Income Officer

Incommunities are looking to recruit a part time Income Officer to join our team on a permanent basis. This is a crucial role to the business, as you will be responsible for recovering arrears accrued by current tenants but also looking at how we can interact with our customers to prevent debt. You will manage your own patch, providing advice, solutions, and support to our residents to ensure financial inclusion.

The role is 26 hours per week - flexible in terms of days / hours but these would need to be the same weekly.

You would be required onsite at least 1 day per week and attend visits.

**About us**

We are a social housing landlord and one of the largest housing providers in the region with over 22,000 social and affordable homes, mainly in the Bradford district. We employ a talented workforce of nearly 1,000 people.

Working to provide great homes in great neighbourhoods, we are proud to collaborate with our customers, communities, local and national stakeholders to achieve this.

This year will see us launch our new 5 year corporate strategy to 2029 which puts customers at the heart of what we do, providing great places to live and work, with homes that they are proud to live in.

**Responsibilities**
- Undertake all recovery action for current tenants including rent and lease arrears, service charges, court costs and miscellaneous debts including recharges
- Undertake recovery action for former tenant arrears and other miscellaneous debts until they are referred to an external agent
- Assist in the contribution and future development of customer account to ensure financial inclusion
- Have responsibility for all stages of the recovery of debts due from current and former customers, garage sites, and non Housing Revenue Accounts, and to respond to enquiries relating to tenants accounts including of debt and credit balances and deal with associated record keeping and correspondence

**About You**
- Have relevant practical work experience of customer services, ideally within the housing sector
- Have experience of dealing with members of the public both face to face and over the telephone, in particular, handling people who may be distressed and anxious and/ or reluctant to accept or follow advice
- Have experience of problem solving and resolving conflict
- Have excellent IT skills in order to manage different systems
- Are flexible, adaptable and able to organise your own workload
- Enjoy working with numbers, as you will be required to identify arrears, work out where there are shortfalls and prepare statistical information

**Requirements**:

- A broad understanding of housing and estate management standards and practices, including arrears, lettings, exchanges, repairs, rents, therefore a background in housing or a housing qualification such as NVQ or HNC (Desirable)
- A sound understanding of benefits that would be applicable to tenants, combined with the ability to give advice on those which are applicable (Desirable)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- A positive and calm attitude as you need to be prepared to challenge inappropriate behaviour and resolve conflict
- The ability and confidence to make decisions on the effective management of properties and to be prepared to refer more complex matters to managers, while feeding back where improvements can be made to the service we provide
- A willingness and the enthusiasm to give guidance and support to other team members
- Drive and ambition to work on personal development through in house training
- Driving licence with own vehicle - desirable

**Benefits**
- Salary of £22,395.13 per year for 26 hours
- Essential car user allowance plus mileage
- West Yorkshire Pension Fund membership - Current employer contribution is 15.9%
- Annual leave: 28 days which increases with service up to 32 plus public holidays (pro rata)
- Option to buy and sell annual leave
- A supportive culture that values employees work life balance.
- Our Hub: our wellbeing and benefits site, with exclusive access to discounts and savings (at over 800 retailers)
- Training, development, and funded qualification opportunities.
- Corporate health scheme membership.
- Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which includes help with medical, financial, and legal information, plus counselling and relationship support.
- Hybrid working
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Free parking onsite.
- Local gym membership discounts.
- A team of trained Mental Health First Aiders who are available for colleagues to contact for support
- We are an equal opportunity employer but beyond characteristics protected by law, we welcome and value applicants from diverse backgrounds, abilities and perspectives. Incommunities is also recognised as ‘Committed’ to being Menopause Friendly. The _Menopause Friendly Accreditation _recognises inclusive employers that build awareness and understanding of how menopause can have an effect at work and shows we take the wellbeing of our colle