Financial Counselor

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

The primary focus of the Financial Counselor is to ensure consumers are assisted in overcoming their indebtedness and /or gaining control of their personal finances by accurately identifying and assessing their needs and ensuring appropriated enrollment or referral to products and services that suit their individual needs. The Financial Counselor is responsible for educating consumers on adequately managing their personal finances.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Answers incoming calls from a variety of sources with a primary focus of assisting all callers.
• Makes outbound calls to warm leads with a primary focus of assisting all callers.
• Assesses and analyzes consumer needs and determine the financial tools and course of action that is appropriate for meeting those needs. Provides thorough information to consumers to educate them about services and products available to help them manage their personal finances.
• As appropriate, persuades referral to best products and services to meet their needs.
• Develops and demonstrates the ability to provide full-service personal financial counseling with respect to debt management and reduction; personal financial budgeting; timely and accurate bill payment; comparative price shopping for essential goods and services, etc.
• Through open dialogue, assesses the appropriateness for enrollment into the preferred product. Provides consumer with 2 or more options to assist it debt management.
• Secures and exchanges pertinent information with the primary focus on completing enrollment in an appropriate product. Accurately enters personal identification and credit information into database to establish the consumer's account. Ensures accounts are properly annotated for follow-up.
• Pro-actively follows-up on enrollment process, ensuring all customer needs are professionally and appropriately addressed. Ensures enrolled and prospective consumers are provided with clear and concise instructions on completing documents and returning them for processing. Readily identifies and resolves open issues and problematic situations upon enrollment.
• Generates, interprets, and applies data from performance reports.
• Attends, actively participates in, and successfully completes appropriate training and skills development.
• Actively pursues opportunities for work related learning and development through appropriate outside sources to maintain required credit counseling certification.
• Takes initiative to continue development by becoming involved in value added activities such as: cross departmental learning, leading team meetings, peer partnerships, departmental or company sponsored projects, task committees.
• Performs other related duties as may be required.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Performs under the general guidance of an assigned manager.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School diploma
• Bachelor's degree in Sales, Marketing, Finance, Business Administration or relevant field from an accredited school is highly desirable. Other relevant education and/or experience may be substituted for stated minimum education and experience requirements.
• Prior customer service work experience required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated understanding of the concepts, administrative techniques, and strategies of personal finance and the ability to apply them to counsel and educate consumers.
• Extraordinary persuasion and negotiation skills which are demonstrated through innovative and creative techniques in enrolling and referring consumers in programs and offerings.
• Strong counseling and customer service orientation is required to identify and remedy consumer needs.
• Strong analytical skills to be used to verify accuracy and completeness of information exchanged.
• Ability to rationalize when and where to refer and/or address questions and concerns needing additional attention.
• Ability to listen very attentively and ask relative questions as needed in exchanging and securing information.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships and strong rapport with internal and external clientele, e.g. associates, managers, leadership, creditors, and customers.
• Ability to deliver a strong "can do", open minded, flexible, colloborative, and trust-building work ethic.
• Ability to recognize and maintain confidentiality of information.
• Thorough working knowledge of Windows PC environment and the various databases and software packages used to perform the essential functions of the job.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hand and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, telephone keypad, calculator; and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, or bend. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is a modern modular open office environment with moderate noise level.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $15.39 - $16.39 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance
• Work from home

Physical Setting:

• Call center

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Supplemental Pay:

• Bonus pay

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Customer Service: 4 years (Preferred)
• Direct sales: 2 years (Required)
• Negotiation: 2 years (Preferred)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

Work Location: One location