Thank you for your interest in the BWL. We think you'll find it a rewarding and nurturing place to grow your career.
Starting Salary Range: $84,700.00 - $102,400.00
Position Summary:
The Remittance Supervisor is responsible for leading day-to-day operations of all payment processing activities, ensuring accurate, timely and secure posting of payments to customer accounts. This position oversees daily remittance operations, bookkeeping, reconciling financial transactions, financial reporting, managing staff performance, and maintaining compliance with internal controls and audit requirements in the remittance area. The Remittance Supervisor serves as the key liaison between finance, billing, and customer service and keeps abreast of banking issues and technology changes as they relate to payment presentment and payment processing. Responsible for managing relationships with payment vendors. This position includes direct supervision and reports directly to the Manager of Customer Service.
Essential Functions
- Supervise and direct the activities and schedules of remittance staff; make recommendations regarding hiring, discipline, termination, or advancement of employees.
- Plan, coordinate, and oversee assignments and monitor progress; guide, train and develop employees in the accomplishment of their professional growth; evaluate staff performance
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, vendors, customers, and the general public.
- Oversee daily remittance operations, including mail payments, in-person payments, lockbox processing, drop box, kiosk, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), Automated Clearing House (ACH), and online payments.
- Oversee the preparation of statistical and written reports pertaining to accounts receivable volumes, reconciliation status, exceptions and audit findings.
- Support regression and compliance testing, vendor management, technology upgrades, and adherence of Service Level Agreements (SLAs),
- Ensure payments are accurately and promptly posted to customer accounts in the CIS.
- Monitor and analyze payment trends, posting accuracy and system performance; recommend improvements to enhance efficiency or customer convenience.
- Coach and mentor team members to support positive interpersonal relations and improve individual and team performance.
- Exercise responsibility for cash-handling accounting activities such as balancing, depositing, and reporting.
- Reconcile unapplied and misapplied payments, credit balances, NSF Checks and returned checks, working closely with the Billing, Accounting, and Customer Service teams to resolve discrepancies.
- Act as custodian for petty cash revolving fund.
- Comply with all federal, state and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Support all organizational objectives including employee engagement and organizational change management.
- Provide expertise and support for all technology utilized for and related to remittance functions.
- Participate in the on-call rotation to provide after-hours support to ensure continuous coverage for departmental needs.
- Interpret and apply BWL Policies and work rules.
- Foster a culture of safety and compliance.
- Predictable and reliable attendance.
- Other duties as assigned by manager.
Job Specifications:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or related field, or a related field from an accredited college or university or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum 5 years of leadership/supervisor experience or completion of BWL’s Emerging Leaders program with minimum of 2 years of leadership/supervisory experience.
- Minimum 5 years of accounting or financial experience.
- Minimum 5 years of customer service experience.
- Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills such as coaching, negotiation, and conflict management, and ability to effectively communicate with cross functional teams.
- Ability to handle complex customer inquiries, payment disputes, and escalate payment issues and negotiate resolutions when necessary.
- Working knowledge of BWL Responsibility of Area (RA) budgeting systems.
- Possess and apply comprehensive knowledge of accounting and/or reporting analysis to complete complex assignments.
- Must be proficient with business software, e.g., Microsoft Office suite including but not limited to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with other departments to resolve issues and optimize remittance processes.
- Ability to work with and troubleshoot directly with external vendors.
- Ability to work beyond the normal work week (i.e., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) to meet essential deadlines.
- Possess strong leadership, analytical, organizational and time management skills to initiate and complete complex assignments independently.
- Must have a valid MI driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
Preferred:
- Familiarity with UMAX or other enterprise CIS platforms.
- Collective Bargaining Agreement experience.
- Business Process Improvement Certification.
- ProSci (Organizational Change Management) Certification.
- Completion of BWL’s Emerging Leaders Program.
- Experience with a vertically integrated or multi-service utility.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills that may be required of the employee. Management reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise alter these duties, responsibilities, and skills at any time.
Why Should You Apply?
Competitive wages, employee development, and opportunity for professional growth.
Robust time off benefits including vacation, free choice, sick leave, parental leave and 11 paid holidays.
Comprehensive benefits package offered including medical, prescription, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, employee assistance program.
Voluntary benefits including vision, supplemental and dependent life insurance, flexible spending, AFLAC options, LifeLock anti-theft, long term care, tuition reimbursement, and BWL's Home Purchase Plan – Forgivable $5,000 loan for purchase of a home in Lansing.
Retirement programs including 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan (DC) (100% company paid up to 9.5 % of base salary for BU positions and up to 13% of base salary for NBU positions), 457 Deferred Compensation matches up to $2,500 per year.
Post retirement benefits offered at the respective level of coverage, co-pays and health care premium, at the same level as active employees.
Two fitness centers located on site open 24/7, work life balance program, employee assistance program, free parking and much more!
About BWL:
The Board of Water & Light serves Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas with electricity, water, and steam. Lansing's city charter vests the BWL with full and exclusive management of water, steam, and electric services for or the city. The American Public Power Association has honored the Lansing Board of Water & Light as one of the country's best publicly-owned utilities.
The Location:
Lansing lies at the heart of the Great Lakes State and offers all the beauty and splendor of the four seasons. A haven for swimming, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, golf, and hunting, mid-Michigan is also just a couple hours from premier skiing and one of the most beautiful freshwater lakeshores in the world on our Lake Michigan Coast. Lansing itself is only minutes and miles away from two of the nation’s premier universities, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, and boasts miles of walking, running, biking trails, Potter Park Zoo, professional sports, the arts, and fine dining.
THE BOARD OF WATER & LIGHT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER