Ensuring balances, dates, agreement references and guarantees are correct Supporting personal guarantee recovery processes where relevant Asset & Hire Purchase Exposure (Desirable) Understanding of asset-based lending, hire purchase or lease recoveries Awareness of repossession and disposal processes The Profile Required This role requires maturity beyond years of service. The successful candidate will likely have 12-36 months' current/recent experience in one of the following: Asset finance collections Business loan recoveries Credit control within financial services Banking or challenger bank arrears management Hire purchase or vehicle finance recoveries Essential Attributes Confident telephone manner with ability to handle difficult conversations Strong negotiation skills without being aggressive High level of written accuracy and attention to detail Commercial judgement and ability to read borrower behaviour Resilience and emotional composure Comfortable working onsite in Northampton Highly Desirable Experience issuing default or termination notices Exposure to statutory demands or insolvency triggers Understanding of personal guarantees Experience within asset finance, SME lending or business loans Familiarity with CreditSafe alerts or insolvency monitoring What This Is Not Not consumer FCA-heavy vulnerable-customer scripting Not a volume-only collections call centre Not a remote role Not a senior management positionWhy Join? Exposure to legal and credit strategy decision-making Direct visibility to senior leadership Opportunity to grow as the lending book scales Potential future progression into senior collections or team leadership Work within a dynamic, ambitious finance business The environment is professional, energetic and commercially focused. The team works hard, supports each other and operates with accountability. Location This role is fully onsite in Northampton. Candidates must be within a reasonable commuting distance