Service Delivery Manager - Collections Account

Key Responsibilities:

• Hold full accountability for end‑to‑end delivery performance of one or more collections programs, encompassing operational KPIs, quality, compliance, headcount, and financial outcomes.
• Own full program P&L responsibility, including FTE management, revenue recognition, attrition costs, overtime expenditure, and profitability targets aligned with Cognizant's commercial objectives.
• Ensure full contract compliance by meeting delivery obligations and proactively identifying risks to commercial commitments.
• Serve as Cognizant's executive point of contact for clients, owning senior‑level relationships up to Heads of Collections and equivalent stakeholders.
• Lead all client governance forums, including Weekly Operations Reviews, Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs), Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and Executive Steering Committees.
• Manage contract renewals, SLA renegotiations, and commercial change requests in close coordination with Account Management and Legal teams.
• Identify and mitigate client satisfaction risks through early intervention, transparent communication, and structured performance recovery plans.
• Govern transformation initiatives, including collections analytics deployment, AI‑assisted contact strategies, workforce management optimization, and process automation.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across the program by establishing governance for ideation, prioritization, and measurable impact delivery.
• Lead, coach, and develop the full management layer (Team Managers, Team Leads, SMEs), building a high‑performing, accountable, and engaged leadership team.
• Define and execute the program's talent strategy, including workforce planning, succession planning, leadership pipeline development, and critical role coverage.
• Conduct regular leadership reviews to identify high‑potential talent, sponsor accelerated development plans, and endorse internal promotions.
• Act as the senior risk owner for the program, maintaining a comprehensive risk register covering operational, compliance, people, financial, and reputational risks.
• Ensure strict adherence to supervisory standards, client‑specific collections policies, internal governance, and applicable data privacy laws.
• Represent the program in external audits, client compliance reviews, and regulatory engagements, ensuring continuous audit readiness.
• Design and maintain the program governance framework, defining reporting cadences, escalation protocols, and decision rights across all management layers.
• Establish and govern the use of program‑wide dashboards, real‑time floor analytics, and predictive collections reporting tools.
• Oversee the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of all management information and reporting outputs.
• Champion adoption of digital collections capabilities, including AI‑driven contact prioritization, predictive dialer optimization, digital self‑service, and speech analytics.
• Lead the program's innovation pipeline by structuring quarterly ideation cycles, tracking benefits realization, and enabling client co‑innovation initiatives.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Finance, Communication, or a related field preferred.
• Post-graduate studies or management certifications (e.g., Six Sigma /Green Belt, AI, RPA supervisory development programs) are an advantage.
• Minimum 10 years of BPO/BPS experience, with at least 7 years in collections, debt recovery, or financial services operations.
• Minimum 3 years in a program-level, multi-team, or account management leadership role with direct P&L exposure.
• Demonstrated track record of managing large-scale collections programs (50+ FTE) for US clients.
• Proven history of building and leading high-performing management teams across multiple levels.
• Direct client relationship management experience at senior stakeholder level (VP/Head of Collections or above on the client side).
• Exposure to collections analytics, digital transformation, or technology-enabled collections programs is a strong advantage.