Job Title: Operations Director
Location: Glasgow
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: Collections Managers, Operations Managers, Team Leads, Support Staff
Company Overview
A specialist collections and recoveries business committed to helping clients recover outstanding debts ethically and efficiently. The organisation prides itself on compliance, excellent customer service, and delivering strong results for clients.
Role Purpose
The Operations Director will lead and oversee all operational functions of the business, with particular focus on collections and recoveries. This role is responsible for setting strategy, driving performance, ensuring regulatory and compliance standards, optimising processes, managing risk, and delivering financial targets. The post holder will build and maintain high-performing teams, deliver on KPIs (including collection metrics, operational efficiency, and cost control), and ensure excellent operational practice across the business.
Key Responsibilities:
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Develop, refine, and execute the operations strategy in line with company goals and client needs.
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Lead, motivate, and manage teams responsible for the full collections lifecycle: pre-collections, in-house collections, external collections, recoveries.
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Set ambitious yet realistic performance targets and KPIs across collections and operational efficiency.
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Monitor performance metrics, produce regular reports and dashboards, and use data and analytics to identify trends, underperformance, or risks.
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Ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations and maintain strong governance and audit controls.
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Oversee process optimisation initiatives, including workflow improvements and automation.
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Manage budgets, control costs, and ensure resources are aligned to business demands.
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Manage relationships with external vendors and partners, ensuring performance, compliance, and value for money.
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Ensure excellent customer experience in all interactions, balancing recovery goals with ethical conduct.
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Lead risk management and mitigation strategies.
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Contribute to senior leadership discussions on business strategy, growth, and client delivery.
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Drive a culture of continuous improvement, coaching, and professional development.
Required Skills / Qualifications
Essential:
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Significant experience (7–10+ years) in operations leadership, ideally in credit, collections, recoveries, or financial services.
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Proven track record managing collections functions (from pre-delinquency through to legal recoveries).
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Strong performance management skills, including KPI setting and monitoring.
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Excellent leadership and people management experience across multiple teams or functions.
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Solid financial acumen with experience of budgets, cost control, and P&L awareness.
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Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data and provide actionable insights.
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Experience driving process improvements and operational efficiency.
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Sound knowledge of the relevant regulatory environment.
Desirable:
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Experience working with external legal or agency partners in recoveries.
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Experience with collections / recoveries technology and tools.
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Previous experience at senior leadership / Director level.
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Familiarity with industry metrics such as DSO, cure rate, and cost per account.
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Qualifications in Business, Finance, or related field.
Personal Attributes
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Strong communicator with the ability to influence at senior levels.
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Decisive and resilient under pressure.
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High integrity and commitment to ethical practices.
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Organised and able to manage multiple priorities.
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Proactive, forward-thinking, and solutions-focused.
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Team player who inspires, develops, and retains talent.
Performance Metrics
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Collection and recovery rates versus targets
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Reduction in delinquency and ageing accounts
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Days to resolve past-due accounts
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Cost per collection / per account recovered
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Bad debt write-offs as proportion of receivables
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Compliance and audit results
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Employee engagement and retention
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Operational efficiency improvements
Remuneration & Benefits
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Competitive salary, commensurate with senior operations leadership in the sector
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Bonus or incentive linked to collections / recovery targets and KPIs
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Pension contributions
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Benefits such as private health and life insurance (as per company policy)
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Potential for flexible or hybrid working arrangements