The Accounts Receivable/ Parent Fee Support (PFS) Manager is responsible for overseeing the effective collection and support processes related to the debtors book across the organization in both South Africa and Kenya. The role ensures that collection targets are met while maintaining a positive and supportive experience for families. This position works closely with school leadership, finance, admissions, and other internal stakeholders to strengthen billing accuracy, improve payment culture, mitigate credit risk, and maintain high levels of parent satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities
School Fee Collections Management
Lead and oversee the collection of billed school fees, ensuring collection targets are consistently met or exceeded.
Manage the collections process within agreed timelines by coordinating, directing, and prioritizing team activities.
Monitor collection performance and develop corrective strategies when collections fall behind targets.
Identify risk areas early and implement proactive interventions to mitigate potential delinquency.
Serve as the subject matter expert for legal issues regarding debt collection operations and engagement with external legal experts.
Debt Collection Agencies and Credit Bureaus
Oversee processes related to bad debt recovery, including coordination with external agencies.
Manage and monitor performance of debt collection agencies and credit bureaus used for enrollment-related credit checks.
Parent Satisfaction and Service Excellence
Ensure effective and respectful communication with families on all matters related to school fees.
Maintain agreed service standards for response times and quality of communication.
Oversee the management of parent queries and act as the escalation point for complex parent cases requiring intervention.
Monitor parent satisfaction feedback and implement improvements where service gaps are identified.
Call Centre / Customer Contact Centre Operations
Manage call centre and email operations (Zendesk) for the Nova Pioneer customer contact centre regarding fee queries.
Set performance benchmarks and drive performance for productivity, customer satisfaction levels, response times, and resolution times.
Stakeholder Management
Family Engagement: Model and promote a positive, empathetic, and professional approach when engaging with families regarding financial matters.
School Leaders: Provide regular updates on campus-specific fee collection performance and highlight financial risks.
Finance Team: Work closely with the finance team to ensure family billing is accurate, timely, and clearly communicated.
Admissions Team: Support affordability assessments for prospective families and ensure financial clearance processes for new families are smooth.
Reporting and Performance Monitoring
Produce regular analytical reports on collections performance at both organizational and parent-account levels.
Provide school leadership teams with monthly updates on collections performance.
Maintain accurate records across databases, dashboards, and reporting systems.
Management of the Nova Pioneer Foundation (Bursary Programme)
Develop bursary frameworks, including eligibility criteria, award rubrics, and programme terms and conditions.
Oversee documentation review and award bursaries to qualifying families.
Monitor the foundation’s budget utilization and produce reports on committed funds.
Team Leadership and Development
Provide clarity, support, and accountability for the Global Parent Fees Support team.
Conduct weekly one-on-one meetings and regular feedback sessions.
Train, coach, and develop team members to build capabilities for excellent service.
Qualifications and Experience
For Kenya Applicants:
A Bachelor’s Degree (in Business preferred).
CPA (K) or Finalist or its equivalent (ACCA, CA etc).
For South Africa Applicants:
Minimum: BComm with majors in management accounting and/or accounting.
Experience & Skills:
A minimum of 3 years' experience managing a debt collection team with >1000 retail customers.
A minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a customer-facing call centre / customer contact centre team.
Proficient in the use of Excel for financial analysis, modelling, and reporting.
Excellent organizational and project management skills.
Strong ability to manage complex or difficult customer interactions.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the Nova Pioneer application portal at novapioneer.applytojob.com.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to Nova Pioneer on novapioneer.applytojob.com to apply. Ensure you submit your application through the official recruitment portal provided.
