Earnest

Director of Collections Strategy

Earnest$213K — $262K *
US-AnywhereRemote in San Francisco, CA
Finance & Insurance
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in consumer lending collections, servicing, or recoveries with strategic ownership.
  • Deep understanding of collections operations, compliance, and vendor management.
  • Proven track record in enhancing recovery while prioritizing customer experience.
  • Highly analytical with a strong comfort level in data-driven decision-making.
  • Ability to communicate effectively across various functions including Risk, Product, and Compliance.

Responsibilities

  • Build and lead the collections strategy for personal loans and student loan refinancing.
  • Design recovery strategies that prioritize customer satisfaction throughout the delinquency lifecycle.
  • Select and manage third-party vendors to ensure accountability and performance.
  • Utilize data and testing to create a compliant and scalable collections operation.
  • Develop long-term collections models balancing vendor use and in-house capability building.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans alongside savings options.
  • Mac computers and stipends for home office setup.
  • Monthly reimbursements for internet and phone expenses.
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan and RSUs.
  • Generous 401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
  • Robust tuition reimbursement program.
  • Annual travel perk of $1,000 on each Earnie-versary.
  • Generous annual PTO and competitive parental leave.
Full Job Description
The Director of Collections will report to our Chief Product Officer.

As the Director of Collections you will:
  • Build and lead the end-to-end collections strategy across personal loans and student loan refinance, with an initial focus on scaling the personal loan portfolio.
  • Leverage advanced risk modeling and analytics to design collections and loss-mitigation strategies that improve portfolio performance throughout the delinquency lifecycle while delivering a positive customer experience.
  • Design and optimize treatment strategies spanning early-stage outreaches, hardship programs, and pre-charge-off interventions.
  • Design and execute tests across digital and traditional communication channels, continuously optimizing customer engagement through rigorous experimentation and measurement.
  • Lead the AI integration roadmap for collections strategy and leverage AI tools to improve productivity and outcomes.
  • Define and monitor portfolio KPIs, and translate complex data into actionable business decisions.
  • Drive clear performance expectations and accountability with third-party vendors, and develop the long-term operating model for the optimal balance between internal capabilities and third-party partners.

About You:
  • 10+ years of experience in consumer lending collections strategy, with significant ownership of loss mitigation strategy and collections analytics.
  • Deep expertise in unsecured consumer lending, preferably Personal Loans, Student Loan Refinance, Credit Cards, or other installment lending products.
  • Proven track record of improving collections performance while balancing customer experience, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.
  • Strong analytical and quantitative background with extensive experience using data to identify opportunities, develop strategies, and measure business impact.
  • Expert understanding of collections performance metrics, charge-offs, and vendor management.
  • Proficiency with SQL and familiarity with Python, statistical modeling, and modern business intelligence platforms (e.g., Tableau, Looker).
  • Excellent cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to align stakeholders across Risk, Data Science, Product, Engineering, Operations, Legal, Compliance, and Finance.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex analytical findings into clear business recommendations.

Even Better:
  • Experience building, scaling, or modernizing a collections strategy function in a high-growth fintech or digital lending environment.
  • Experience applying AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics to collections strategy, customer engagement, or operational optimization.
  • Deep knowledge of collections operations, regulatory requirements, and vendor management.
  • Experience with modern digital collections capabilities.

Where:
  • This role will be based in the US.

Compensation:

A little about our pay philosophy: We take pride in compensating our employees fairly and equitably. We are showcasing a range of your potential base salary based on the roles location. The successful candidate's starting pay will also be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, candidate location and budget. This range may be modified in the future.

Salary Range: $213,000 - $262,000 USD.Employees are also eligible for an annual performance-based bonus and equity.

#LI-JP

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including:
  • Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
  • Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
  • Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
  • 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
  • Robust tuition reimbursement program
  • $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world
  • Competitive days of annual PTO
  • Competitive parental leave

About Earnest

Earnest is a financial services company that provides student loan refinancing, personal loans, and home loans. They use technology to simplify the lending process and offer competitive rates to their customers. Earnest was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. They are committed to helping their customers achieve their financial goals and offer a variety of tools and resources to help them manage their finances.
Learn more about Earnest
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2013

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