Collection Agent job description.
A collection agent contacts customers with past-due accounts to negotiate payment and resolve outstanding balances. They work within legal and company guidelines to recover debts, maintain accurate records, and balance firm follow-through with professional, respectful customer interactions.
The Collection Agent job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Collection Agent Reports to: Collections Manager or Supervisor
A collection agent contacts customers with past-due accounts to negotiate payment and resolve outstanding balances. They work within legal and company guidelines to recover debts, maintain accurate records, and balance firm follow-through with professional, respectful customer interactions.
- Contact customers by phone, email, or mail regarding past-due accounts
- Negotiate payment plans and settlements within approved guidelines
- Document all collection activity accurately in the account system
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
5 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Collections Manager or Supervisor
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Contact customers by phone, email, or mail regarding past-due accounts
- Negotiate payment plans and settlements within approved guidelines
- Document all collection activity accurately in the account system
- Comply with applicable debt collection laws and regulations
- Investigate and resolve billing disputes or discrepancies
- Escalate accounts requiring legal action or special handling
- Meet individual and team collection targets
- Maintain professionalism during difficult or sensitive conversations
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 1+ years of collections, customer service, or call center experience
- Knowledge of applicable debt collection regulations
- Strong negotiation and communication skills
- Proficiency with collections or billing software
- Experience in a regulated industry (finance, healthcare, or insurance)
- Bilingual communication skills
- Familiarity with credit reporting processes
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Collection Agent job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Collection Agent job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The entry band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Collections Manager or Supervisor) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What regulations should collection agents be familiar with?
- Agents should understand applicable debt collection laws, such as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, along with company-specific compliance guidelines.
- Is this a commission-based role?
- Compensation structures vary by employer; many roles combine a base wage with performance-based incentives for meeting collection targets.
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This Collection Agent job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.