Careers

Job Title: Credit Controller

Location: Bristol

Join a team that makes real changes

Bevan Brittan is a UK-Top 100 commercial law firm providing a comprehensive range of legal services from offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and London.

The firm advises businesses across construction, energy & resource management, higher education and financial services, complementing the firm's market leadership within housing, local government and health and social care.

We currently employ over 500 people, including 80 Partners, and our award-winning teams provide construction, commercial, corporate, property, regulatory, employment and litigation (commercial and clinical negligence) legal advice.

Bevan Brittan is named among 'The Times Best Law Firms 2022' and has recently either won or been shortlisted for a number of prestigious awards including 'Legal Firm of the Year' at the Bristol Life Awards 2021.

We are driven by our 4 values: Relationships, Results, Reputation and Responsible. These give us a sense of purpose and ensure we always work collaboratively with clients and colleagues, continually improve, make the right choices and act with integrity.

Bevan Brittan is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

Learn from the best

Based within the credit management team, the successful candidate will be responsible for the effective cash collection for all clients based within an assigned ledger.

Bevan Brittan has strong recognition in the independent legal directories - Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. In both guides we are consistently ranked in the top tier for our practices across the UK, with multiple individuals recognised as leading lawyers.

"By far Bevan Brittan is the most flexible, pragmatic, skilled and reliable legal firm I have worked with."- Chambers UK, 2022

Rise to the Challenge

• To meet & exceed monthly cash collection targets
• To manage a portfolio of clients (internal & external)
• Maintain and improve relations with existing and future clients by using strong interpersonal and professional skills.
• To contribute to monthly reporting requirements
• Develop strong interpersonal relationships with staff and partners.

Find out how far you can go

MAIN DUTIES

• Following up on unidentified payments received
• Contact clients via the telephone to confirm that (a) bills have been received & (b) date by which bills will be paid
• Keep a record of all communication with the customer with the aid of the 3e credit management system (CMS),
• Investigate and resolve all queries relating to non-payment of invoices.
  Send copy invoices, credit notes
• Reconcile accounts if required
• Report to credit manager on outstanding issues and advise at an early stage of potential debtors problems.
• Meet with internal clients to discuss (a) Aged debt for their respective areas (b) Raise any concerns with non-payment of debt
• Provide all our clients with an outstanding debt recovery service by understanding their personal needs and processes.
• Deliver a service second to none in a cost effective manner.
• Participate in sending out daily credit control letters & regular statements when required.
• Manage relationships with the clients in order to reduce exposure to potential bad debt whilst ensuring client satisfaction
• Comply with Firm's procedures and manuals.
• Carry out additional duties as and when required

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Demonstrable credit control experience, however a background in sales ledger, i.e. billing and cashiering will be desirable.
• Ability to prioritise efforts to maximise cash collection
• Good working knowledge of the regulatory environment including Solicitors Accounts Rules and Anti-Money Laundering
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word
• Strong communication skills - a professional & confident approach
• Tactful and persuasive
• Establish strong working relationships with Partners, Fee Earners and Personal Assistants
• Coordinate with other members of the credit team and wider finance teams to ensure that all tasks are completed on time
• Excellent prioritisation and time management skills.
• Organised, with lateral thinking skills and an eye for detail
• Ability to demonstrate working under one's own initiative and as part of a team

Work-life Balance

We offer a substantial benefits package to all employees, which includes 25 days holiday (plus the option to buy up to an additional 5 days), a generous pension scheme and private medical insurance through Vitality (including "phone a GP service", discounted gym membership and 'Vitality' Partner discounts).

All of our people are entitled to a biennial private health assessment through Nuffield Health and are included in the group life assurance scheme. We also have an Employee Assistance Programme (free telephone support and counselling service) and a cycle scheme (Save Tax & NI on a bike for cycling to work).

Where possible, we want to offer all Bevan Brittan people flexibility to work their week in a way that suits them - we operate a hybrid working model based on the needs of our clients, teams and that of the individual. Our core business hours are 9am - 5:15pm Monday to Friday, however we are open to individuals working more flexibly around those times and would welcome a conversation with you if you have any questions.

Responsible Business

To us, being a responsible business is second nature; a core part of Bevan Brittan's identity, running through our culture and embodied by the clients we serve.

Bevan Brittan seeks to play an active role within its local office communities. Through regular fundraising events, support for local initiatives and annual charity donations at Christmas, we have established a culture of giving within the firm. In December 2021 we donated a total of £60,000 to our four regional office charities, with each charity receiving £15,000 to help fund their vital services.

Our current selected charity in Bristol is Great Western Air Ambulance.

We want to demonstrate our commitment to these causes through actions rather than words; colleagues from across the firm are already heavily involved, living and breathing the four pillars of our Responsible Business strategy:

• Community Engagement
• Environmental Sustainability
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Wellbeing

Collectively, these four pillars ensure we look after our colleagues' wellbeing; offer an environment in which all can progress on merit, regardless of personal circumstances or background; give something back to the communities in which we work; and protect the environment.

Bevan Brittan is proudly a carbon neutral firm. We have achieved the UN's Climate Neutral Now accreditation and our environmental sustainability plan is focussed on achieving our net zero carbon target.

Each lawyer has the opportunity to undertake pro bono legal work for local charities and not-for-profit organisations. This has seen colleagues support the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (Bristol), Moseley Road Swimming Baths (Birmingham), Yorkshire Cat Rescue (Leeds), Great Western Credit Union (London), and several others.