Debt Officer We have an exciting opportunity for a Fixed Term, Full time, Debt Officer to join Southampton City Council (SCC) in the Debt Management Centre, within the Enabling Services Directorate. Southampton is an exciting place to be and SCC has an ambitious and challenging agenda. Our Enabling Services Directorate is central to delivering this and is underpinned by a business partnering approach to working with the wider council and our partners to deliver successful outcomes for our customers. Alongside technical expertise, we are seeking dynamic, pragmatic and knowledgeable individuals who are solution-focused, with an eye for innovation and are able to ask the right questions at the right time. Central to this are excellent communication and interpersonal skills together with the ability to build and develop professional relationships across the council and beyond. About the team SCC’s Debt Management Centre (DMC) is part of Enabling Services Directorate and aspires to be the ‘best in class’ through creating a cohesive approach to Income collection to deliver value for money for Southampton City Council. DMC as the team is now abbreviated to, offers a comprehensive invoicing & recovery service for the organisation. About the Role The primary aim of this role is to provide proactive and practical support to customers experiencing financial difficulties, particularly those who are not engaging with the Service or are deemed vulnerable. The officer will focus on preventing arrears from escalating, understanding the root causes of financial issues, and finding sustainable solutions. Engagement will follow a 'virtual first' approach, with home or office visits arranged only when other communication methods have been exhausted. The officer will contribute to the overall success of the Debt Management Centre by providing excellent customer service and collaborating with others to minimise arrears. About you The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong core behaviors, including taking personal accountability and holding others to the same standard. They will be responsible for their own development, actively seeking feedback, reflecting upon it, and acting on it to improve. You should have excellent communication skills, able to explain complex information clearly while offering professional support to vulnerable customers across various channels. Experience in identifying vulnerabilities, referring to support agencies, and handling sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism is essential. Additional information: This post requires a basic DBS check. For any posts that require a DBS check, if you have lived outside the UK within the last 5 years, you will be required to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct or a police certificate from the country/countries you have resided in. Kindly note that this is at the expense of the candidate, as well as any costs involved for translating into English. Please note the salary quoted is based on full time hours (37 hours). Working 37 hours per week What we can offer you: Here at SCC we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below. A generous local government pension scheme. Flexible working (role dependant). Up to 13 days of Flexi Leave. Hybrid working arrangements (role dependant). Online Benefits – salary sacrifice schemes, benefits and discounts. Great local transport links. Employee assistance programme with access to our health wellbeing and support. For further information on our benefits package please visit: Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk) Contact details for informal discussion: For further information please contact Leah Whitcher via email on - leah.whitcher southampton.gov.uk Recruitment contact details: Email: recruitmentsouthampton.gov.uk Tel: 023 8083 4033 For more information about SCC please visit Southampton City Council Follow us on social media for regular updates on our featured jobs and latest news. Facebook YouTube