In this supervisory post, you will assist in all aspects of collecting Council Tax and Business Rates debts. You will prepare committal cases, liaise with bailiffs and customers, plus deal with correspondence.

You must be a team player, self-motivated, accurate and able to work under pressure. A basic understanding of Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates legislation, and Microsoft Office would be an advantage.

1. Day to day supervision/coaching of one member of staff, and supervision/coaching of all team members in the absence of the Recovery Officer (reporting direct to Assistant Local Taxation Manager).
2. Maintain records, statistics and other reports on all enforcement action taken.
3. Act as the first point of contact for Council Tax and Non Domestic Rates enquiries, from team members and customers, by telephone, email  or face-to-face.
4. Provide correct advice to staff and customers in relation to Local Taxation procedures and all relevant legislation and case law.
5. Negotiate Special Arrangements with Customers who are subject to various stages of Recovery action including Reminders, Summonses or Liability Order.
6. Update the Council’s Northgate/SX3 revenues system with regard to both pre and post Liability Order cases.
7. Monitor special arrangements and all other recovery stages and liaise with external organisations in order to ensure arrears are collected correctly, legally and efficiently.
8. Liaise with the Councils appointed Bailiffs, including accounting for remittances and payment of accounts, monitoring debt status, and instructing Bailiffs regarding changes to accounts or particular circumstances. 
9. Prepare, administer and monitor case files for all Bankruptcy or Committal to Prison applications.
10. Take payments via the Council’s preferred payment provider, whilst promoting Direct Debit as the payment method of choice.
11. Assist in the physical task of dispatching all mailings (Annual Bills, Reminders, Summonses, etc), when required.
12. Carry out all necessary general clerical work, including scanning and electronic filing on Anite system.
13. Any other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

Knowledge

Essential

• A general understanding of how Council Tax and NNDR are calculated, what Council Tax pays for, and the procedures involved in collection of Local Tax.

Desirable

• Knowledge of how Magistrates Court hearings are conducted and the powers available to bailiffs collecting Local Tax.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Skills & Abilities Excellent communication, interpersonal skills (written and oral) with the ability to communicate at all levels.
• The ability to negotiate and to act confidently, in order to extract legally required information during discussions with customers and organisations.
• The ability to work unsupervised and use own initiative.
• IT literacy – MS Word, Excel.

Desirable

• Ability to supervise/coach other team members, and to promote and carry out policies and procedures in a positive manner.
• Skilled in financial negotiation techniques and debt management.
• Ability to solve problems and investigate solutions.
• Skilled in the use of other Microsoft packages.

Experience

Essential

• General office administration, dealing with the public and external organisations via telephone and face-to-face, dealing with challenging customers.

Desirable

•  Experience of diffusing difficult situations and dealing with customer complaints by phone.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE (or equivalent) in English & Maths.

Desirable

• NVQ (or equivalent) in Business Administration / Supervision.
• ECDL.

Complexity and Creativity

• Manage time and prioritise activities effectively.
• Create, maintain and enhance effective working relationships with both internal and external individuals and organisations.
• Communicate effectively at all levels to create understanding and action.

Judgement and Decision Making

• Contribute to and influence Local Taxation working practices and procedures.
• Ability to act with tact and diplomacy and to build relationships with business partners.
• Knowledge of when to seek advice from senior staff.

Contacts     (Internal 20%, External 80%)

Internal

• Staff associated with Council Tax and NNDR collection, plus Benefits and Fraud Teams, IT and Printing, Legal, Planning, Environmental Management and Housing.

External

• Customers, Bailiffs, Insolvency practitioners and Official Receiver, Solicitors, Estate agents and management companies, Housing Associations, Landlords, Employers, other Government bodies, as well as other partner organisations.

Other

• A flexible approach to working hours.