Legal Recoveries Officer

Reporting to the Collections Team Leader, the purpose of this role is to take ownership of complex debt recovery matters, managing files through all stages, from early collections to legal assessment, litigation, and enforcement. This strategically important role will strengthen our legal recovery capability and drive long-term improvements in how we manage high-risk and delinquent accounts. You will manage challenging files end-to-end, initiate legal action where appropriate, oversee litigation outcomes, and ensure full compliance with relevant legislation. Working closely with internal teams and external legal partners, you will play a key role in shaping policy, building robust procedures, and embedding best-practice frameworks for secured and unsecured debt recovery across Australia.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives on autonomy, enjoys creating structure, and is passionate about improving recovery outcomes and helping build a best-in-class legal recoveries function. 

As a Legal Recoveries Officer, you can expect to

• Prepare and lodge legal documentation (e.g. letters of demand, statements of claim, default judgments, enforcement actions) and coordinate process serving across Australian jurisdictions.
• Liaise with external counsel and law firms on litigation strategy, enforcement options, and court proceedings.
• Manage a portfolio of delinquent secured and unsecured loans through litigation, insolvency, and recovery phases, assessing files for legal feasibility and risk.
• Negotiate payment arrangements, settlements, and dispute resolutions with borrowers, guarantors, and third parties, maintaining a balance of professionalism and recovery focus.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready case files and legal records, ensuring compliance with frameworks such as the NCCP Act, Privacy Act 1988, and ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guidelines.
• Monitor litigation outcomes and settlement trends, preparing internal reports and updating legal precedents, manuals, and workflow tools as needed.
• Collaborate with internal Collections and Credit teams to align recovery actions with customer strategies and support improvements to late-stage recovery processes.
• Track litigation diaries and deadlines, draft formal correspondence, and provide general administrative and operational support for the legal recoveries function.
  

What we look for in a candidate 

• 2–5 years’ experience in legal recoveries, commercial collections, or debt litigation, ideally within financial services.
• Sound knowledge of Australian civil procedure, enforcement processes, and key frameworks including the NCCP Act, Privacy Act, ASIC, and ACCC debt collection guidelines.
• Proven ability to assess recovery strategies based on credit risk, cost-benefit, and legal feasibility.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting legal documentation and managing case files to a high standard.
• Proficient with legal research tools and case management systems, with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple matters under pressure.
• A collaborative team player; law student (2nd or 3rd year) or paralegal experience highly regarded but not essential.

  
  

What's in it for me?

Within the Avanti Finance Group, you can look forward to flexible and hybrid working as we offer up to two days working from home following your initial training period. We give back to our communities through our support of Duffy Books, and by offering an Annual Volunteer Day for you to use for a purpose that's close to your heart. We believe in celebrating diversity, and we also celebrate talent and development by working with you through an established capability framework that puts you in the driving seat of your development while achieving business goals. You won't find a gender pay gap here, as we have great remuneration packages but as we all know there's more to an awesome job than the money. If you are happy and fulfilling your potential, while feeling supported, valued and empowered, then that’s a win for us! Fresh fruit, Healthy Food Guide Memberships, and increased Kiwisaver match is there for you to feel good from the inside out.