Credit Program Manager

Credit Program Manager

North Kansas City, Missouri

At Helzberg Diamonds, the Credit Program Manager is primarily responsible for managing the daily operation of the Helzberg Diamonds Credit Card, Private Account, Affirm, and Lease to Own programs, by effectively managing both the regular operational components and the compliance risks for these programs. The primary accountability is to work with partners to develop and implement processes that allow store teams to compliantly open new applications for leasing/financing programs and sell merchandise on financing/leasing programs, ensuring both sales goals can be achieved, as well as maintaining high levels of risk controls. This includes developing processes with all partners and consistent training for all stores to protect the company from compliance and reputational risk, ensuring a compliantly operated profitable portfolio of consumer finance and lease programs. The incumbent interacts with the POS team, Store Operations, Customer Care, Merchandise, Marketing, Loss Prevention, Information Technology, and Finance regarding credit and store transactions. The incumbent works closely with external credit partners and communicates with stores, customers, credit card, financing companies, and the off-site storage vendor.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
1. Manage daily operation of the financing and leasing programs by working with DVP of Consumer Finance and internal partners to ensure credit/lease applications and tools are working effectively. Being available to support store operations team with escalated credit/leasing issues.
2. Monitor sales and compliance performance for all stores and identify opportunities to improve. Provide regular feedback to Store Operations via reporting, regular scheduled calls, and training materials to improve the metrics and experience around the credit/leasing programs.
3. Develop and provide training relating to all credit/leasing programs; including in-person, electronic or job aid-style trainings. Work with training department and banking partners to create and deploy required training to new and existing associates. Work with Customer Care to ensure all agents are well versed in credit/leasing programs ensuring consistent messaging to all customers.
4. Manage the credit/leasing messages online and in-store by working with partners and marketing to ensure consistent and compliant messaging across all channels. Responsible for managing credit plan set-up and payment calculators with both POS and E-commerce teams on at least a quarterly basis to reflect current company promotions.
5. Responsible for working with Care, Store Operations, Sales Audit and bank/lease partners to resolve escalated customer service issues in a timely manner and making necessary improvements in communication, processes, or training to avoid further issues.
6. Perform risk assessments and internal control reviews for compliance related issues pertaining to application processing, credit sales and line assignments, valid authorizations, and ID verification. Responsible for following up with stores and identifying areas where the company is at risk for compliance reasons and working with Store Operations, Loss Prevention, and Human Resources as needed to resolve issues. Assist with gathering and reviewing data reflecting associate and store compliance with Helzberg standards, as determined jointly with the Consumer Finance team.
7. Responsible for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and intervening with credit compliance and fraud issues at the customer/account, store and corporate level.
8. Serve as a subject matter expert to the organization including, but not limited to, researching regulatory developments affecting the financial services industry and assisting affected business units in implementing changes.
9. Work directly with compliance officials at our partner banks/lenders to determine their standards and reporting needs to both impact and measure store behavior.
10. Ensure compliance requirements from partners are met in all channels of business to prevent risk exposure in online and in-store (oral and written) presentment of credit/lease programs.
11. Create and assist in the promotion of a compliance culture that encourages an “open door” policy for stores to seek clarification on compliance matters.
12. Work closely with the Field Engagement teams at the finance/lending partners to ensure alignment with Store Operations with a common goal to drive sales and operate in a compliant manner, by developing and delivering best in class training materials, tools, and support.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related field.
• Five years of accounting, finance or auditing experience required, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Retail experience preferred.
• Proven experience in reconciliation processes and software, auditing processes, or credit compliance management, and working knowledge of compliance methods and resources required.
• Basic Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills required, along with sales audit reporting system skills.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and communication skills required, along with the ability to handle multiple tasks and be detail oriented.
• Strong writing skills required to summarize data in written reports.
• Hybrid schedule with predictable onsite attendance required three or more days per week to perform essential functions involving interactive behaviors with co-workers and managers, operation or manipulation of equipment and/or materials located only on site, and direct interaction with internal and/or external customers.