Collections Specialist

AP Professionals has partnered with a local manufacturing company in search of a Collections Specialist. The Collections Specialist acts as the primary contact for customer billing questions and oversees all cash application and collection efforts. The role includes reconciling accounts receivable, coordinating collection activities, posting payments, and maintaining accurate financial records.

This is an onsite, Temp-to-Hire opportunity in Victor, NY, paying $24-27/hour.

• Process and record daily cash receipts accurately and efficiently.
• Post customer payments to the appropriate accounts and open invoices.
• Research and resolve payment variances, deductions, and required adjustments.
• Perform collection activities for accounts with overdue receivable balances.
• Monitor, manage, and maintain responsibility for an assigned portfolio of customer accounts.
• Evaluate accounts to identify potential bad debt or financial risk exposure.
• Build and sustain productive working relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Handle customer communications related to billing questions and general account matters.
• Drive reduction of past-due balances and overall AR aging for assigned accounts.
• Maintain detailed and accurate records related to receivables, credit status, discrepancies, and issue resolution.
• Prepare recurring weekly and monthly reports as required.
• Review pending orders and process account adjustments in alignment with departmental policies.
• Work directly with customers and internal teams to investigate and resolve disputed items following company and department guidelines.
• Engage Sales and management as needed to accelerate collection efforts or resolve account issues.
• Support financial review, credit evaluation, and approval processes for new customer accounts.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing teams to support customer inquiries, new initiatives, and program rollouts.
• Recommend severely delinquent accounts for external collection action and prepare supporting documentation.
• Participate in special projects and initiatives in support of the Accounts Receivable and Finance functions.

• Degree in accounting, business or related area is preferred.
• A combination of experience and education resulting in a moderate understanding of cash applications & collections is required.

• At least one year of experience in accounts receivable functions, including cash application, collections, and customer account support; exposure to ERP or business systems is a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office tools, including Excel.

• Demonstrates strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Produces precise, high-quality work with a focus on data integrity.
• Communicates clearly and professionally in both written and verbal settings.
• Approachable, collaborative, and effective in a team-based environment.
• Brings strong customer service skills with the ability to research issues and negotiate resolutions.
• Exercises sound judgment through effective data analysis and evaluation.
• Highly organized with strong time-management capabilities.
• Able to juggle multiple priorities while maintaining focus in a fast-paced setting.
• Possesses a working knowledge of accounts receivable processes and fundamental accounting principles.
• Proactively identifies potential issues and applies critical thinking to develop preventative solutions.
• Adaptable and responsive to changing systems, processes, or priorities.