Graduate Collections Apprentice / Junior Analyst

Are you curious about how financial services organisations recover debt, manage customer arrears, and use intelligent technology to drive fair outcomes? This role is your entry point into one of the most strategically important functions in financial services – Collections.

As a Collections Apprentice / Junior Analyst, you will be immersed in the end-to-end world of debt management and arrears operations, learning from experienced practitioners while contributing to real, live work. You do not need years of experience to apply. You need curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the discipline to follow a structured development programme that will, over time, position you as a capable Collections professional with hands-on exposure to industry-leading platforms including PEGA.

What You Will Do

Your journey will be structured across three phases. In each, your autonomy will grow in step with your capability. Nothing will be thrown at you without support – but you will be expected to lean in.

Phase 1 – Observe & Absorb

• Shadow experienced collectors and analysts across early arrears, mid-stage, and late-stage operations
• Learn the fundamentals of the Collections lifecycle – from the moment a payment is missed to final resolution or write-off
• Assist with daily queue preparation, data pulls, and collections reporting under close supervision
• Attend PEGA platform walkthroughs led by senior team members – begin to understand how strategy drives system behaviour
• Complete all mandatory induction training including compliance modules (FCA CONC basics, data protection, vulnerability awareness)
• Maintain a learning journal and present a monthly reflection to your line manager

Phase 2 – Contribute & Build

• Begin assisting with basic PEGA strategy reviews – observing configuration changes and documenting outcomes
• Support BAU collections reporting: build standard MI packs, track KPIs, and flag anomalies for senior review
• Participate in PEGA workflow testing and raise defects using the agreed UAT framework
• Handle low-complexity collections queries and customer account reviews, escalating appropriately
• Assist in preparing business requirements documents (BRDs) and process maps for collections change requests
• Begin PEGA foundational training

Phase 3 – Deliver & Own

• Independently manage assigned collections reporting workstreams with minimal supervision
• Contribute to Tallyman strategy configuration tasks under SME oversight – running test scenarios and validating outcomes
• Participate in PEGA configuration walkthroughs and begin to understand rule structures and case design
• Present collections performance insights to team leads and contribute to strategy review discussions
• Support onboarding of the next cohort of apprentices by sharing your own learning journey
• Work towards and complete at least one formal certification or accreditation in your specialism

What We Are Looking For

The following are baseline requirements. We hire for potential, not just pedigree – if you meet most of these, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Must-Have Skills & Knowledge

• A genuine interest in financial services, credit, or debt management as a career
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills
• Organised, methodical approach – you can manage a workload, prioritise tasks, and meet deadlines
• Strong numeracy and comfort working with data – Excel proficiency (basic formulas, pivot tables) is a minimum
• Ability to follow structured processes carefully and document work accurately
• Willingness to study and pursue relevant certifications during the apprenticeship period
• Ability to handle sensitive customer or financial data with discretion and integrity

Good to Have

These skills will accelerate your onboarding and increase your immediate impact, but are by no means gatekeepers to your application:

• Any prior exposure to collections, arrears, or credit operations – even in an admin or support capacity
• Familiarity with PEGA as a platform – any academic, personal, or introductory exposure
• Awareness of FCA regulations or Consumer Duty – understanding that collections is a regulated activity
• Experience with any CRM or case management system in a professional or academic setting
• Basic understanding of credit lifecycle: origination, servicing, arrears, default, recovery
• Experience working in a customer-facing financial services role (banking, lending, insurance, etc.)
• Exposure to SQL, Power BI, or similar tools for data querying or reporting
• Participation in business simulations, finance societies, or credit-related academic projects
• Knowledge of vulnerability and forbearance concepts in a financial context.

What You Will Learn

Over the duration of your apprenticeship, you will receive structured exposure across three learning tracks. Depth increases progressively – you will not be expected to master everything in month one:

Collections & Operations.

Collections lifecycle basics

Arrears queuing & prioritisation

Contact strategy fundamentals

Promise-to-pay & arrangement tracking

Collections MI & KPI reporting

DCA & third-party basics (awareness)

Write-off & recovery awareness

Debt sale concepts (awareness)

Platform & Technology

PEGA — case management concepts

PEGA workflow & decisioning overview

Dialler platform awareness

EIB / data load concepts

SQL / BI reporting for collections MI

System change & UAT participation

Regulation & Compliance

FCA CONC Rules (awareness level)

Consumer Duty principles

Vulnerability & Forbearance basics

GDPR & Data Handling (ICO)

Treating Customers Fairly (TCF)

Complaint handling awareness

Audit trail & control basics

Conduct risk awareness

What We Offer You

• A fully structured apprenticeship with clear milestones – you will always know where you are and where you are heading
• Dedicated mentorship from a Collections SME who will invest time in your development
• Access to PEGA foundational training programmes
• Internal collections training library covering regulatory knowledge, platform walkthroughs, and strategy concepts
• A clearly defined pathway to a Junior Collections Analyst, Collections Analyst, or Collections SME role
• Support in pursuing industry qualifications (e.g. Credit Services Association training, CreditorAccord, or equivalent)
• A team culture where asking questions is encouraged, not judged – we were all beginners once

Behaviours & Mindset We Value

Curious

You want to understand why a customer fell into arrears, how the system decided to call them at 10am, and what made that strategy effective – not just what the output was

Detail-Conscious

You appreciate that in collections, a misconfigured treatment queue or a missed escalation can affect thousands of accounts – and you take that seriously from day one

Communicative

You ask for help before you're stuck, flag blockers early, and write clear notes that your colleagues can follow

Ownership Mindset

You do not wait to be told what to do next. You complete tasks, ask what else you can help with, and come to reviews with observations, not just updates

Team Player

You understand that collections success is a team sport – operations, technology, compliance, and strategy all must move together, and you are happy to be part of that engine