Credit and Collections Manager, EMEA

Job description

Job DescriptionThe Company: Cognex is the global leader in the exciting and growing field of machine vision, with annual revenue of $1 Billion. We are a financially strong international company with a culture that maintains the fast-paced, creative environment of a startup. Our employees, proudly called “Cognoids,” take their work seriously but don't take themselves seriously. Our Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast culture recognizes our employees for their innovation, perseverance, and hard work in a fun and rewarding environment. We value in-person team collaboration, while offering remote workplace flexibility up to two days a week. The Role: The Credit and Collections Manager, EMEA is responsible for leading Credit, Collections and Cash Application activities across the EMEA region while maintaining ownership of a designated customer portfolio. The role combines people leadership, credit risk management, collections strategy, operational oversight, escalation management, process improvement and cross-functional stakeholder management. The position is accountable for driving cash collection performance, minimizing credit risk exposure, overseeing cash application and Accounts Receivable activities, coordinating month-end closing requirements and ensuring the consistent execution of global Order-to-Cash processes. The Manager serves as the primary escalation point for complex customer, credit and collections matters and provides functional leadership for continuous improvement initiatives, system implementations and global business transformation projects. Essential Functions: Team Leadership and Operational Management Lead, coach, develop and motivate a team of Credit, Collections and Cash Application professionals through performance management, objective setting, succession planning, career development, capacity planning and workload prioritization. Build a high-performing team culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous learning and operational excellence. Portfolio and Collections Management Manage a customer portfolio, driving collection performance, overdue debt reduction and DSO improvements across the EMEA region. Collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve issues impacting collection activities and accelerate payment resolution. Cash Application Oversight Monitor unapplied, unidentified and incorrectly allocated cash balances and work with relevant internal teams and customers to obtain remittance information and resolve allocation issues. Credit Risk Management Lead customer credit assessments, financial analysis, credit limit approvals and risk mitigation activities across the EMEA portfolio. Monitor customer exposure, payment behavior and portfolio risk, implementing actions to minimize financial risk and bad debt. Exercise delegated credit authority and ensure credit decisions are appropriately documented and compliant with company policies and controls. Partner with Sales and Order Management to achieve timely resolution of orders placed on credit hold while balancing risk management and commercial objectives. Escalation and Stakeholder Management Build effective relationships with internal stakeholders and act as the primary regional escalation point for complex customer issues, credit challenges, collection disputes and order release decisions. Communicate significant portfolio risks, overdue balances and recommended actions to senior management and key stakeholders, while coordinating actions, owners and timelines across relevant functions. Month-End Closing and Financial Controls Review aging, unapplied cash, customer credit balances, bad debt exposure and other relevant Accounts Receivable balances as part of the month-end close. Coordinate monthly Accounts Receivable closing activities, ensuring reconciliations are completed, documented, reviewed and submitted in line with SOX requirements, internal controls, company policies and applicable regulatory requirements. Identify control gaps and implement sustainable corrective actions. Support internal and external audits by providing documentation, financial analysis and timely responses to audit requests. Coordinate and monitor any remediation actions arising from audits or control reviews. Reporting and Performance Oversight Monitor Credit, Collections and Cash Application performance through regular operational reviews, using data and insights to drive prioritization, decision-making and performance improvement. Analyze key operational and risk metrics to identify trends, root causes and actions required to improve cash flow, reduce risk and optimize performance. Provide timely and insightful reporting on portfolio performance, risks and recommended actions to management and key stakeholders. Continuous Improvement, Automation and AI Foster a culture of continuous improvement and champion the adoption of automation, AI and data-driven tools by encouraging the team to challenge existing processes, identify inefficiencies, eliminate non-value-added activities, strengthen controls and reduce manual effort to improve operational performance and customer experience. Track the benefits of improvement initiatives and ensure that agreed changes are embedded into standard ways of working. Projects and Functional Leadership Lead and participate in global Order-to-Cash transformation initiatives involving SAP, BlackLine and other systems, AI-enabled solutions, e-invoicing, global process standardization, compliance requirements and other capabilities. Provide leadership and subject matter expertise during business process design, solution development, testing, implementation, cutover and stabilization phases of transformation initiatives and system enhancements, including process documentation, training, communications and stakeholder engagement. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong understanding of Order-to-Cash (OTC) processes and knowledge of Credit, Collections, Cash Application and credit risk management principles. Proven ability to drive cash collection performance, reduce risk exposure and improve Days Sales Outstanding through effective portfolio management, data analysis and prioritization. Demonstrated leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, talent development, resource planning and workload prioritization. Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risk, identify trends, resolve escalations and balance commercial objectives with sound credit practices. Excellent organizational, stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization. Knowledge of SOX requirements, internal controls, audit processes and financial compliance standards. Continuous improvement mindset and curiosity for emerging technologies with a proven ability to streamline processes, leverage automation and eliminate non-value-added activities. Experience leading or participating in process improvement, system implementation and business transformation initiatives, including process design, testing, implementation and stabilization. Advanced Microsoft skills. SAP or other ERP experience preferred. Minimum Education and Work Experience: We're looking for talented people who are excited about making an impact. Even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply. Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related discipline preferred but not essential. 7+ years of progressive experience in Accounts Receivable, Credit & Collections, or Finance preferred, including experience managing an individual customer portfolio. Minimum 2 years of people-management experience. Demonstrated experience managing customer credit risk and collection activities and coordinating month-end closing activities within a multinational organization, Shared Services, Global Business Services (GBS)