Impounds Specialist

Impound Specialist

DriveTime Family of Brands includes in-house financing and servicing through Bridgecrest, which is one of the country's leading financial servicing providers. Bridgecrest services roughly $25+ billion in finance receivables for DriveTime and other third parties. We service auto loans across a wide credit spectrum with the intent of creating a strong path to vehicle ownership for our customers.

Responsibilities of the Job (Or Better Known as, Your Next Destination)

This position involves all aspects of the impounds process to arrive at a decision to determine the customer has obtained the vehicle from impound, secure the unit from an impound/repair facility, or abandon the vehicle due to negative returns at auction. Negotiations in this role with the impound/repair facilities is integral to the business to ensure securing the highest value of the vehicle when sold at auction to optimize profitability.

• Conduct phone and/or email conversations directly with impound facilities to gather necessary impound information and negotiate impounds fees when applicable
• Determine whether we should secure or abandon vehicle interested based on defined business criteria (vehicle condition, fees, and profitability)
• Complete legally required, state-specific impound packets to secure vehicles from impound yards
• Consistently collaborate with recovery agents and/or impound facilities to efficiently recovery assets upon assignment
• Document information about location of vehicles, reason for impound, and total fees owed to secure vehicles
• Negotiate with the impound facilities on the fees owed to ensure we can secure as many impounded units as possible
• Assign collateral for recovery, utilizing an approved vendor and ensuring customer account is documented accordingly
• When necessary, collaborate with recovery agents and/or impound facilities to resolve issues with vehicle recovery attempts
• Document and route accounts to abandon queues if the vehicle was determined not to be worth repossession
• Conduct follow up conversations with impound facilities over abandoned vehicle to confirm vehicle location and/or renegotiate on fees
• Assist other departments with inquires related to the impounds process
• Complete tasks on assigned accounts in a timely manner to avoid lien losses and adhere to SLA's
• Ensure all types of impound notices received are properly documented in all systems
• Ensure all impounded accounts are properly routed to collection queues
• Utilize approved databases, tools, and internet searches to confirm vehicle impound status
• Assist impound coordinators with the input and tracking of impound notices
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (The Good Stuff)

• Clear, concise and professional written and oral communications and interpersonal skills
• Strong time management and organizational skills, and ability to maintain a consistent and positive demeanor in a fast-paced work environment
• Strong negotiation and conflict management skills
• Research state specific statutes based on impound scenario
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task to ensure the achievement of assigned performance objectives.
• Ability to effectively apply professional acumen and communication skills to favorably resolve issues escalated from internal and external customers.
• Ability to drive departmental compliance with FDCPA requirements
• Knowledge of collection policies/procedures including skip tracing and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and local state repossession law
• Self-motivated with strong decision-making capabilities; ability to be a self-starter
• Ability to work in an accurate, detail-oriented, and highly productive manner

Requirements (a.k.a. What You Need to Get the Job Done)

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent certification
• Experience with Microsoft Office such as Excel, Outlook and Word
• 3+ years of experience in loss mitigation and/or collections; financial services, insurance or claims experience preferred
• Associate degree or bachelor's degree in business or related field may be used as a proxy for experience

Physical Demands

The Physical demands described within 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.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 75% of the time
• Occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Requires visual acuity and manual dexterity to constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and printer
• Frequently communicate with internal and external customers. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• This position could require moving objects up to 20 pounds

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

So What About the Perks? Perks matter

• Medical, dental, and vision, oh my! DriveTime Family of Brands covers a sizable amount of insurance premiums to ensure our employees receive top-tier healthcare coverage.
• But Wait, There's More. 401(K), Company paid life insurance policy, short and long-term disability coverage to name a few.
• Growth Opportunities. You grow, I grow, we all grow! But seriously, DriveTime Family of Brands is committed to providing its employees with every opportunity to grow professionally with roughly over 1,000 employees promoted year over year.
• Tuition Reimbursement. We're as passionate about your professional development as you are. With that, we'll put our money where our mouth is.
• Wellness Program. Health is wealth! This program includes self-guided coaching and journeys, cash incentives and discounts on your medical premiums through engaging in fun activities!
• Gratitude is Green. We offer competitive pay across the organization, because, well money matters!
• Game Room. Gimme a break no, not a Kit Kat ad but we do have a ping-pong table, a pool table and other games if you ever need a break in your day.
• In-House Gym. We want our employees to be the best versions of themselves. So come early, take a break in your day, or finish strong with a workout!
• Enjoy Social Events? Bring it on. Rally with your team for festive gatherings, team competitions or just to hang out!
• We Care and Value YOU! Feel the love and let us treat you to company outings, personal rewards, amazing prizes & much more!
• Paid Time Off. Not just lip service: we work hard, to play hard! Paid time off includes (for all full-time roles) wellness days, holidays, and good ole' fashioned YOU time! For our Part-timers, don't fear you get some time too...vacation time is available - the more you work, the more you earn!

Anything Else? Absolutely.

DriveTime Family of Brands is Great Place to Work Certified! And get this: 90% of our rockstar employees say they feel right at home here. We could spend a lot of time having you read about ALL our awards, but we'll save time (and practice some humility) just naming a few others; Comparably Awards: Best Company for Diversity, Best Company Culture and Best Company Leadership, oh and don't forget Phoenix Business Journal Healthiest Employers (okay, we'll stop there)!

Hiring is contingent upon successful completion of our background and drug screening process. DriveTime is a drug-free, tobacco-free workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer.

And when it comes to hiring, we don't just look for the right person for the job, we seek out the right person for DriveTime. Buckle up for plenty of opportunities to grow in a professional, fun, and high-energy environment!