Collections Specialist

Who We're Looking For

At Zendesk, we empower organizations worldwide to build better relationships with their customers. We're seeking an exceptional Collections Specialist to join our team, where you will be instrumental in safeguarding our financial health and fueling our global operations.

You are more than just an analyst; you are a strategic problem-solver and a meticulous relationship builder. You find purpose in managing complex, high-volume workflows and delivering results that directly impact our bottom line. If you are ready to bring your detail-oriented focus and collaborative spirit to a truly inclusive global environment, we invite you to connect with us. Your dedication to financial accuracy and customer partnership is exactly what we need for our next stage of growth.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Collections Specialist, you will manage a high-activity portfolio of customer accounts, playing a critical role in minimizing outstanding receivables while maintaining positive customer relationships.

• Manage Account Health: Lead the daily management of a high-volume portfolio primarily focused on our SMB (Small to Midsize Business) customers, utilizing the AR Aging report to strategically prioritize and execute time-sensitive collection efforts.
• Reconciliation and Analysis: Expertly examine, investigate, and reconcile detailed customer accounts, including invoices, payments, credit memos, and unapplied credits, to quickly identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Execute Collection Strategy: Proactively engage with customers via regular, professional calls and emails, ensuring all collection activities adhere strictly to Zendesk's Collection Policy and compliance guidelines.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate seamlessly with internal partners across Sales, Legal, Finance Operations, and Renewals to address account coordination issues, critical escalations, and complex billing concerns that impact collection success.
• Negotiation & Action: Analyze delinquent account balances and effectively negotiate payment arrangements and resolution plans with customers, balancing recovery with relationship management.
• Account Status Recommendations: Formulate and recommend necessary account status changes, including suspension, cancellation, write-off, and reactivation, ensuring appropriate risk management.
• Audit and Compliance Support: Assist the team in gathering documentation and providing robust support for all internal and external audit requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Proactively participate in and support process improvements, playbooks, and procedural updates to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Collections team.

What You Bring to the Role

Basic Qualifications

• A Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
• 4 to 6 years of demonstrated, hands-on experience in Accounts Receivable and business-to-business (B2B) cash collections.
• Exceptional Communication: Proven ability to communicate complex financial matters clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, to internal and external stakeholders.
• Analytical Acumen: Strong analytical skills and a meticulous attention to detail required to perform accurate account reconciliations.
• Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated proficiency with core accounting software and the Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel/Google Sheets).
• Prioritization: Proven ability to manage a high-volume workload, prioritize multiple tasks effectively, and meet tight deadlines.
• Integrity: A high degree of professionalism and integrity when handling confidential and sensitive financial information.
• Work Flexibility: Willingness and ability to work a schedule aligned with the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) time zone.
• Hybrid Schedule: Willingness and ability to work in the office 1x times per week (hybrid model).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within a multinational or global technology company.
• Familiarity with large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, particularly Oracle Netsuite.
• Proven experience utilizing automated collections tools or a dedicated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (e.g., Salesforce).
• Demonstrated history of identifying and implementing process improvements or automation opportunities within a finance or collections environment.