How to hire a collection team lead

How to hire a collection team lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step collection team lead hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a collection team lead job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new collection team lead
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the collection team lead you need to hire. Certain collection team lead roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a collection team lead to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a collection team lead that fits the bill.

   This list presents collection team lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Collection Team Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Collection Team Lead	Bill and account collectors, sometimes called collectors, try to recover payment on overdue bills. They negotiate repayment plans with debtors and help them find solutions to make paying their overdue bills easier.	$23-47
   Account Representative	Account representatives are employees who manage client accounts and act as the main contact of the clients they are handling. They maintain existing accounts by updating client details regularly... Show more	$12-24
   Medical Collector	A medical collector deals with collection of bills related to medical services. They handle healthcare-related debt, collect patient insurance information, and develop repayment plans to accommodate debtors that are unable to settle their accounts... Show more	$14-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Credit Card
   • Delinquent Accounts
   • Payment Arrangements
   • FDCPA
   • Debt Repayment
   • Customer Accounts
   • Collection Efforts
   • Patient Accounts
   • Federal Regulations
   • Past Due Accounts
   • Medicaid
   • A/R
   • Customer Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage re-billings for third party accounts including: commercial carriers, manage care, PPO, POS and HMO organizations.
   • Receive and distribute ACH forms receive form all lots.
   • Assist consumers in money and behavior managements and ensures HIPAA compliance
   • Collect monies from Medicaid, Medicare, VA and various other third party payers.
   • Perform insurance follow up on account receivables of Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance claims to expedite claim reimbursement.
   • Negotiate payments resolutions for delinquent customers to become current while using professionalism, and adhering to all applicable FDCPA collection laws.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your collection team lead job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A collection team lead salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, collection team leads' average salary in florida is 46% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level collection team leads earn 51% less than senior-level collection team leads.
   • Certifications. A collection team lead with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a collection team lead's salary.

   Average collection team lead salary

   $68,868yearly

   $33.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level collection team lead salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a collection team lead job description

   A collection team lead job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a collection team lead job description:

   Collection team lead job description example

   **The 'Apply with SEEK' option will be utilized for International applicants, mainly Australia. If this does not apply to you please use the 'Apply' option.**
   
   Taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do, and we start by taking care of you, our valued colleague. A career at Sedgwick means experiencing our culture of caring. It means having flexibility and time for all the things that are important to you. It's an opportunity to do something meaningful, each and every day. It's having support for your mental, physical, financial and professional needs. It means sharpening your skills and growing your career. And it means working in an environment that celebrates diversity and is fair and inclusive.
   
   A career at Sedgwick is where passion meets purpose to make a positive impact on the world through the people and organizations we serve. If you are someone who is driven to make a difference, who enjoys a challenge and above all, if you're someone who cares, there's a place for you here. Join us and contribute to Sedgwick being a great place to work.
   Great Place to Work
   
   Most Loved Workplace
   
   Forbes Best-in-State Employer
   
   Collections Team Lead
   
   **PRIMARY PURPOSE:** To manage the collections team to allocate the maximum amount of overdue funds and
   
   **ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS and RESPONSIBILITIES**
   
   + Provides support, feedback, and guidance concerning daily operations and collection activity to the Collections team.
   
   + Coordinates collection efforts of existing field staff.
   
   + Establishes, reviews, and updates collection processes and operating procedures.
   
   + Supports upper management regarding any customer issues in relation to overdue funds or other issues preventing or delaying payment.
   
   + Identifies trends regarding overdue funds or payment issues. Determines and implements best processes to rectify issues.
   
   + Reduces delinquency for assigned accounts.
   
   + Handles billing and collection inquiries from internal and external customers.
   
   **ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS and RESPONSIBILITIES**
   
   + Performs other duties as assigned.
   
   + Supports the organization's quality program(s).
   
   **SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES**
   
   + Provides support, guidance, leadership and motivation to promote maximum performance for two or more colleagues.
   
   + Administers company personnel policies in all areas and follows company staffing standards and training recommendations.
   
   + Interviews, hires and establishes colleague performance development plans; conducts colleague performance discussions.
   
   **QUALIFICATIONS**
   
   **Education & Licensing**
   
   High school diploma or GED required. Associate degree in business from an accredited college or university preferred.
   
   **Experience**
   
   Six (6) years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required. Accounts Receivable experience a plus.
   
   **Skills & Knowledge**
   
   + Knowledge of billing and collections procedures.
   
   + Excellent oral and written communication, including presentation skills
   
   + PC literate, including Microsoft Office products
   
   + Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
   
   + Good customer service skills
   
   + Excellent interpersonal skills
   
   + Ability to work independently or in a team environment
   
   + Ability to meet or exceed Performance Competencies
   
   **WORK ENVIRONMENT**
   
   When applicable and appropriate, consideration will be given to reasonable accommodations.
   
   **Mental:** Clear and conceptual thinking ability; excellent judgment and discretion; ability to handle work-related stress; ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously; and ability to meet deadlines
   
   **Physical:** Computer keyboarding, travel as required
   
   **Auditory/Visual:** Hearing, vision and talking
   
   **NOTE:** Credit security clearance, confirmed via a background credit check, is required for this position.
   
   The statements contained in this document are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a colleague assigned to this description. They are not intended to constitute a comprehensive list of functions, duties, or local variances. Management retains the discretion to add or to change the duties of the position at any time.
   
   Sedgwick is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace.
   
   **If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, consider applying for it anyway! Sedgwick is building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and recognizes that each person possesses a unique combination of skills, knowledge, and experience. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.**

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right collection team lead for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your collection team lead job on Zippia to find and recruit collection team lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit collection team leads, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new collection team lead

   Once you've decided on a perfect collection team lead candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new collection team lead. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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