Credit & Collections Manager

Job Summary

Dole Fresh Fruit North America (DFFNA) is seeking an experienced Credit & Collections Manager to lead the credit and accounts' receivable function. This position manages a team of six A/R Specialists located across Charlotte, NC and Westlake Village, CA. The Credit & Collections Manager is responsible for credit risk management, accounts receivable, collections, cash application, customer deductions and disputes, bad debt management, cash forecasting, financial reporting, and internal controls. This position plays a critical role in protecting working capital, minimizing credit exposure and bad debt, and maintaining SOX-compliant processes. The successful candidate will partner closely with Sales, Treasury, Accounting, Corporate Finance, IT, Customer Service, and regional Finance teams to resolve customer and credit issues and drive continuous improvement and automation throughout the order-to-cash process.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of six A/R Specialist across Charlotte, NC and Westlake Village, CA.
• Establish performance expectations, assign account portfolios, and manage workloads and scheduling.
• Evaluate new customer credit applications by analyzing financial statements, trade references, Blue Book ratings, payment history, and credit agency information.
• Recommend customer credit limits and continuously monitor portfolio credit risk and exposure.
• Administer customer credit holds and releases in accordance with company policies and SOX requirements.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for Sales regarding credit holds, customer credit exposure, past-due balances, and account issues.
• Direct accounts receivable collection activities, including AR aging reviews, past-due account management, and prioritization of high-risk accounts.
• Determine when delinquent accounts require escalation to third-party collection agencies or legal counsel.
• Oversee customer deductions, disputes, short payments, and overpayments through resolution, including root-cause analysis.
• Manage PACA trust claims, bad debt, recoveries, and collection litigation support.
• Maintain the allowance for doubtful accounts and required PACA and DRC licensing and respond to USDA inquiries.
• Own the accounts receivable month-end close process, including cash cutoff, AR module close, and monthly AR-to-general-ledger reconciliations.
• Perform daily cash posting and oversee bank reconciliation activities.
• Coordinate customer ACH payment setup and payment verification processes.
• Prepare and deliver weekly cash forecasts to Treasury, including projections for customer receipts and collections.
• Prepare corporate, lender, and credit agency accounts receivable reporting and provide analysis of key variances.
• Maintain management reporting and dashboards covering DSO, accounts receivable aging, customers, and sales activity using Power BI.
• Partner with IT to maintain data integrity between Microsoft Dynamics 365 and reporting platforms.
• Maintain credit and collections policies, accounts receivable procedures, and SOX internal controls.
• Support internal and external audits related to revenue and accounts receivable.
• Lead continuous improvement and automation initiatives across the order-to-cash process, including invoice delivery, EDI, cash application, workflow tools, and ERP release testing.
• Maintain accounts receivable records and supporting documentation in accordance with Dole record retention requirements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in credit, collections, accounts receivable, or related financial functions. Experience in the produce, perishables, food, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) or a comparable ERP system, Salesforce, and Microsoft PowerBI preferred
• Knowledge of Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) trust provisions and produce-industry collections preferred.
• NACM credit certification, including Credit Business Associate (CBA) or Certified Credit Executive (CCE) preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or people-leadership experience. Experience leading employees across multiple locations, including remote team members preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial credit analysis and credit risk assessment.
• Strong understanding of accounts receivable accounting, general ledger reconciliations, and month-end close.
• Experience managing collections, deductions, customer disputes, short payments, and account resolution.
• Knowledge of internal controls and experience supporting audits.
• Strong financial analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Knowledge of SOX internal controls and compliance requirements preferred.
• Experience improving or automating accounts receivable and order-to-cash processes.

Work Authorization Requirement:Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization throughout their employment. The company does not provide employment visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. This job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity.