Client Service Officer

Department of Communities and Justice; Lismore; On-site; AUD 83,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellbeing programs

Fitness Passport

Employee Assistance Programs

Job summary

NSW Department of Communities and Justice is seeking a personable Client Service Officer for Housing & Homelessness Northern District in Tweed Heads, NSW. This office-based, full-time role focuses on delivering housing assistance and exceptional customer service to tenants, applicants and partner agencies.

You will engage with clients experiencing homelessness or at risk, support tenancy sustainability, and contribute to positive housing outcomes through collaborative service delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering front-line services to diverse clients.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a team.
• Comfort with using technology and learning new systems.

Responsibilities

• Visit tenants in homes as scheduled and support tenancy needs.
• Address tenancy issues including rent arrears, property care, and obligations.
• Assist clients at counters, on the phone, and in the community to access housing resources.
• Collaborate with government and non-government services to sustain tenancies.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Empathy

Independent working

Job description

Client Service Officer – Housing & Homelessness Northern District | Homes NSW * Location: Tweed Heads NSW * Employment: Ongoing, Full-Time position available * Talent Pool creation – office-based position, five days per week * Salary range $82,533 - $95,482 plus superannuation & annual leave loading * Opportunities for learning, development, and internal career progression

See the role before you apply: Day in the Life of a Client Service Officer Hear directly from our team and get an authentic insight into what it's like working as a Client Service Officer. Learn about property visits, supporting vulnerable clients, working in the community, and the rewarding opportunities that come with helping people sustain their housing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOo2_XlRmOY

Your role

Client Service Officers are the public face of Homes NSW, providing critical services and quality advice to clients, including people with complex support needs. This is a rewarding role where you will work directly with tenants, housing applicants, advocates and support services to help deliver positive housing outcomes. You'll support people experiencing homelessness, those at risk of homelessness, and social housing tenants to access and sustain safe and stable housing. We're looking for people who combine empathy with resilience, can build strong relationships, work independently, and are committed to delivering excellent customer service. No two days are the same. You may be assisting a client at the service counter, conducting a property inspection, supporting a tenant experiencing challenges, or working with partner agencies to help someone access housing assistance.

What you’ll do

The Client Service Officer works directly with a range of support services and clients in their homes, in the office, and throughout the community to deliver housing assistance tailored to client needs.

Tenancy Team:

• Visit tenants in their homes on a regular scheduled basis.
• Work with tenants to address tenancy-related issues, including rent arrears, property care concerns, tenancy obligations, anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood matters.
• Work with clients at the counter, over the phone and in the community.
• Ability to link in with and collaborate with a range of Government and non-Government services to provide specialist support to individuals and families to assist in sustaining tenancies identifying and addressing barriers to successful engagement with HOMES NSW

Temporary Accommodation Team:

• Work with tenants to address tenancy-related issues in line with relevant operational policies, procedures and guidelines, including rent arrears, property care concerns, tenancy obligations, anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood matters.
• Liaise with Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS), community housing providers, support agencies, and internal Homes NSW teams to ensure clients receive appropriate support and housing pathways.
• Respond to urgent and complex client matters, ensuring clients are supported safely and appropriately.

Letting Team:

• Match approved applicants to suitable housing opportunities in accordance with policy and client needs.
• Work directly with housing applicants, tenants, support providers and advocates to facilitate housing offers and allocations.
• Manage the end-to-end letting process, including property offers, viewings and tenancy commencement activities.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams to minimise vacancies and maximise housing outcomes

Tenancy and Access Hub Team:

• Respond to enquiries from tenants, housing applicants, support services and community members via phone, online channels and service counters.
• Assess and process a broad range of housing assistance requests, applications and service enquiries.
• Provide advice on available housing options, support pathways and Homes NSW services.
• Contribute to positive client experiences by delivering timely, accurate and professional service.

Private Rental Pathways Team:

• Provide advice and assistance regarding private rental products, subsidies and support programs.
• Work directly with clients, real estate agents, landlords, community partners and support services to facilitate private rental outcomes.
• Assess eligibility and process applications for private rental assistance programs in accordance with policy and guidelines.
• Assist clients to develop the skills and knowledge required to successfully secure and maintain private rental accommodation.
• Build and maintain relationships with local real estate agents, community housing providers and specialist support services.
• Monitor and manage private rental assistance arrangements to ensure ongoing compliance and positive client outcomes.

What we're looking for

This role will suit people who enjoy working with others, can adapt to changing situations, and are comfortable engaging with clients from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Confidence visiting clients in their homes and working independently in the community.
• Resilience and professionalism when working with vulnerable clients and challenging situations.
• Strong situational awareness and a commitment to personal safety practices.
• The ability to build rapport while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Strong customer service skills with an empathetic approach.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Confidence using technology and learning new systems.
• A commitment to teamwork, continuous improvement and delivering positive client outcomes.

Essential Requirements

• Current NSW Driver Licence (minimum P2).
• Willingness to travel regularly and work with clients in their homes and the community (a company pool car available).
• Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or holder of valid working rights in Australia.

Why join Homes NSW?

• Meaningful work that directly supports vulnerable people and communities.
• Structured training, mentoring and ongoing support.
• Diverse career pathways across Homes NSW and the NSW Public Sector.
• A supportive team environment where safety, wellbeing and professional development are priorities.
• The opportunity to make a genuine difference every day.

What We Offer

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing, Fitness Passport and Employee Assistance Programs

Want more information? Visit our website to see more information on Working for us. We do work that really matters Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters. Are you ready to join us? 1. Attach a resume (maximum 3 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining how you meet the requirements and capabilities of this role as specified in the role description. 2. When applying for the role you will be required to answer the pre-screening questions. Download the role description. Applications close Tuesday, 3rd November at 11:59pm AEST Got a question? For more information about the role or what it’s like to work for DCJ, please contact the hiring manager Jamie-lee Rowe via [e-mail] or 0448 307 831. If you’ve got a question about applying or would benefit from an adjustment in the recruitment process to help you perform at your best (including an alternate method submission of the application), please reach out to Syvonne Pereira via [e-mail] or 0498 091 786. Visit Recruitment adjustments on the DCJ website to learn more. Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups. To find out what DCJ are doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website. Other Information A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. For more information visit Your recruitment journey on the DCJ website. Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application. To keep up with recruitment opportunities at DCJ, follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CareersatDCJ/