Collections Manager - Bursar Office - UTK

Under the supervision of Assistant Bursar, the Manager of Collections has the responsibility of designing and re-designing processes to collect debts from students, non-student customers, including, but not limited to, the most difficult-to-collect debt. Observe and review the interactions of staff members with clients to ensure that collections are done according to university policies and regulations. Directly supervise the collections staff.  Reconciling customers' receivable accounts both to the general ledger and to the outstanding invoices and particular charges that remain unpaid. Managing the placement of holds and late fees to the appropriate student accounts. Maintain a commitment to teamwork and provide exemplary customer service.  Assist and support all campus-based loan staff and provide accurate, detailed information and guidance to students.

Responsibilities: 

• Manages the employees who collect past due student and departmental balances.
• Handles complaints or difficult calls.
• Make sure employees comply with company policies when contacting individuals and other companies to collect past due balances that they owe.
• Ensures all written correspondence complies with company policies in terms of verbiage and frequency of contact.
• Keep up with changes in state and federal laws governing debt collections and make sure employees receive training on any changes in laws.
• Make sure the collectors on staff operate within the confines of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) when making phone contact with individuals and companies.
• Monitors call reports to make sure collectors are making enough phone contacts each day.
• Identifies areas of the collection process that need improvement.
• Pull reports for graduation, holds, advances and enrollment and upload to UCollect for processing. 
• Provide general information to students, faculty and staff about VA education benefits and TN Strong Act benefits.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience: 5 years of experience in collections, accounts receivable, or bursar roles. Proven leadership and management experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Experience with relevant software and systems. Experience in a higher education setting. Accurate data entry, calculation and financial analysis skills; Ability to identify and solve reconciliation information/issues; Excellent negotiation skills. Candidates should have strong people skills and possess experience in diffusing potentially volatile situations, handling frustrated customers and appropriately resolving their conflicts.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's Degree
• Experience: Prefer four years’ related experience in managing a team, collection and customer service experience in Higher Education in addition to cash handling experience. Considerable knowledge of federal, state and university rules and regulations pertaining to the disbursement of all UT Knoxville student financial aid.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Possess the ability to interpret complex financial data and apply institutional, State, and Federal Procedures and regulations.  Other qualities needed for this position include the ability to multi-task, be detail-oriented, work well under pressure (must meet deadlines), honesty, dependability and maintain confidentiality as required by FERPA regulations.

Work Location: University of Tennessee Knoxville. This position is in-person.  

 

Compensation and Benefits: 

• UT market range: $24 – $28
• Anticipated hiring range: $26.44 ($55K per year)
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

 

Application Instructions: For best consideration applicants should submit the below materials before October1st 2025.

• Resume
• Cover Letter (optional)
• List of no more than 3 references

 

About The College/Department/Division: The Office of the Bursar specializes in managing student accounts, assesses tuition and fees, provides billing statements, refunding, and processing payments. Our goal is to aide students in understanding their student-related charges while also providing guidance about payment options available to them.

We aim to provide the best student centric service so that students are prepared for success on their collegiate journey. We also provide banking services for university departments. 

The Finance & Administration Division has fiduciary and leadership responsibility for the Knoxville campus in three primary areas of accountability: fiscal, physical, and auxiliary operations.  Our goal is to provide quality support in the institution’s pursuit of excellence through effective stewardship and enhancement of the University’s resources. The strategies to achieve the goal of quality support of the instruction, research and public service functions include implementation of best operations practices, recommendation of efficient and cost-effective policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, focusing on internal and external customer needs, and the provision of a safe and productive physical environment.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.  

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.  

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.  

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!