Late Stage Collector

Kawasaki Motors Retail Finance is seeking a motivated and customer-focused Late-Stage Collector to join our dynamic team at our growing startup captive finance company. In this role, you'll be instrumental in protecting company assets and driving recovery efforts by managing late-stage delinquent accounts with professionalism, strategic thinking, and a strong alignment to our brand values. The ideal candidate brings strong negotiation skills, an analytical mindset, and the ability to navigate complex cases with confidence and precision. You will operate in a fast-paced call center environment, handling a wide range of inbound and outbound interactions, including negotiating payment plans, coordinating field chases, and managing post-repossession communications. You'll also resolve more complex account matters such as insurance claims and other specialized servicing activities. Your primary focus will be to minimize financial losses and resolve delinquencies efficiently, all while upholding regulatory standards and delivering a customer experience rooted in empathy and integrity. Every interaction presents an opportunity to apply your problem-solving abilities, active listening, and solution-oriented mindset to drive effective outcomes, preserving long-term customer relationships and supporting overall portfolio health. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-moving startup environment, embraces change, and is eager to make an impact. If you're passionate about recovery, loss prevention and you're ready to grow with a company building something from the ground up, this role is for you. This position will report to the Collections Manager.

Proactively contact customers via phone, email, SMS, and other approved communication channels to resolve late-stage delinquency and maintain a brand-aligned customer experience. Negotiate repayment solutions with empathy and professionalism, tailoring arrangements to the customer's financial situation while meeting company recovery goals. Offer hardships and structured repayment plans for customers experiencing financial difficulty, with a focus on curing delinquencies before charge-off.

Draft and send post-repossession communications in a timely and compliant manner. Assign and coordinate field chases, customer outreach, and collateral recovery as necessary.

Scrub delinquent accounts for bankruptcy filings, military status (SCRA), lien perfection, and other complex matters that may impact recovery or compliance. Identify red flags for potential fraud, especially on first payment defaults and escalate cases to the fraud investigation team (as appropriate). Review payment histories, loan terms, and account details to assist customers in understanding balances and options to bring accounts current.

Conduct in-depth skip tracing using various databases and investigative tools to locate customers and/or collateral. Maintain consistent follow-up on accounts and collaborate with external recovery agents (as needed).

Accurately document all customer interactions, payment arrangements, escalations, and actions taken within the Loan Management System (LMS) in real-time. Ensure all collection activities are performed in accordance with federal, state, and company regulations.

Collaborates closely with Customer Service, Early-stage Collectors, Titles and Repossession Specialists to ensure accurate, efficient account handling.

Thoroughly assess and manage accounts involving special circumstances such as insurance claims, bankruptcy filings, and settlement negotiations. Ensure all relevant accounts are flagged accurately in the system for proper handling and compliance.

Represent the company with integrity and professionalism in every interaction, ensuring a customer-centric experience that upholds our brand values and long-term relationships.

Prioritize efforts to minimize charge-offs and recover delinquent balances efficiently while preserving long-term customer relationships. Apply active listening, problem-solving, and critical thinking to resolve issues and overcome objections.

Adhere to all applicable federal and state laws including FDCPA, Rosenthal Act, Regulation F, FCRA, TCPA, GLBA, EFTA, SCRA, Bankruptcy Code Sections 362 & 524, UDAAP, and internal company policies and procedures.

Contribute to departmental goals by assisting with special projects, process improvements, and other operational tasks, as well as other duties as assigned.

-Associate's degree in Finance, Business, or other related field preferred: equivalent work experience will be considered. -A minimum of 3 years of experience in late-stage collections within the Auto, Powersports and consumer finance industry is required. -Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a strong focus on empathy, emotional intelligence, and active listening. Ability to de-escalate tense conversations while maintaining professionalism and customer trust. -Strong negotiation, interpersonal and detail-oriented skills. -Proven ability to negotiate payment arrangements with tact, respect and a solution-oriented mindset, even in sensitive or emotionally charged situations. -Highly organized and detail-oriented, with a commitment to accurate documentation and adherence to company procedures, legal requirements, and regulatory standards. -Comfortable using Loan Servicing Systems and CRM tools; proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook). Experience in dialer platforms and digital communication tools is a plus. -Strong knowledge of relevant federal and state debt collection laws and guidelines including, FDCPA, Rosenthal Act, Regulation F, FCRA, TCPA, GLBA, EFTA, SCRA, UDAAP, Bankruptcy Code Sections 362 & 524. -Ability to work on-site at our Foothill Ranch, CA office, with a collaborative, team-oriented mindset. Thrives in a fast-paced environment, adapting quickly to shifting priorities and customer needs. Embraces agility, company values, accountability, innovation, and cross-functional teamwork. -Consistently promotes a positive, inclusive, and respectful team environment built on trust, open communication, and mutual support. Demonstrates professionalism in all interactions and actively contributes to a collaborative workplace culture that values teamwork, integrity, accountability and shared achievement. Supports a healthy and productive work environment by encouraging transparency, solution-focused dialogue, and alignment with the company values and goals.

Salary range: $24.00hr-$32.00hr based on experience and qualifications

KMRF is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with KMRF is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.