Shield Funding is replacing its outside answering service with one exceptional, full-time professional who will serve as the first point of contact for our callers.
We are looking for someone with an outstanding telephone presence—warm, polished, articulate, confident, calm, intelligent, and genuinely helpful.
You should be able to make a strong first impression within the first few seconds of a call. You must sound natural and engaged rather than robotic, rushed, overly scripted, or like a generic call-center representative.
This is an important client-facing position. The right person will help ensure that every caller reaches the correct department, every important message is documented accurately, and no valuable business opportunity is lost because of poor call handling.
What you will do
- Answer incoming calls promptly and professionally.
- Create an excellent first impression for Shield Funding.
- Determine quickly why the person is calling and what assistance is needed.
- Identify whether the caller is a prospective client, existing client, funding partner, vendor, salesperson, or another party.
- Route qualified business-financing inquiries to the appropriate representative.
- Transfer existing clients and business partners to the correct department.
- Gather and verify names, business names, telephone numbers, email addresses, and reasons for calling.
- Enter accurate call notes and contact information into Salesforce.
- Schedule callbacks and notify team members of important or time-sensitive calls.
- Monitor voicemail and missed calls and ensure they receive prompt attention.
- Learn enough about Shield Funding’s services and departments to direct callers accurately.
- Handle frustrated, impatient, or confused callers calmly and professionally.
- Assist with limited administrative or client-service duties during slower call periods.
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding client and company information.
The person we are looking for
You have:
- An exceptional speaking voice and professional telephone manner.
- Clear, easily understood spoken English.
- Excellent listening skills and the ability to avoid interrupting callers.
- A warm, confident, and composed communication style.
- The ability to sound professional without sounding stiff or scripted.
- Strong judgment regarding when to transfer a call, take a message, or escalate an issue.
- Excellent attention to detail when recording names, numbers, and call information.
- Dependable attendance and punctuality.
- Strong computer skills and the ability to work in multiple systems while speaking with a caller.
- The ability to learn business-financing terminology and basic company procedures.
- The patience and composure to handle difficult callers without becoming flustered.
Preferred experience
- Three or more years in a telephone-intensive receptionist, client-service, executive-assistant, hospitality, legal-intake, medical-intake, financial-services, or customer-service position.
- Experience answering and routing calls for a busy professional organization.
- Experience using Salesforce or another CRM.
- Experience speaking with business owners or senior professionals.
- Experience handling both new-client inquiries and existing-client service calls.
- Experience working with call-routing or cloud telephone systems.
- Spanish fluency is a plus but is not required.
This position is not a fit for someone who:
- Frequently misses calls or arrives late.
- Sounds disengaged, monotone, impatient, or overly scripted.
- Has difficulty recording names and telephone numbers accurately.
- Becomes defensive when dealing with an upset caller.
- Transfers calls without first understanding what the caller needs.
- Is looking to answer phones simultaneously for several unrelated companies.
- Does not have a quiet, professional workspace if the position is remote.
- Is primarily seeking a sales or commission-based position.
How performance will be measured
Performance will be evaluated based on:
- Call-answering consistency.
- Professionalism and quality of telephone interactions.
- Accuracy of caller information and Salesforce notes.
- Correct routing of calls.
- Response time for missed calls and voicemails.
- Dependability, punctuality, and schedule coverage.
- Feedback from callers and internal team members.
- Ability to identify and protect valuable business opportunities.
Hiring process
Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a brief live telephone audition using realistic call scenarios.
The telephone audition is intended to evaluate:
- Voice clarity.
- Warmth and professionalism.
- Confidence and composure.
- Listening ability.
- Speaking pace.
- Ability to gather accurate information.
- Judgment when routing or escalating calls.
- Ability to handle a frustrated caller.
We are not looking for a generic receptionist. We are looking for someone who can become the trusted, professional voice of Shield Funding.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
