Council Tax & Debt Management Officer

Vacancy Information

Hourly Rate of Pay £13.80 - £14.78

Days and Hours of Work:
Monday - Friday, 09.00-17.00 (flexible)
To start ASAP

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Council Tax & Debt Management Officer to work within the Council's Revenues Service. This post would normally be based at John Muir House, Haddington but an application for homeworking from the successful applicant can be considered. IT equipment would be provided.

The purpose of this role is to assist in maximising income and minimising arrears in an effective and efficient way to ensure the Council has the finances to deliver quality services.

The successful candidate will also be responsible for supporting East Lothian residents who experience difficulty paying their Council Tax, in compliance with legislation, Council policies and procedures.

The successful candidate will assist with the billing and collection of Council Tax, provide advice and support to local residents to prevent Council Tax arrears accruing, negotiate repayment of debt owed, promote Direct Debit and online services and ensure that entitlement to all Council Tax reductions are maximised.

The successful candidate will also have a role to play in the development of the Council Tax service, contributing to service improvement work.

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience of working within a customer focused environment and will have the ability to work with people who are experiencing financial difficulties. Experience of working in a debt management environment is desirable. 

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and will have excellent communication, organisational and negotiation skills and be able to work remotely in an effective way, using Microsoft Office applications and other Council IT systems.

Home Working Consideration
Applications for homeworking or hybrid working will be considered for this post, subject to a trial period and in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview. All applicants must live in the UK and will be expected to attend Council offices from time to time as required.

Job Details

Responsible for the delivery of an effective and efficient Council Tax service which ensures that the Council has the finances to deliver a high quality service to Council Tax payers in East Lothian ensuring customer is fully supported throughout the process and in compliance with the Council's policies, legislation and plans with a commitment to achieve best value.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job.  You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form.  You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work.  Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours.  Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Must be educated to HNC/SVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of knowledge and/or related 
working experience

Driving Licence
A full current driving licence and/or access to a vehicle are desirable for this post

Disclosure
The preferred candidate for this position may be subject to a Basic Disclosure provided by Disclosure Scotland prior to a formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note:
If a Disclosure check is required and you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link:
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.  

If you require further information about this vacancy or require a paper application pack, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: East Lothian Council do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail).  All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form.  Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form.