Overview

This is an exciting opportunity in an ever-changing revenues environment where you will continue to learn and develop your skills and experience with opportunities for career progression. If you have experience of dealing with members of the public in a caring and supportive manner and want to make a real difference to our residents, then we want to hear from you! We are looking for dedicated, motivated individuals who demonstrate a high level of attention to detail and excellent communication skills who can work as part of a team and are able to organise and prioritise workloads to meet deadlines with conflicting demands. Full time and part time positions available.

What is involved?

You will be joining a supportive and enthusiastic team responsible for the collection of Council Revenues including Council Tax, Business Rates and sundry debts. As a Debtors and Collections Officer you will play a crucial role in supporting customers in arrears by implementing effective collection strategies to ensure positive outcomes to minimise debt and help our customers.

You will communicate with customers by telephone, letter, and email, maintaining detailed records of every interaction. You will learn and understand the relevant legislation and processes, using the Council’s Debt Management Policy and procedures to provide advice, support and guidance to customers and explain the recovery process to them, signposting them to appropriate assistance where necessary.

A large part of the role requires you to deal with phone calls from a wide range of customers, providing excellent advice and customer service and to deal confidently with a full range of requests, negotiate payment arrangements and respond in a mature and courteous manner in sometimes difficult situations.

From day one you will receive full training, support, and mentoring, not only from your managers but also from your colleagues. The training will complement and develop the skills you already have. Hybrid working is available upon completion of training.

We encourage you to contact Sam Lloyd via email at Sam.Lloyd@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

What will I need?

You will have a clear, confident, and empathetic phone manner and be able to explain complex information simply. Good organisational, numerical and time management skills, an NVQ level 2 or equivalent qualification OR experience of working in a Finance, Customer Service or similar environment are required.

You will have excellent communications and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage confrontational situations. This role is customer facing and you are required to speak to members of the public; the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Disclosure.

Rewards and Benefits

• Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service.
• Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year.
• Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year).
• Hybrid working (home and office working).
• Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with top-up options.
• Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring.
• Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across retailers).
• Discounted DCC gym membership.
• Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT+, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause.
• Trade Union membership.
• A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing.
• Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

Social media and other sections

Social media: Keep an eye on our channels for updates on new opportunities. Hybrid working: Durham County Council operates a hybrid model with 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote; this is pro-rated for part-time roles and arrangements are at the manager’s discretion, or you may work all contracted hours in the workplace if you prefer.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We are an equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and perspectives. We are committed to fair and equitable policies and processes. We welcome applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered on skills and ability to do the job. We encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process.

Interviews

Interviews will be held week commencing 20 October 2025. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who meet all essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked-after child or care leaver or a veteran.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application to demonstrate essential and desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. If you require support, contact the Recruitment Helpdesk or the Recruitment Team. We collect personal information as part of the application process; details are available in our Privacy Notice. All communications regarding your application will be sent to the email address you registered with Northeast Jobs.