Description

About Payliance

Founded in 2007, Payliance is a trusted leader in payment processing — processing more than $63 billion annually, supporting 40,000+ merchant locations, and serving over 350 lending clients. We offer an all-in-one platform for real-time funding, payment processing, account verification, and recovery services, giving lenders the technology to operate efficiently and confidently.

What sets Payliance apart is our blend of modern technology, deep industry expertise, and a highly collaborative, people-first culture. Backed by Serent Capital, we're expanding our capabilities, accelerating innovation, and delivering measurable results for clients across lending, e-commerce, collections, and gaming.

About the Role

The Director of Collections leads the collections function, ensuring the team and its leadership have the resources, reporting, and processes needed to perform effectively. This role owns collection performance metrics, regulatory complaint response, licensing and compliance across all operating states, and the systems and vendor relationships that keep the collections function running smoothly.

This is a role for someone who can move fluidly between strategic oversight — budgeting, reserves, vendor management, licensing — and hands-on operational leadership, including coaching, performance management, and direct response to regulatory and consumer complaints. Sound judgment under real regulatory exposure is essential.

What You'll Do

Team Leadership & Performance

· Partner with department leadership to ensure they have the resources, tools, and support needed to succeed.

· Hire, train, and manage performance of the collections team, including coaching on call quality and de-escalation.

· Identify opportunities to improve individual and team productivity.

· Develop succession and cross-training plans, including state-specific licensing/certification requirements, to support business continuity.

Performance Monitoring & Analytics

· Monitor collection percentage performance; when results fall below standard, analyze root cause and determine whether it is correctable or driven by external circumstances.

· Track RCK paid-percentage performance reports to assess whether results are on trend, determine if methodology changes are needed, and distinguish temporary or circumstantial dips from systemic issues.

· Collaborate with reporting and analytics resources to develop reports supporting dashboard and business intelligence initiatives.

· Report key performance indicators (recovery rate, DSO, roll rates) to leadership on a regular cadence.

Regulatory & Compliance Oversight

· Respond to Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaints.

· Respond to debt validation requests.

· Support employee compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Regulation F, TCPA, FCRA, and CFPB requirements.

· Maintain compliance with all applicable state regulations and collection agency licensing in every state where the company operates, including assisting with license renewals.

· Maintain written collections policies, escalation matrices, and dispute-handling procedures.

Financial & Risk Oversight

· Manage the department budget and forecast accounts receivable aging and days sales outstanding (DSO).

· Approve charge-offs, write-offs, and bad debt reserves in accordance with company policy.

· Oversee litigation and bankruptcy-filed accounts, including coordination with outside counsel, and set settlement and payment plan authority levels.

Systems & Vendor Management

· Own the collections technology platform (dialer, case management system) and ensure debtor data is handled securely.

· Manage vendor relationships with third-party collection agencies, skip-tracing providers, and credit bureaus.

· Partner with leadership and technical teams to ensure database conversion projects are implemented smoothly.

· Monitor incoming and outgoing email correspondence with debtors and merchants.

· Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the business to support organizational success.

Requirements

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

· 5–10 years of proven experience in collections, accounts receivable, or a related leadership role.

· Working knowledge of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Regulation F, TCPA, FCRA, and CFPB requirements.

· Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret performance data and identify root causes of trends.

· Experience developing reporting and dashboards or partnering with analytics teams to do so.

· Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects, including systems or database conversions.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience responding to regulatory and consumer complaints.

· Proven track record building, training, and managing a collections team, including performance management.

· Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and P&L/reserve management.

· Hands-on experience with collections platforms, dialers, or case management systems, plus strong Excel/data skills.

· Commitment to training and succession planning to support business continuity.

· Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications

· Familiarity with bankruptcy law and credit bureau furnishing standards (Metro 2).

· Experience structuring settlements and payment plans.

· ACA International or similar collections/credit certification.

· Willingness and ability to pass state-specific licensing exams (e.g., Michigan, Nevada) as required.

How Your Success Will Be Measured

· Recovery Performance: Collection percentage, RCK paid-percentage trends, and roll rates against targets.

· Compliance & Regulatory Standing: Timeliness and quality of BBB/CFPB complaint responses; state licensing maintained in good standing.

· Team Development: Performance, retention, and succession readiness across the collections team.

· Financial Stewardship: Accuracy of AR aging, DSO forecasting, and reserve/write-off decisions against policy.

· Operational Reliability: Stability of collections technology platforms and vendor relationships.

Compensation & Benefits

· Competitive Salary commensurate with experience.

· Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.

· 401(k) with company match.

· Generous PTO plus paid company holidays.

· Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance.

· Paid parental leave.

Work Environment

On-Site — Lexington, KY. This role requires in-person presence to support floor visibility, team leadership, and day-to-day operational oversight.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Payliance is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive workplace for everyone. Discrimination or harassment of any kind — based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or pregnancy — is not tolerated. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the application and employment process.