Corporate Collections Officer

Corporate Collections Officer
Location: Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1UW
Pay: £23.41 p/h Umbrella

Finance – Exchequer Services

We're looking for an experienced and motivated Corporate Collections Officer to join our Finance team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a background in debt recovery, billing and customer service who enjoys solving problems, working collaboratively, and delivering excellent outcomes for both customers and the organisation.

As a Corporate Collections Officer, you will play a vital role in maximising the collection and recovery of corporate income while providing a professional, efficient and customer-focused service. You'll work with a wide range of internal departments, external organisations and customers, ensuring that debts are managed fairly, consistently and in line with legislation and Council policies.

About the Role
You will be responsible for managing the end-to-end collection and recovery process for corporate debt, ensuring invoices are issued accurately and payments are collected promptly. You'll investigate and resolve account discrepancies, negotiate repayment arrangements, maintain accurate financial records, and determine appropriate recovery action where debts remain unpaid.

Working within a busy finance environment, you'll balance competing priorities, meet deadlines and provide excellent customer service, particularly when dealing with sensitive or complex cases.

Key Responsibilities
* Manage the billing, invoicing and recovery of corporate debts.
* Investigate outstanding accounts and determine appropriate recovery action.
* Liaise with Legal Services, enforcement agents, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), recovery agents and third parties to resolve outstanding debts.
* Process credit notes, refunds, write-offs, standing orders and direct debit collections in accordance with relevant regulations.
* Carry out account reconciliations and investigate discrepancies, ensuring all income is accurately allocated.
* Prepare and monitor BACS collections and associated reports.
* Generate reminders, final demands and recovery correspondence.
* Negotiate realistic repayment arrangements while considering customers' individual circumstances.
* Maintain accurate customer records and financial information using corporate financial systems.
* Produce management information and reports on debt recovery performance.
* Respond professionally to customer enquiries by telephone, email, letter and face-to-face in line with customer service standards.
* Support colleagues by sharing knowledge and assisting with training where required.
* Contribute to continuous improvement of collection processes and systems.

About You
We're looking for someone who can clearly demonstrate experience in the following areas:
* Invoicing, billing and debt collection processes.
* Account reconciliations, including investigating and resolving discrepancies.
* Working with vulnerable customers and managing sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism.
* A sound understanding of data protection legislation and the importance of maintaining confidentiality when handling customer information.

You'll also have:
* Experience working within a financial or income recovery environment.
* Practical experience of debt recovery and credit control.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage a varied workload and meet deadlines.
* Excellent attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
* Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and financial management systems.
* The ability to analyse information, make informed decisions and work independently.
* A customer-focused approach with excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills.

Qualifications
Essential
* GCSE (or equivalent) Grade C/Level 4 or above in Maths, English and one other subject.
* Ability to learn and apply relevant legislation and Council procedures.
* Confident user of Microsoft Office and other business systems.
Desirable
* A Level, NVQ Level 3, BTEC or equivalent qualification (or relevant experience).
* Knowledge of debt recovery legislation and best practice.
* Experience within local government or a large public sector organisation.
* Knowledge of the Care Act 2014 or Adult Social Care debt recovery.
* Experience preparing County Court cases.

What We're Looking For
Successful candidates will be able to provide clear examples of achievements in:
* Recovering outstanding debt while maintaining excellent customer relationships.
* Resolving complex account queries and reconciliations.
* Managing challenging conversations with professionalism and empathy.
* Improving processes or identifying efficiencies within financial services.
* Working effectively under pressure while maintaining accuracy and meeting targets