Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Credit Management’s (‘CM’) main purpose is to manage and monitor the credit risk towards its customers with the aim of balancing this risk with the sales and profit reward of trading with such customers and reducing the A/R write-offs to a minimum.  As such CM continuously monitors the credit limits for the current customers, perform credit investigations for new customers and determine a credit rating. In addition, CM is responsible for the collection of overdue invoices, including co-operation with lawyers, collection agencies and insolvency administrators. Credit Management also significantly contributes to the company’s financial health by optimizing the speed of collection of receivables with the focus of keeping working capital requirements low. Additionally, credit management is responsible also for customer master data, trade terms maintenance as well as query and credit notes management.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Senior Manager Credit Management secures for all Zone East Europe comprehensive Order-to-Cash processes, guidelines and quality standards particularly in the following areas:
  • Credit Controls and Collection management
  • Customer Data, Trade Terms Maintenance and Credit Notes Management

• Management of credit controls and collection management for Zone East Europe
  • Support the definition and application of credit policies, procedures and practices governing overall credit operations, based on Europe/GBS guidelines
  • Perform credit investigations to determine a credit rating and terms for prospective accounts.
  • Continuously monitor the development of credit limits and customers’ creditworthiness.
  • Stop deliveries in case of potential insolvency or overdue situation of customers.
  • Block customers in case of insolvency and /or legal cases.
  • Ensure that the write-offs of receivables will be kept to a minimum.
  • Ensure compliance with established/ approved credit risk policies and procedures and ensure that a sound environment for measuring, monitoring and controlling credit risk is in place.
  • Ensure deployment of state-of-the-art tools/ systems to facilitate monitoring of the credit risk at product/ portfolio level.

• Cash collection for Zone East Europe
  • Guide and cooperate with the GBS Team based in Porto for the operational Collection of invoices
  • Work and cooperate with lawyers, collection agencies and/or insolvency administrator to manage critical customers.
  • Manage disputes with customers.
  • Playing an active role in the credit note and returns handling.
  • Guide speedy resolution of payment deductions and communication with GBS and Customer Service.
  • Agree payment schedules with customers.

• Planning, Reporting and Analysis for Zone East Europe
  • Cash Collection, aging and overdue analysis.
  • Bad debts development.
  • Open item development.
  • Critical customer reviews.
  • Cash, receivables and bad debts planning for forecast and budget

• Steer and guide Customer Data, Trade Terms Maintenance and Credit Notes Management for Zone East Europe
  • Reflect, cascade and ensure application overall Trade Investment Policy into the Team.
  • Ensure the GBS team is applying available adidas group standards, policies and procedures and best practices in daily work.
  • Coordinate a cross-functional communication across teams.
  • Secure proper Customer Data opening and maintenance.

• Coordination of Credit projects Zone East Europe
  • Coordinate all credit related projects relating Zone East Europe
  • Guide and coordinate credit management related project with the GBS team based in Porto
  • Alignment and coordination of Credit Policy related topics for all Zone East Europe
  • Support implementation and advancement of corporate Credit management system.

Key Relationships:

• GBS Porto
• Zone East FP&A
• Zone East Tax and Accounting
• Zone East Sales & Customer Service Department
• Zone East Legal Department
• External Lawyers / Insolvency administrator /Collection agencies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced analytical and organizational skills
• Strong understanding and knowledge of internal sales and delivery processes
• Solid accounting knowledge of IFRS in particular in relation to AR
• Leadership and People Management experience (theory and practice)
• Strong communication and negotiation skills for influencing others
• High degree of customer orientation and ability to work with cross functional teams and in a matrix organization

Authorities:

• Extend and establish credit lines for individual accounts
• Negotiate and approve customer payment and delivery plans
• Make decisions on delivery blocks and initiation of legal actions
• Lead negotiations with insolvency administrators
• Evaluate Approval of new customers in terms of creditworthiness
• Evaluate and Propose write off decisions of appropriate items

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree or equivalent (preferably at postgraduate level in Finance).
• Minimum of 7 years progressive work experience in the field of Finance, with focus on Risk Management/ Credit Management; preferably in a multinational organization.
• Excellent Polish & English language (written and oral). Additional local language is a plus.
• Advanced MS-Office skills
• SAP knowledge is a plus