Collections Loan Adjuster II (Hybrid in Syracuse, NY)

At every stage of life, Empower Federal Credit Union positively impacts members by providing affordable financial services. Our core values are Fairness, Integrity & Honesty, and our strategic pillars include a World-Class Employee Experience, Best-In-Class Member Experience, Growth for Impact, and Shared Value in the Community.

About the role

The Collections Loan Adjuster II resolves delinquent consumer loan and credit accounts, including auto loans, personal loans, credit cards, and other secured or unsecured consumer lending products. This phone-intensive, performance-measured role requires disciplined portfolio management, effective collection conversations, negotiation, timely follow-up, accurate documentation, and regulatory compliance. The position protects Empower FCU assets while supporting delinquency reduction, repayment, cure, roll-prevention, and member experience goals.

All candidates will be subject to a background check to determine employment eligibility. For roles that require an NMLS, a credit check may also be conducted.

Responsibilities

• Collection Activity, Member Engagement, & Resolution (45%)
  • Conduct inbound and outbound collection calls through approved systems while following the established call model, Quality Control standards, and member-identification requirements.
  • Present the full past-due amount and request payment before discussing alternatives; determine the reason for delinquency and assess the member's ability, willingness, and intent to pay.
  • Apply collection strategies appropriate to the product type, delinquency stage, collateral status, account risk, and member circumstances.
  • Use professional, assertive negotiation and objection-handling skills to secure realistic payment commitments with specific amounts, dates, methods, and next steps; process payments and arrangements accurately.
  • Meet established daily activity and monthly outcome expectations, including contact effectiveness, Promise-to-Pay generation and kept rates, dollars recovered, delinquency cures, and roll prevention.
• Portfolio Management & Follow-Up (20%)
  • Manage an assigned delinquent portfolio and prioritize work based on delinquency stage, risk, broken promises, required next action, and potential account impact.
  • Complete callbacks, Promise-to-Pay follow-up, broken-promise activity, account actions, and required documentation within established timeframes.
  • Use approved skip-tracing methods, maintain accurate contact information, and recommend repossession, recovery, legal review, or other next steps when voluntary collection efforts are unsuccessful.
  • Maintain ownership of assigned accounts until the matter is resolved, transferred, or appropriately escalated.
• Inbound Coverage, Schedule, & Work Discipline (15%)
  • Remain logged in, available, and prepared to accept calls during assigned inbound coverage and comply with established schedule, queue, system-status, break, lunch, and availability expectations.
  • Balance inbound calls, outbound collection work, portfolio follow-up, and documentation responsibilities throughout each workday.
  • Maintain reliable attendance and punctuality and support backup coverage, department priorities, and time-sensitive work as assigned.
• Documentation, Quality, Compliance, & Coaching (10%)
  • Maintain complete, accurate, timely, and professional account notes, codes, dispositions, payment commitments, follow-up dates, and supporting documentation.
  • Follow applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures, confidentiality requirements, and escalation protocols for bankruptcy, real estate, disputes, fraud, complaints, military protections, legal matters, and other specialized circumstances.
  • Participate in call monitoring, Quality Control reviews, coaching, training, and performance discussions and demonstrate timely and sustained application of feedback.
• Hardship & Specialized Account Resolution (10%)
  • Evaluate hardship situations and offer authorized payment arrangements, assistance options, or account solutions within established procedures and authority limits.
  • Coordinate with management, internal departments, and approved partners to resolve complex, high-risk, or out-of-authority account matters.
• Other Duties & Continuous Improvement (5%)
  • Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
  • Participate in cross-training, process updates, backup coverage, and workflow improvements that support effective Collections operations.

Requirements

• Experience: A minimum of 2 years of direct consumer loan collections, account recovery, or comparable delinquency-resolution experience in a phone-based, performance-measured environment is required. Qualifying experience must include contacting delinquent borrowers, requesting payment, overcoming objections, negotiating payment commitments, completing follow-up activity, and documenting collection efforts.
• Education: A two-year college degree or equivalent education is required. Alternatively, completion of a specialized certification, licensing, or relevant training courses is acceptable. Specialized job skills acquired through an apprenticeship program or previous work experience may also be considered.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of consumer collections procedures, delinquency management, payment and hardship options, skip tracing, collateral recovery, documentation standards, and member service expectations.
• Demonstrated collection-conversation, fact-finding, negotiation, influencing, objection-handling, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage an assigned portfolio, prioritize daily work, meet established daily and monthly scorecard expectations, and comply with schedule and queue requirements.
• Ability to interpret account status, determine appropriate next steps, exercise sound judgment, and escalate legal, high-risk, or out-of-authority matters appropriately.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records, protect confidential information, follow documented procedures, and respond constructively to coaching.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and applicable core, collection, dialer, payment, Salesforce, document, email/inbox, and workflow systems.
• Ability to work with basic mathematical concepts, including percentages, ratios, and proportions, as applied to account review, payment arrangements, and reporting.
• Experience operating general office equipment, including calculators, computers, headsets, and multi-line phone systems.

Benefits

• Medical and Dental Insurance
• 401K with Employer Match
• Holiday Pay
• Paid Time Off

Pay

The hourly rate for this position is $21.97 - $32.96.

Schedule

This is a hybrid role based in Syracuse, NY, requiring a minimum of 5 days in the office per month.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

The work environment is typically moderate in noise level. The physical demands include:

• Sitting for long periods.
• Using hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talking or hearing.
• Occasional walking; reaching with hands and arms; stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
• Occasionally lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.