WHAT DOES A CREDIT MANAGER DO?

Updated: Mar 26, 2026. The Credit Manager focuses on credit and collections management, overseeing billing, risk assessment, and customer account performance while ensuring compliance with corporate policies and financial controls. This role supports business growth through effective credit analysis, debt recovery, stakeholder coordination, and strategic decision-making to minimize financial risk. The manager also leads team development, improves operational processes, and strengthens client relationships to enhance performance and optimize cash flow outcomes.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Credit Manager

1. Credit Manager Duties

  • Report Production: Produce debtor aging reports.
  • Team Management: Manage the credit team.
  • Risk Management: Ensure the credit risk is managed properly.
  • Account Monitoring: Monitor the status of new customer accounts.
  • Cash Maximization: Maximize cash collection and improvements.
  • Process Support: Support senior staff with process improvements.
  • Audit Collaboration: Work closely with the audit team.
  • Timetable Enhancement: Enhance the credit control timetable.
  • Credit Risk Assessment: Assess and manage credit risks and related risks.
  • Country Risk Management: Assess and manage country risks.
  • Asset Management: Manage problematic assets.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Monitor, report, and take early action.
  • Portfolio Analysis: Conduct portfolio analysis and management.

2. Credit Manager Details

  • Risk Evaluation: Evaluate portfolio risks and make final credit decisions.
  • Strategic Interaction: Interact with other departments regarding credit management strategies.
  • Asset Growth: Drive an increase in the average balance of assets.
  • Loan Management: Reduce the percentage of non-performing loans.
  • Credit Assessment: Assess credit applications and manage credit approvals.
  • Risk Mitigation: Mitigate risk by efficiently managing a high-risk portfolio.
  • Limit Management: Manage limits that are in excess of the normal limit.
  • Debt Restructuring: Apply debt restructuring principles.
  • Customer Service: Drive excellent customer service delivery.
  • Report Preparation: Prepare credit reports for presentation.

3. Credit Manager Responsibilities

  • Customer Contact: Contact customers about due payments, both orally and in writing.
  • Payment Processing: Post and match incoming payments daily.
  • Policy Implementation: Proactively contribute to the implementation of the Credit policy.
  • Financial Analysis: Perform financial analysis prior to the opening of a customer account.
  • Order Management: Manage blocked orders in case of unpaid bills, customer defaults, and/or bad debts.
  • Risk Management: Target the cash collection and risk management objectives in order to allocate corresponding means in accordance with the Credit policy.
  • Credit Negotiation: Collaborate with the Credit Insurance for the negotiation and renewal of the credit limits, propose and follow alternative solutions in accordance with the Credit Policy.
  • Policy Enforcement: Enforce fixed and harmonized payment deadlines and define the stimulus policy.
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Animate problems related to customer credit in connection with Customer Service, Sales, Finance, and follow up on the action plan.
  • Payment Modernization: Modernize the payment methods.

4. Credit Manager Accountabilities

  • Customer Support: Receive and handle customer questions via phone, text, or emails.
  • Debt Collection: Perform soft collection calls on past due accounts via phone, text, email.
  • Account Coordination: Coordinate follow-up action on past due accounts with the Credit Manager.
  • Data Management: Maintain internal information in PDS software regarding all interactions with customers.
  • Task Management: Run action list for daily, weekly, monthly tasks and review with Credit Manager.
  • Financial Reporting: Run daily bank report and identify incoming payments, then take them to the A/R Department.
  • Compliance Review: Review daily CFN (Commercial Fueling Network) over-gallon report and reset or not, with Credit Manager approval.
  • Payment Processing: Receive and process checks by fax/email or deliver to the A/R Department.
  • Credit Card Handling: Run credit card as requested and take to the A/R Department.

5. Credit Manager Functions

  • Credit Policy Management: Establish consistent customer credit and collections policy and processes across all sales territories, ensure ongoing compliance, and manage regular policy reviews.
  • Accounts Review: Reviews aging of accounts, determines overdue accounts, and directs actions.
  • Order Management: Manage all daily regular and future order releases with other members of the credit team.
  • Risk Analysis: Independently analyze and monitor credit holds to balance risk with optimization of sales, exercise discretion on releasing orders within the delegation of authority level.
  • Credit Analysis: Analyze financial statements and other required credit information to establish credit limits and manage credit risks to maximize profits.
  • Credit Review: Perform credit review, make credit recommendations, and present key financial data to be reviewed with upper management.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work cross-functionally with sales, customer service, and operations to implement new procedures and drive best practice metrics.
  • Terms Evaluation: Evaluate, monitor, and review customer requests for payment terms outside standard guidelines.
  • Process Improvement: Promote an environment of constant process improvement within the department.
  • Risk Communication: Inform the Director of Finance of any issues with large high-risk customers and actions taken to ensure adequate control is maintained.

6. Credit Manager Overview

  • Credit Review: Review current credit status for customers placing orders for goods or services.
  • Policy Update: Review and update the company’s credit policy.
  • Credit Monitoring: Monitor customer credit balance for delinquent payments.
  • Debt Collection: Contact customer with overdue balances for collection.
  • Policy Revision: Review company credit policy and incorporate updates.
  • Legal Representation: Represent the company in civil court cases to settle delinquent or challenged accounts.
  • Credit Communication: Communicate with customer service and dispatching regarding customer credit status.
  • Management Liaison: Liaise with upper management on matters of trends in delinquency or loss and use this information to inform future credit decisions.
  • Audit Supervision: Supervise and collaborate in the process of internal and external audits, SOX controls, and comply with the procedures and policies established.
  • Project Leadership: Lead internal and external projects relating to new or enhancing existing processes in the AS400 system.
  • Financial Analysis: Perform quarterly bad debt allowance calculations.

7. Credit Manager Details and Accountabilities

  • DSO Management: Establish DSO goals and AR metrics, and work to achieve goals and minimize bad debt.
  • Team Leadership: Lead, develop, and support the credit and collections staff of 2.
  • Policy Development: Establish department policies and internal controls and ensure compliance.
  • Process Improvement: Develop and implement procedures to ensure systems (SAP/other) are being used efficiently.
  • Risk Management: Manage credit risk by establishing customer credit limits and payment terms.
  • Collections Management: Actively participate in collections and issue resolution with customer accounts and management of customer portals.
  • Meeting Leadership: Prepare for and lead quarterly credit review meetings and other ad-hoc meetings.
  • Partner Relations: Manage relationships with business partners including collection agencies and credit card processing providers.
  • Audit Preparation: Prepare audit schedules for annual external audit.
  • Performance Management: Complete and/or approve staff performance reviews and be responsible for recommendations for personnel actions.
  • Employee Motivation: Responsible for motivating employees to achieve peak productivity and performance.

8. Credit Manager Tasks

  • Credit Review: Conduct periodic credit reviews of existing customers.
  • Record Maintenance: Maintain customer files, updating and storing pertinent information.
  • Risk Assessment: Evaluate creditworthiness and potential risks.
  • Collections Strategy: Use collection methods that consistently lead to achieving or exceeding financial goals.
  • Sales Collaboration: Interface with sales and maintain a customer-focused outlook.
  • Negotiation Skills: Negotiate payment arrangements when applicable.
  • Legal Coordination: Determine when attorneys or collection agencies are needed to support collection efforts.
  • Tool Utilization: Utilize and understand key tools used to secure the portfolio.
  • Legal Knowledge: Understand and enforce lien/bond rights within the construction industry.
  • Problem Resolution: Solve problems quickly and with diplomacy/tact to create resolutions that result in regular revenue and customer retention.

9. Credit Manager Roles

  • Payment Processing: Collect and apply customer payments.
  • Policy Recommendation: Recommend changes in the credit policy to senior management.
  • Legal Compliance: Supervise, manage, and implement company policy regarding liens, releases, and notices of commencement, as well as any other applicable legal requirements.
  • Credit Management: Manage customer credit files.
  • Credit Processing: Monitor, manage, and implement the credit granting and updating process.
  • Credit Monitoring: Monitor periodic credit reviews.
  • Deduction Monitoring: Monitor deductions being taken by customers and other applicable customer-specific issues.
  • Risk Analysis: Analyze payment trends on a client-by-client basis, evaluate risk, and make recommendations for revaluation of credit terms.
  • Policy Enforcement: Monitor internal adherence to company invoicing and payment policies.
  • Executive Reporting: Report directly to the CFO.

10. Credit Manager Additional Details

  • AR Management: Monitor and facilitate daily accounts receivable operations, provide direction, set priorities, and oversee team performance to ensure exceptional customer service.
  • Risk Modeling: Create credit scoring models to predict risk.
  • Procedure Oversight: Oversee and maintain proper procedures according to the risk appetite of the business.
  • Credit Analysis: Work with credit agencies to access customer information and ratings to establish pre-approval thresholds.
  • Credit Terms Setting: Establish credit terms for customers and constantly review terms to maintain appropriate levels and reduce bad debt losses.
  • Sales Collaboration: Work closely with the sales team and build productive working relationships.
  • Collections Coordination: Work closely with the Collections Manager to maintain a reasonable AR balance determined by the business.
  • Record Accuracy: Oversee all AR postings including payments and credits to ensure accurate customer records.
  • AR Maintenance: Maintain an accurate Aged Accounts Receivable Listing.
  • Process Improvement: Identify and recommend ways to streamline collections services and improve processes.
  • Team Development: Oversee and support the coaching, development, and training of team members.

11. Credit Manager Essential Functions

  • Policy Formulation: Formulate and recommend general credit policy with support from the country credit committee and assure adherence to accepted standards.
  • Risk Review: Review major lease, purchase, or conditional sales contract proposals to identify and minimize credit risk.
  • Credit Limit Setting: Propose credit limits and support Local Divisions on credit decisions.
  • Sales Collaboration: Maintain frequent communications with the sales function and perform credit reviews with Local Business Units on a regular basis.
  • Account Settlement Support: Support Local Divisions in the settlement of delinquent accounts when established parameters are not met.
  • Legal Management: Manage all account issues involving bankruptcy and other legal proceedings.
  • Client Relations: Develop and maintain a personalized rapport with all clients that is positive, professional, and courteous at all times.
  • Receivables Monitoring: Continually monitor receivable balances and communicate with clients on an individual and personalized basis.
  • Payment Processing: Process incoming payments and post to the accounting system.
  • Credit Evaluation: Review new client credit applications, evaluate risk, and make credit terms recommendations to managers.

12. Credit Manager Role Purpose

  • Credit Evaluation: Review credit applications and credit reference agencies to set credit limits and ensure credit worthiness.
  • Policy Assistance: Assist with the preparation of Credit Policy Renewals.
  • Reporting: Produce Trading History Reports monthly with monthly reviews.
  • Decision Making: Make sound judgment decisions considering credit insurance requirements.
  • Legal Preparation: Prepare 7-day letters and Pre-Legals (aware of and experienced in issuing Pre Action Protocols).
  • Court Processing: Prepare legal cases through the County Court system, acquiring judgments on debtors to meet claim guidelines up to and including enforcement.
  • Enforcement Utilization: Use High Court Enforcement Officers.
  • Debtor Analysis: Prepare Monthly Debtor Analysis to board level, including comments and updates.
  • Debt Management: Manage write-offs, bad debt provisions, and the setting up of payment plans in conjunction with credit insurance policy.
  • Insurance Processing: Process insurance claim submissions.
  • Broker Liaison: Liaise with insurance brokers on installment arrangements and claims.

13. Credit Manager Key Accountabilities

  • Process Evaluation: Evaluate and review systems and processes, proposing business process improvements to drive overall efficiency in billing and collection.
  • Change Management: Implement and manage changes.
  • Project Leadership: Participate in and lead key business projects.
  • Report Preparation: Prepare receivables monthly management reports in accordance with Company month-end timetables.
  • Financial Reconciliation: Reconcile and analyze month-end receivables balances.
  • Stakeholder Relations: Manage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to maximize collection potential.
  • KPI Development: Develop value-adding KPIs and reporting in conjunction with the Business Analyst.
  • Strategic Assistance: Assist the Finance Director in reviewing and determining receivables targets.
  • Payment Allocation: Assist with the allocation of customer payments.
  • Credit Management: Credit check new clients and monitor credit alerts.
  • Financial Reporting: Produce reports for customer accounts & aged debt.

14. Credit Manager General Responsibilities

  • Team Leadership: Continue to build and lead a high-performing team.
  • Objective Setting: Set clear team and individual objectives that are aligned to the business unit’s strategy and vision.
  • Performance Monitoring: Monitor KPI performance of team members.
  • Workflow Management: Manage team workflow through allocation of appropriate resources.
  • Debt Reduction: Ensure the reduction of debtors.
  • Invoice Management: Ensure all invoices are collected efficiently.
  • Debt Resolution: Resolve any outstanding debts and queries.
  • Training Development: Train new team members and identify training needs for existing team members.
  • Team Support: Lead and support the team of credit controllers.
  • Statement Production: Produce monthly statements for customers.

15. Credit Manager Duties and Roles

  • Team Management: Manage the daily operations of the investment lending underwriting team, ensuring the integrity of operations from a quality and productivity perspective.
  • Compliance Adherence: Actively adhere to established control procedures, including daily pipeline management, quality control, and data integrity responsibilities.
  • Credit Analysis: Analyze personal credit files, including more complex files, and render decisions or make recommendations that respect the policies, guidelines, and risk appetite of the bank.
  • Risk Management: Ensure the team identifies and follows up on irregular files and refers them to the recovery group or other authorities, such as the legal or compliance departments.
  • Customer Experience: Own the customer experience and proactively problem-solve and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Mentorship: Act as a resource and mentor to colleagues.
  • Performance Evaluation: Evaluate team member performance and develop their potential through coaching and training.
  • Support Leadership: Support AVP Credit by acting as a delegate or primary contact when the AVP is unavailable.
  • Project Participation: Actively participate as an SME in various projects and present improvement ideas that can impact profitability and efficiency.
  • Guideline Implementation: Participate in the implementation of guidelines, procedures, and system changes.
  • Industry Knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current legislation and industry trends.

16. Credit Manager Duties

  • Credit Policy: Implement credit and collection policies and procedures, ensuring company policies are maintained
  • Credit Review: Review new customer credit applications and credit reports
  • Limit Control: Oversee customer credit limits, credit reviews, and credit holds
  • Billing Operations: Oversee customer billing and cash receipts processing
  • Aging Reports: Generate and review weekly and monthly aging reports
  • Collection Analysis: Manage collection calls and analysis of customer accounts
  • Summary Management: Create, document, and maintain collection and adjustment summaries
  • Statement Content: Review and update collection letters and content within customer statements
  • Team Leadership: Lead the department to continuous success through coaching, training, and development

17. Credit Manager Details

  • Credit Limits: Establish credit limits and work with key customer contacts to maintain balances within limits while also supporting sales objectives.
  • Sales Coordination: Coordinate with various sales teams.
  • Growth Support: Support growth plans by providing accurate assessments and communicating customers’ financial capacity to both internal and external parties.
  • Process Compliance: Ensure compliance with credit processes.
  • Policy Adherence: Adhere to established corporate policies and internal controls over all facets of acquiring and maintaining security files.
  • Financial Monitoring: Monitor customers’ financial status, taking appropriate actions to prevent potential bad debt via regular reviews of customer financial data, which may vary and be complex in nature.
  • Decision Strategy: Develop a strategy and execute critical decisions regarding the initiation, continuation, or termination of business relationships based on credit analysis and past payment performance, including leading negotiations with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Performance Management: Support a strong performance management process that aligns individual objectives with business metrics and connects performance against those objectives.

18. Credit Manager Responsibilities

  • Credit Statements: Raise credits and statements.
  • Payment Tracking: Track customer payments and allocate payments to customer accounts.
  • Ledger Review: Conduct monthly ledger reviews and weekly reviews for finance.
  • Debt Analysis: Perform aged debt reporting and analysis and assist with cash flow forecasting.
  • Client Relations: Build strong relationships with key clients and internal stakeholders.
  • Team Leadership: Lead and develop a small team.
  • Payment Collection: Chase payments from customers and liaise with the sales team.
  • Target Setting: Identify new targets for the team that better reflect the organisation's new objectives.
  • Stakeholder Management: Take personal ownership of managing internal stakeholder relationships.
  • Leadership Coaching: Coach and develop Team Leaders and take responsibility for their personal development.
  • System Improvement: Work with IT to improve the flow of MI from multiple systems.
  • Debt Improvement: Improve the value of aged debt on the ledger.

19. Credit Manager Accountabilities

  • Billing Activities: Responsible for all billing activities for the location.
  • Collection Calls: Place phone calls to overdue accounts while keeping the respective Sales Representative apprised.
  • Account Reconciliation: Responsible for account reconciliation and entry of accounts receivable.
  • Credit Investigation: Perform credit investigations to determine a credit rating and terms for prospective accounts.
  • Note Reconciliation: Perform note reconciliation and scrap reconciliation.
  • Contract Review: Review all contracts for accuracy and submit them to the Regional Credit Manager for approval.
  • Contract Records: Retain a copy of the contracts for company records and return the signed original to the vendor.
  • Credit Hold: Place accounts on credit hold.
  • Hold Notification: Notify the Sales Manager and the Sales Representative of the hold.
  • SP Execution: Create and execute SP plans, meet SP commitments, and work within SP guidelines.
  • Value Alignment: Reflect Service Partners’ business values and philosophy in all business interactions.
  • Vision Integration: Incorporate Service Partners’ vision and values into day-to-day activities and behaviors.
  • Team Motivation: Guide and motivate others to remain committed to the Service Partners philosophy.
  • Safety Compliance: Adhere to all facets of safety policies and procedures.

20. Credit Manager Functions

  • Risk Approval: Approve risk exposures within a delegated authority matrix.
  • Transaction Structuring: Directly work with and advise business units in structuring and delivering lending transactions.
  • Risk Partnership: Actively partner with first line of defence stakeholders in managing the risk-reward trade-off while reviewing and approving transactions.
  • Risk Minimization: Minimise risk losses through rigorous underwriting and stewardship.
  • Collection Management: Manage and document daily collection activity of an assigned accounts receivable portfolio.
  • Project Handling: Handle special projects and assignments.
  • Dispute Resolution: Research account disputes and discrepancies and perform account reconciliation.
  • Write-off Identification: Identify projected legal and write-off accounts within the assigned portfolio.
  • Balance Finalization: Finalize outstanding balances through negotiation or by forwarding accounts to Strategic Collection.
  • Risk Analysis: Analyze accounts and assess credit risk.
  • Portfolio Maintenance: Maintain the portfolio at the corporate goal.
  • Branch Communication: Communicate and service branch offices to address collection issues, billing disputes, process job order overrides and credit checks, and respond to inquiries.

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This content is part of Lamwork's career intelligence platform and is developed using structured analysis of real-world job data, including publicly available job descriptions, skill requirements, and hiring patterns.

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