Hardship Officer

We're looking for an empathetic, solutions focused professional to join Branded Financial Services as a Hardship Officer. You'll support customers facing some of life's most challenging circumstances, from serious illness and family hardship through to financial distress and unexpected life events.

This is a role where emotional intelligence matters just as much as commercial judgement. You will need to be able to listen, understand and guide customers through their circumstances while also being able to make balanced decisions that work for both the customer and the business.

The role

As a Hardship Officer, you'll play an important role with supporting customers experiencing financial difficulty, helping them find practical and sustainable solutions during challenging periods. You will need to take the time to understand their individual circumstances and help identify practical and sustainable solutions that work for the customer and the business.

No two days are the same as you may be helping someone navigate a job loss, illness, a relationship breakdown or another significant life event that has affected them. You will be managing your own portfolio of hardship accounts, you'll combine empathy, strong communication, and sound judgement to make a genuine difference in customers' lives while ensuring they're treated with fairness, respect, and care every step of the way.

What you'll do

• Manage a portfolio of high-risk and hardship accounts (secured and unsecured).

• Develop practical and sustainable support arrangements tailored to individual situations

• Identify early signs of loss and apply mitigation strategies.

• Escalate deteriorating accounts for asset recovery, legal action, or write-off.

• Maintain complete, compliant, and audit-ready case files.

• Proactively engage with customers in arrears to understand financial situations.

• Communicate hardship decisions clearly and empathetically.

• Handle sensitive conversations, complaints, and disputes professionally.

• Balance empathetic service with effective recovery strategies.

• Liaise with customers, guarantors, and third parties to facilitate outcomes.

• Apply a risk and compliance lens, ensure legal adherence, and manage all day-to-day risks through the appropriate channels.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who genuinely cares about helping people and can remain calm, professional, and objective during difficult conversations.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• Experience within hardship and vulnerability, financial assistance, or customer support environments

• Alternatively, strong senior collections, recoveries, or customer resolutions experience

• Exceptional listening and communication skills

• High levels of emotional intelligence and empathy

• The ability to navigate challenging and emotionally charged conversations

• The ability to build trust with a wide range of customers

• Strong judgement and decision making skills

• A customer focused mindset with an understanding of commercial realities

• Resilience, professionalism, and attention to detail