Senior Manager, Collections

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We're on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We're changing. Because students need a better way.

We're looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students-and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It's where you're empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you-from physical and mental to financial and professional. You'll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We're obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking "why not?" when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Collections is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of late-stage delinquency portfolios. This role drives portfolio performance through data analysis, workforce optimization, liquidation strategy execution, and leadership of multiple collections teams.

The Senior Manager serves as a business leader responsible for identifying performance opportunities, optimizing collection strategies, adjusting priorities based on portfolio performance, and ensuring operational execution aligns with enterprise objectives. This position requires strong analytical expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to make timely business decisions using intraday and trend reporting.

Success in this role is measured through portfolio performance, liquidation outcomes, staffing effectiveness, leadership capability, and the ability to adapt strategies in response to changing business conditions.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Leadership & Business Ownership

• Own end-to-end performance of assigned late-stage delinquency portfolios.
• Drive liquidation performance, recovery outcomes, collection effectiveness, and portfolio health.
• Balance productivity, customer outcomes, compliance requirements, and business objectives.
• Establish operational priorities based on emerging performance trends and business needs.
• Continuously evaluate portfolio performance and adjust strategies to achieve performance targets.

Strategic Analysis & Decision Making

• Leverage operational, financial, and portfolio data to identify risks, opportunities, and emerging trends.
• Analyze intraday, daily, weekly, and monthly reporting to inform business decisions.
• Utilize data to prioritize resources, adjust workflows, and optimize collection strategies.
• Develop recommendations supported by quantitative analysis and business rationale.
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts to identify root causes and implement sustainable solutions.

Collections Strategy Execution

• Partner with Collections Strategy, Analytics, and Operations leaders to execute collection strategies and optimize portfolio performance.
• Evaluate effectiveness of existing collection treatments, workflows, and recovery efforts.
• Recommend strategy changes based on changing portfolio conditions and performance outcomes.
• Drive execution of initiatives designed to improve liquidation rates, right-party contacts, payment arrangements, and account resolution.

Workforce Optimization & Capacity Planning

• Partner with Workforce Management to align staffing levels to projected portfolio demand.
• Evaluate forecast accuracy, staffing utilization, schedule effectiveness, and workload distribution.
• Recommend staffing adjustments based on performance trends, volume forecasts, and business objectives.
• Ensure resources are deployed effectively to maximize operational efficiency and performance outcomes.

Leadership of Leaders

• Lead, coach, and develop leaders responsible for multiple collections teams.
• Build leadership capability through structured coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement throughout the leadership organization.
• Develop future leaders and maintain a strong leadership talent pipeline.

Performance Optimization

• Establish performance frameworks that drive accountability and measurable outcomes.
• Utilize performance data to identify productivity opportunities and operational gaps.
• Drive incentive alignment and performance management strategies that maximize results.
• Monitor key operational metrics and ensure leaders take timely corrective action.

Change Leadership

• Lead large-scale operational initiatives and business improvement efforts.
• Evaluate impact of process changes and strategy adjustments through performance metrics.
• Guide teams through ambiguity and organizational change while maintaining operational stability.
• Influence cross-functional partners to support business priorities and performance improvements.

Stakeholder Partnership & Influence

• Partner with Workforce Management, Analytics, Strategy, Compliance, Risk, and Operations partners to improve portfolio performance.
• Deliver clear, concise, and data-driven updates to senior leadership.
• Influence decision making through business insights and recommendations.
• Serve as a key contributor to portfolio strategy discussions and operational planning.

Required Competencies

Advanced Business Acumen

• Understands portfolio economics, collection effectiveness, staffing impacts, and operational performance drivers.
• Makes decisions that balance short-term results with long-term portfolio outcomes.

Advanced Analytical Skills

• Interprets complex data sets and performance trends.
• Uses intraday reporting and operational analytics to make timely business decisions.
• Identifies performance opportunities before they become material business issues.

Strategic Agility

• Quickly adjusts priorities and collection strategies based on changing business conditions.
• Recognizes emerging risks and opportunities and takes proactive action.

Root Cause Analysis

• Diagnoses business challenges using structured analytical methodologies.
• Distinguishes between symptoms and underlying causes.

Leadership of Leaders

• Develops high-performing leaders who consistently deliver business results.
• Creates accountability and builds sustainable leadership capability.

Decision Making

• Demonstrates confidence making high-impact decisions with incomplete information.
• Escalates risks appropriately while maintaining ownership of outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of leadership experience in collections, servicing, financial services, or call center operations.
• 3+ years of experience leading multiple teams through managers or equivalent leadership structure.
• Demonstrated success managing late-stage collections, recoveries, or high-delinquency portfolios.
• Strong analytical experience including operational reporting, performance analysis, and business decision-making.
• Experience utilizing intraday management practices to drive performance outcomes.
• Proven track record of improving liquidation rates, productivity, and operational effectiveness.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive change.
• Strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills.

Feeling your best helps you do your best:

Our benefits take care of the whole you-so you can build your work around your life (not the other way around!).

• Competitive base salaries

• Bonus incentives

• Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed

• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more

• Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance

• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.

• Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs

• Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware)

• Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives

• Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs

• Career development and training opportunities

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Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Click here to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy, here for federal job applicant notices, and here to view the California Employee Privacy Notice.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call (855) 756-2007 and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.