OPT Collections Representative Jobs
Collections Representative jobs are generally open to F-1 OPT students, though roles at banks and regulated lenders may require additional background checks. Standard OPT work authorization covers this field. Your STEM OPT extension applies if your degree is in business, finance, or a related quantitative discipline.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Exo Inc. has been protecting public infrastructure across the U.S. since 2009. Without consistent maintenance and quality assurance, critical assets face a growing risk of failure over time. Exo delivers engineering, inspection, and remediation services for lighting poles, transmission towers, and other infrastructure exposed to ongoing wear from usage, aging, and environmental conditions.
With deep expertise in vertical infrastructure, Exo builds on years of engineering design and fabrication experience across utilities, telecom, transportation, and retail sectors. This foundation supports a comprehensive inspection and asset management approach that addresses both new installations and aging structures requiring immediate attention.
Recognizing that full replacement is often impractical due to cost and safety constraints, Exo developed its “Ex-Tend” approach to manage assets throughout their entire life cycle. From initial quality assurance to ongoing inspection and targeted repairs, this method is designed to extend service life and improve reliability. Supported by data-driven insights, Exo helps clients monitor asset conditions and make informed, strategic decisions.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Billing & Collections Specialist is responsible for preparing accurate and timely customer invoices and managing the collection of outstanding receivables for assigned projects and customers. This position ensures billings reflect contract terms and approved work, that customer payments are applied correctly, and that past-due balances are actively pursued and resolved.
The Billing & Collections Specialist works closely with Project Managers, Project Accounting, Operations, and Finance to gather billing support, resolve invoice disputes, and maintain healthy cash flow. The position serves as a primary point of contact for customers on billing and payment matters and helps keep accounts receivable current, accurate, and well documented.
The ideal candidate will have strong billing and collections experience, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to communicate professionally and persistently with customers in a fast-paced, project-driven environment. Experience supporting utility, construction, infrastructure, engineering, field services, or other service-based organizations is strongly preferred.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Customer Billing & Invoicing
- Prepare, review, and issue customer invoices in NetSuite in accordance with contracts, billing schedules, and established billing procedures.
- Ensure invoices accurately reflect approved work, contract rates, change orders, reimbursable expenses, retainage, milestones, and other applicable terms.
- Prepare billings under a variety of contract structures, including fixed-fee, milestone, time-and-material, unit-price, and cost-plus arrangements.
- Gather and compile required billing support, such as timesheets, field tickets, receipts, lien waivers, and customer-specific forms.
- Submit invoices through customer billing portals and comply with each customer’s submission requirements and deadlines.
- Review unbilled costs and coordinate with Project Managers and Project Accounting to confirm what is billable and bill it promptly.
- Prepare and track retainage billings and ensure retainage is invoiced and released when contractually due.
- Process billing adjustments, credit memos, and rebills in accordance with company policies and approval requirements.
- Maintain billing calendars and ensure all billings are completed accurately and within established deadlines.
Collections & Accounts Receivable Management
- Monitor accounts receivable aging and proactively follow up on outstanding and past-due balances by phone, email, and customer portals.
- Maintain regular contact with customer accounts payable departments to confirm invoice receipt, approval status, and expected payment dates.
- Investigate and resolve short payments, deductions, and disputed invoices in coordination with Project Managers and Operations.
- Escalate significantly past-due or high-risk accounts to management and recommend next steps, including payment plans, holds, or further action.
- Document all collection activity, customer communications, and payment commitments in NetSuite.
- Prepare documentation for lien notices, payment bond claims, and other collection remedies as directed by management.
- Recommend accounts for bad debt reserve or write-off with supporting documentation, in accordance with company policies.
- Support efforts to reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and improve overall cash flow.
Cash Application & Customer Account Maintenance
- Apply customer payments, including checks, ACH, wires, and credit card payments, to the correct invoices in a timely manner.
- Research and resolve unapplied cash, overpayments, duplicate payments, and unidentified receipts.
- Process customer refunds and credit balance resolutions in accordance with company policies and approval requirements.
- Maintain accurate customer master data, including billing contacts, addresses, payment terms, and portal credentials.
- Collect and maintain customer documentation such as tax-exemption certificates, W-9s, and vendor registration forms.
- Prepare customer statements and respond to customer requests for account reconciliations and payment history.
Reporting & Reconciliation
- Prepare and distribute accounts receivable aging, collections status, and billing reports for management and Project Managers.
- Reconcile the accounts receivable subledger to the general ledger and assist with month-end close activities.
- Track key metrics such as DSO, past-due percentage, unbilled balances, and collection effectiveness.
- Provide input to cash flow forecasts by reporting expected customer payment timing.
- Compile billing and receivables documentation to support internal and external audits and customer billing reviews.
- Maintain confidentiality of financial, contractual, customer, and employee information.
Process Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve billing accuracy, invoice turnaround time, and collection results.
- Assist in developing and documenting standard operating procedures for billing, collections, and cash application.
- Recommend improvements to NetSuite billing workflows, invoice templates, dunning processes, and receivables reporting.
- Monitor recurring billing errors and customer disputes and recommend steps to prevent them from recurring.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
- Associate’s degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in customer billing, collections, or accounts receivable.
- Previous experience with NetSuite ERP, including invoicing and accounts receivable functionality, required.
- Experience in utility, construction, engineering, infrastructure, field services, or another project-based service environment strongly preferred.
- Experience billing under contracts with change orders, retainage, and progress or milestone billing.
- Demonstrated success collecting past-due accounts and resolving billing disputes.
- Working knowledge of cash application, credit memos, and accounts receivable reconciliation.
- Strong Excel skills, including the ability to work with large data sets and build aging and collection reports.
- Ability to read and interpret contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and billing requirements.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of invoices, accounts, and deadlines.
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including professional telephone and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with Project Management, Operations, Project Accounting, and Finance.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling financial and customer information.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
- Experience with NetSuite project billing, invoice groups, and saved searches.
- Experience with customer billing portals such as Ariba, Coupa, Textura, or similar platforms.
- Experience with government contracts or government-funded projects, including certified payroll or other billing compliance requirements.
- Knowledge of mechanic’s lien, notice, and payment bond processes.
- Experience with time-and-material, unit-price, and cost-plus billing structures.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience improving billing or collections processes.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Billing Accuracy: Ability to produce complete, correct invoices that match contract terms and minimize customer disputes.
- Collections Persistence: Follows up consistently and professionally until balances are resolved.
- Attention to Detail: High degree of accuracy when reviewing contracts, billing support, payments, and customer accounts.
- Problem Solving: Ability to research discrepancies, short payments, and disputes and drive them to resolution.
- Organization: Ability to manage a high volume of invoices, follow-ups, and deadlines.
- Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and tactfully with customers and internal teams.
- Collaboration: Builds productive working relationships with Project Managers, Operations, and Finance.
- Accountability: Takes ownership of assigned accounts and follows issues through to resolution.
- Adaptability: Comfortable working in a growing, changing, and deadline-driven environment.
- Customer Focus: Demonstrates professionalism and responsiveness while protecting the company’s interests.
MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to review financial information and identify errors, discrepancies, and potential collection risks.
- Strong mathematical and analytical reasoning skills.
- Ability to interpret contracts, billing requirements, remittance details, and customer correspondence.
- Ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities while meeting established billing and collection deadlines.
- Strong concentration and attention to detail when performing repetitive and highly accurate financial activities.
- Ability to remain calm, professional, and persuasive during difficult customer conversations.
- Ability to investigate problems, determine root causes, and develop appropriate solutions.
- Ability to work effectively under time constraints, particularly at month-end.
- Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential financial and customer information.
- Ability to adapt to changes in processes, systems, technology, and business priorities.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to perform primarily sedentary office work, including extended periods of sitting and working at a computer.
- Ability to use a computer, keyboard, mouse, calculator, telephone, and other standard office equipment for extended periods.
- Ability to spend extended periods on the telephone communicating with customers.
- Ability to frequently read and interpret information displayed on computer monitors and contained in contracts, invoices, spreadsheets, and reports.
- Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through virtual communication platforms.
- Ability to occasionally walk throughout an office or facility to attend meetings and collaborate with other departments.
- Ability to occasionally lift or carry light office materials and files.
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Pay Range: 30-38.00/hour
Reports To: Controller
Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications for the Billing & Collections Specialist. The specific duties and requirements may vary depending on the organization’s needs.
Exo is committed to equal employment opportunity. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
INTRODUCTION
Exo Inc. has been protecting public infrastructure across the U.S. since 2009. Without consistent maintenance and quality assurance, critical assets face a growing risk of failure over time. Exo delivers engineering, inspection, and remediation services for lighting poles, transmission towers, and other infrastructure exposed to ongoing wear from usage, aging, and environmental conditions.
With deep expertise in vertical infrastructure, Exo builds on years of engineering design and fabrication experience across utilities, telecom, transportation, and retail sectors. This foundation supports a comprehensive inspection and asset management approach that addresses both new installations and aging structures requiring immediate attention.
Recognizing that full replacement is often impractical due to cost and safety constraints, Exo developed its “Ex-Tend” approach to manage assets throughout their entire life cycle. From initial quality assurance to ongoing inspection and targeted repairs, this method is designed to extend service life and improve reliability. Supported by data-driven insights, Exo helps clients monitor asset conditions and make informed, strategic decisions.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Billing & Collections Specialist is responsible for preparing accurate and timely customer invoices and managing the collection of outstanding receivables for assigned projects and customers. This position ensures billings reflect contract terms and approved work, that customer payments are applied correctly, and that past-due balances are actively pursued and resolved.
The Billing & Collections Specialist works closely with Project Managers, Project Accounting, Operations, and Finance to gather billing support, resolve invoice disputes, and maintain healthy cash flow. The position serves as a primary point of contact for customers on billing and payment matters and helps keep accounts receivable current, accurate, and well documented.
The ideal candidate will have strong billing and collections experience, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to communicate professionally and persistently with customers in a fast-paced, project-driven environment. Experience supporting utility, construction, infrastructure, engineering, field services, or other service-based organizations is strongly preferred.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Customer Billing & Invoicing
- Prepare, review, and issue customer invoices in NetSuite in accordance with contracts, billing schedules, and established billing procedures.
- Ensure invoices accurately reflect approved work, contract rates, change orders, reimbursable expenses, retainage, milestones, and other applicable terms.
- Prepare billings under a variety of contract structures, including fixed-fee, milestone, time-and-material, unit-price, and cost-plus arrangements.
- Gather and compile required billing support, such as timesheets, field tickets, receipts, lien waivers, and customer-specific forms.
- Submit invoices through customer billing portals and comply with each customer’s submission requirements and deadlines.
- Review unbilled costs and coordinate with Project Managers and Project Accounting to confirm what is billable and bill it promptly.
- Prepare and track retainage billings and ensure retainage is invoiced and released when contractually due.
- Process billing adjustments, credit memos, and rebills in accordance with company policies and approval requirements.
- Maintain billing calendars and ensure all billings are completed accurately and within established deadlines.
Collections & Accounts Receivable Management
- Monitor accounts receivable aging and proactively follow up on outstanding and past-due balances by phone, email, and customer portals.
- Maintain regular contact with customer accounts payable departments to confirm invoice receipt, approval status, and expected payment dates.
- Investigate and resolve short payments, deductions, and disputed invoices in coordination with Project Managers and Operations.
- Escalate significantly past-due or high-risk accounts to management and recommend next steps, including payment plans, holds, or further action.
- Document all collection activity, customer communications, and payment commitments in NetSuite.
- Prepare documentation for lien notices, payment bond claims, and other collection remedies as directed by management.
- Recommend accounts for bad debt reserve or write-off with supporting documentation, in accordance with company policies.
- Support efforts to reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and improve overall cash flow.
Cash Application & Customer Account Maintenance
- Apply customer payments, including checks, ACH, wires, and credit card payments, to the correct invoices in a timely manner.
- Research and resolve unapplied cash, overpayments, duplicate payments, and unidentified receipts.
- Process customer refunds and credit balance resolutions in accordance with company policies and approval requirements.
- Maintain accurate customer master data, including billing contacts, addresses, payment terms, and portal credentials.
- Collect and maintain customer documentation such as tax-exemption certificates, W-9s, and vendor registration forms.
- Prepare customer statements and respond to customer requests for account reconciliations and payment history.
Reporting & Reconciliation
- Prepare and distribute accounts receivable aging, collections status, and billing reports for management and Project Managers.
- Reconcile the accounts receivable subledger to the general ledger and assist with month-end close activities.
- Track key metrics such as DSO, past-due percentage, unbilled balances, and collection effectiveness.
- Provide input to cash flow forecasts by reporting expected customer payment timing.
- Compile billing and receivables documentation to support internal and external audits and customer billing reviews.
- Maintain confidentiality of financial, contractual, customer, and employee information.
Process Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve billing accuracy, invoice turnaround time, and collection results.
- Assist in developing and documenting standard operating procedures for billing, collections, and cash application.
- Recommend improvements to NetSuite billing workflows, invoice templates, dunning processes, and receivables reporting.
- Monitor recurring billing errors and customer disputes and recommend steps to prevent them from recurring.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
- Associate’s degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in customer billing, collections, or accounts receivable.
- Previous experience with NetSuite ERP, including invoicing and accounts receivable functionality, required.
- Experience in utility, construction, engineering, infrastructure, field services, or another project-based service environment strongly preferred.
- Experience billing under contracts with change orders, retainage, and progress or milestone billing.
- Demonstrated success collecting past-due accounts and resolving billing disputes.
- Working knowledge of cash application, credit memos, and accounts receivable reconciliation.
- Strong Excel skills, including the ability to work with large data sets and build aging and collection reports.
- Ability to read and interpret contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and billing requirements.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of invoices, accounts, and deadlines.
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including professional telephone and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with Project Management, Operations, Project Accounting, and Finance.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling financial and customer information.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
- Experience with NetSuite project billing, invoice groups, and saved searches.
- Experience with customer billing portals such as Ariba, Coupa, Textura, or similar platforms.
- Experience with government contracts or government-funded projects, including certified payroll or other billing compliance requirements.
- Knowledge of mechanic’s lien, notice, and payment bond processes.
- Experience with time-and-material, unit-price, and cost-plus billing structures.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience improving billing or collections processes.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Billing Accuracy: Ability to produce complete, correct invoices that match contract terms and minimize customer disputes.
- Collections Persistence: Follows up consistently and professionally until balances are resolved.
- Attention to Detail: High degree of accuracy when reviewing contracts, billing support, payments, and customer accounts.
- Problem Solving: Ability to research discrepancies, short payments, and disputes and drive them to resolution.
- Organization: Ability to manage a high volume of invoices, follow-ups, and deadlines.
- Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and tactfully with customers and internal teams.
- Collaboration: Builds productive working relationships with Project Managers, Operations, and Finance.
- Accountability: Takes ownership of assigned accounts and follows issues through to resolution.
- Adaptability: Comfortable working in a growing, changing, and deadline-driven environment.
- Customer Focus: Demonstrates professionalism and responsiveness while protecting the company’s interests.
MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to review financial information and identify errors, discrepancies, and potential collection risks.
- Strong mathematical and analytical reasoning skills.
- Ability to interpret contracts, billing requirements, remittance details, and customer correspondence.
- Ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities while meeting established billing and collection deadlines.
- Strong concentration and attention to detail when performing repetitive and highly accurate financial activities.
- Ability to remain calm, professional, and persuasive during difficult customer conversations.
- Ability to investigate problems, determine root causes, and develop appropriate solutions.
- Ability to work effectively under time constraints, particularly at month-end.
- Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential financial and customer information.
- Ability to adapt to changes in processes, systems, technology, and business priorities.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to perform primarily sedentary office work, including extended periods of sitting and working at a computer.
- Ability to use a computer, keyboard, mouse, calculator, telephone, and other standard office equipment for extended periods.
- Ability to spend extended periods on the telephone communicating with customers.
- Ability to frequently read and interpret information displayed on computer monitors and contained in contracts, invoices, spreadsheets, and reports.
- Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through virtual communication platforms.
- Ability to occasionally walk throughout an office or facility to attend meetings and collaborate with other departments.
- Ability to occasionally lift or carry light office materials and files.
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Pay Range: 30-38.00/hour
Reports To: Controller
Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications for the Billing & Collections Specialist. The specific duties and requirements may vary depending on the organization’s needs.
Exo is committed to equal employment opportunity. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
See all 70+ OPT Collections Representative Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Collections Representative
Target employers comfortable with work authorization
Third-party collections agencies and fintech companies hire OPT students more readily than large banks. Smaller agencies focus on performance, not sponsorship complexity, making them practical first employers for building U.S. collections experience.
Highlight compliance and regulatory knowledge
Familiarity with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act signals professionalism to hiring managers. Mention FDCPA awareness in your resume even if self-taught. Employers in collections value candidates who understand legal boundaries around consumer contact.
Emphasize bilingual communication skills
Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, or other languages is a genuine competitive advantage in collections. Many employers actively seek bilingual representatives. This skill can make you the stronger candidate and offset any hesitation about OPT authorization timelines.
Address your OPT timeline proactively
Collections supervisors care about retention. In interviews, clarify your remaining OPT duration and explain whether you qualify for a STEM extension. A concrete timeline reduces uncertainty and signals that you've thought through your authorization situation.
Pursue STEM OPT extension if eligible
Business analytics, finance, and information systems degrees often qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Filing before your initial OPT expires gives employers three additional years of authorization, meaningfully improving your candidacy for collections roles with sponsorship potential.
Gain relevant certifications before applying
A credit or collections certificate from a recognized industry association strengthens your application. Certifications demonstrate commitment to the field and help offset employer uncertainty about OPT, especially for roles at larger financial services companies requiring background verification.
Collections Representative OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Collections Representatives?
Yes. Collections Representative roles are eligible for F-1 OPT work authorization as long as the position is directly related to your field of study, such as business, finance, or communications. You must have an active EAD card before starting work. Third-party collections agencies and fintech lenders tend to be the most open to hiring OPT candidates.
Do Collections Representative jobs typically lead to H-1B sponsorship?
Some do, particularly at larger financial institutions and fintech companies where the role is classified as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree. Smaller collections agencies may not sponsor. The clearest path to sponsorship is joining an employer with an established immigration program and demonstrating strong performance during your OPT period. Migrate Mate lists collections roles filtered by sponsorship history to help you identify realistic targets.
Does a collections job qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If your degree is in business analytics, finance, information systems, or another qualifying STEM field, you can apply for the 24-month extension regardless of your job title. A Collections Representative role at an E-Verify employer satisfies the employment requirement. Confirm your degree's CIP code appears on the STEM designated degree program list before applying.
Are there background check concerns for OPT students in collections roles?
Regulated employers, especially banks and credit unions, run credit and criminal background checks that apply to all candidates, including OPT students. A clean record is typically sufficient. The background check process is the same for OPT holders as for any other candidate. Third-party agencies generally have lighter screening requirements if this is a concern.
What happens to my OPT status if I lose a collections job?
F-1 OPT allows up to 90 days of cumulative unemployment, or 150 days if you have a STEM extension. You must report the job separation to your DSO promptly so your SEVP record stays accurate. Finding a new qualifying position within that window keeps you in valid status. Search Migrate Mate for open collections and financial services roles to minimize gaps in employment.