Credit & Collections Specialist II

The purpose of this position is to monitor, review and complete back-office credit and collections processes for Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas and Virginia Natural Gas. The successful candidate will be responsible for collecting money due on delinquent customer accounts, assisting income-eligible customers through energy assistance programs, and making sure that adequate security is maintained on each account to secure the company against loss. This individual contributor works independently, analyzes account and report data to make sound decisions, shifts quickly between daily, weekly, monthly and ad hoc priorities as business needs change, and communicates clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, with customers, internal partners, state agencies and external vendors. In every interaction, the successful candidate must act with C.A.R.E. (Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment).

Job Requirements:

• Must be proficient in data entry, reviewing account information and generating reports

• Clear, professional written communication, including customer letters, emails, and summaries for leadership

• Confident verbal communication, including outbound collection calls, negotiating payment arrangements, and explaining complex account issues in plain language

• Proven ability to analyze reports and account data (such as aging, arrears, and disconnection eligibility) to spot trends, prioritize work, and recommend action

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Strong critical thinking and process management skills

• Strong researching and record-keeping skills

• Works independently with minimal supervision, managing a full queue of recurring and ad hoc work and taking ownership from start to finish

• Adapts quickly to shifting priorities, covers other team responsibilities when needed, and learns new processes and systems readily

• Must act with C.A.R.E. (Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment) in all interactions with customers, coworkers and partners

Major Job Responsibilities:

• Investigates and provides solutions for customer account issues

• Monitors reports and customer accounts and processes adjustments as necessary

• Reviews, analyzes and processes bankruptcies

• Assists Customer Care Center agents with customer inquiries and resolutions

• Protects the brand reputation of the company by helping to resolve customer complaints

• Locates delinquent customer accounts by skip-tracing, phone contact, written correspondence to help secure payments or payment arrangements

• Makes outbound calls to customers to collect money to prevent service disconnections for nonpayment

• Collaborates with collection agencies and DebtNext to monitor gas accounts, as well as verify credit disputes and status changes that affect credit ratings

• Processes, handles and collects Surety Bonds, Irrevocable Letters of Credit and Credit Union Guarantees

• Investigates and acts in response to daily self-restore report, including billing appropriate charges and initiating field activity

• Maintains relationships with the state agencies that assist our income-eligible customers with paying their bills

• Assists with energy assistance programs (including LIHEAP) by processing and tracking assistance payments and pledges, canceling pledges, correcting errors, and processing refunds to the state

Business Execution:

• Incorporates customer perspective into solving business issues

• Knows how to leverage internal and external resources to assist with completing job responsibilities

• Effectively plans and prioritizes work

• Consistently drives and delivers quality results

• Protects the security of customer while performing work

• Makes sound decisions based on available information

• Adjusts quickly when priorities change (such as credit season, energy assistance season, or system outages) and reprioritizes work without losing quality

• Uses data and reports to decide which accounts and tasks will have the greatest financial or customer impact

• Recognizes when an issue falls outside established guidance and escalates appropriately

Communication:

• Listens to understand by showing empathy when communicating with others, including customers

• Generates reports that provide insights to management about customer account activity, trends, and collections results

• Writes clear, accurate, professional correspondence to customers, agencies, collection vendors, and internal partners

• Communicates confidently by phone to negotiate payment arrangements and resolve disputes while keeping the customer experience positive

• Summarizes findings and recommendations clearly for leadership, both verbally and in writing

• Tailors message and tone to the audience, from customers facing hardship to legal or regulatory contacts

Engagement:

• Establishes good working relationship with others to achieve business results

• Actively fosters collaboration and teamwork

• Shares knowledge, supports cross-coverage, and helps keep job aids up to date so the team can continue operating when priorities or staffing change

• Models C.A.R.E. by showing compassion to customers facing hardship, owning commitments and outcomes, treating everyone with respect, and empowering customers and teammates with clear options and information

Driving Results:

• Follows organizational policies and procedures set by the company

• Effectively manages assigned workload by setting goals, prioritizing work, evaluating results and taking corrective action as needed

• Independently owns assigned daily, weekly, monthly and ad hoc responsibilities, meets deadlines, and documents completion without needing reminders

Qualifications

Education, Certifications/Licenses :

Required :

• High School Diploma or GED

Preferred:

• BA/BS degree in Business or a related field

• Related Work Experience:

Required:

• 1-3 years of experience in credit, collections, customer service, banking or similar business activities

Preferred:

• 1-2 years utility experience

• Or equivalent academic education and work experience

Specific Skills & Knowledge:

Required:

• Proficiency in Microsoft applications:

• MS Excel – intermediate to advanced proficiency (sorting, filtering, pivot tables, lookups) to analyze and compare report data

• MS PowerPoint – intermediate proficiency

• MS Word – intermediate proficiency

• Analytical skills – ability to review data, identify trends and exceptions, and draw sound conclusions

• Time management and planning

• Ability to independently follow and apply job aids and procedures

Preferred:

• Knowledge of customer billing system (CC&B)

• Knowledge of collection and bankruptcy policies and procedures

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

• Location is reporting to Virginia Beach, VA

• Work Schedule: M-Th in the office and Friday day remote

• Infrequent travel (0 to 5%) Incumbent may be required to travel on a very limited basis. Trips may require air travel and/or overnight stay away from home for one or more nights.

About Southern Company Gas

Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.2 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states and approximately 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com .

Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com .

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Job Identification: 22712

Job Category: Customer Service

Job Schedule: Full time

Company: Virginia Natural Gas

Pay Range: $43,630.00 - $63,990.30 USD Hourly: Base salary varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, and at the time of this posting, this is the reasonable salary range for this role.