Customer Accounts Officer

Southern Housing; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Housing is seeking proactive, customer-focused staff to deliver arrears collection and debt recovery for residents and homeowners. You will manage a varied caseload, provide practical advice, and set up payment plans while collaborating with partners to resolve complex cases.

The role is based at Mosaic East, Croydon, with training from the office and hybrid working options after probation. Strong communication and negotiation skills, plus resilience, are essential to succeed in this

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills on phone and in writing.
• Resilience and professionalism in difficult conversations.
• Excellent organisation to manage high volumes and meet KPIs.
• Good negotiation and influencing skills for sustainable solutions.
• Customer-focused mindset balancing income protection with tenancy sustainment.
• Confidence using IT systems to accurately record actions and manage accounts.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality arrears collection and debt recovery for residents, former residents and homeowners.
• Manage a varied caseload of accounts with emphasis on sustaining tenancies where possible.
• Provide practical advice and set up payment arrangements with customers.
• Collaborate with Housing, Legal, Social Impact and external agencies to resolve cases.
• Utilise appropriate policy tools and enforcement options in line with regulatory requirements.

Skills

Strong communication

Resilience

Organisation

Negotiation

Customer focus

IT systems

Job description

About The Role

We’re looking for motivated, customer focused people who enjoy solving problems and helping customers find sustainable solutions. At Southern Housing, we believe in delivering fair, respectful and effective services — and this role plays a vital part in supporting residents while protecting our income.

Reporting to a Customer Accounts Team Manager, you’ll be responsible for delivering a high quality arrears collection and debt recovery service for residents, former residents and homeowners. You’ll manage a varied caseload of accounts, balancing our belief that rent should be paid with our commitment to sustaining tenancies wherever possible.

You’ll handle a high volume of customer contact across multiple channels, offering practical advice, setting up payment arrangements and working collaboratively with colleagues and external partners to resolve complex cases. You’ll also make appropriate use of legal and enforcement tools in line with policies and regulatory requirements.

This role is based at our Mosaic East, Croydon.

You’ll be expected to complete your training and probation from the office, with hybrid working options available following this.

About you

If you’re confident communicating with customers, resilient in challenging conversations, and motivated by achieving results while doing the right thing, you’ll fit right in. Experience in income, arrears or debt recovery is helpful, but what matters most is your ability to work with customers professionally, empathetically and consistently.

You’ll bring:

• Strong communication skills: confident on the phone and in writing, with the ability to explain information clearly
• Resilience and professionalism: remaining calm and respectful during difficult or sensitive conversations
• Excellent organisation: managing high volumes of work and meeting KPIs and deadlines
• Good negotiation and influencing skills: working towards sustainable solutions
• A customer focused mindset: balancing income protection with tenancy sustainment
• Confidence using IT systems: accurately recording actions and managing accounts

About the team

You’ll work as part of a dedicated Customer Accounts team, responsible for managing arrears across a range of tenures. The team works closely with Housing, Legal, Social Impact, ASB and external agencies to maximise income, minimise debt, and support residents to maintain their homes wherever possible.

About Us

At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own! We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people’s lives.

A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.