Customer Accounts Officer (Leasehold)

Aster Group; Devizes; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Wellbeing programme

Career development framework

Pension and life assurance

Volunteering opportunities

Employee discounts

Job summary

Aster Group is seeking a dedicated Customer Accounts Officer (Leasehold) to manage leasehold arrears and agree repayment plans with customers. You will progress cases toward lawful action when needed, coordinating with internal teams and external bodies across our operating regions.

The role requires strong communication, meticulous record-keeping, and willingness to travel to Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall to support customers and attend hearings as required.

Qualifications

• Committed to delivering excellent customer service with a focus on outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Proficient in IT systems including Microsoft Office and CRM databases.
• Knowledge or experience of rent arrears recovery and the pre-action protocol for rent arrears.
• Housing management experience desirable; housing management qualification an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Pursue leasehold arrears and agree appropriate repayment arrangements.
• Refer customers to internal or external support when required.
• Progress cases through the legal process, including court referrals and attendance at hearings.
• Support eviction action where applicable and liaise with internal teams to ensure accuracy of accounts.
• Travel to operate across regions and attend meetings or court hearings as needed.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Attention to detail

IT systems proficiency

Education

Housing management qualification

Tools

CRM databases

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic individual to join our Customer Accounts Team. The team provides an efficient and supportive arrears management service to our leaseholders.

As a Customer Accounts Officer (Leasehold), you will be responsible for pursuing leasehold arrears, agreeing appropriate repayment arrangements with customers, and referring customers to internal or external support where required.

Where appropriate, you will progress cases through the legal process, including referral to court, attendance at hearings, applying for warrants, and supporting eviction action.

While you won’t be out and about all the time, there will be occasions where you are required to attend meetings or court hearings relating to customers across our operating regions. These include Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall, so being suitably located within or able to travel to these areas is important.

With a strong focus on achieving positive outcomes, you will work closely with customers to understand their individual circumstances, respond to queries about monies owed, and identify those who require additional support or signposting to appropriate services.

You will also be expected to interpret lease agreements, applying relevant clauses when managing arrears cases, and liaising with internal teams such as Service Charge to ensure accuracy of accounts.

About you

You will be committed to delivering excellent customer service and will be confident in building and maintaining effective working relationships with customers, external agencies, and colleagues.

You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail and accuracy when presenting information. You will be proficient in the use of IT systems, including Microsoft Office and CRM databases.

You will have knowledge and/or experience of rent arrears recovery and the pre-action protocol for rent arrears. Experience within leasehold management or housing services is desirable, and a housing management qualification would be an advantage.

You will need a flexible approach to working to meet the needs of our customers, including local and regional travel. A full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle for work purposes is required.

What’s in it for me

We invest in our colleagues because we know if they have a better day at work, the service our customers receive will be better. The Aster Offer is our offer to our colleagues to ensure they have a great day at work and includes things like:

• Flexible working - whilst some roles need to be carried out in a specific place at a specific time, where possible we encourage our colleagues to work to their own schedule at a location that suits them, their team and our business’ needs
• A focus on colleague wellbeing - workshops, an employee assistance programme offering counselling and support, mental health training and a health cash plan
• We invest in colleagues’ careers and development through our leader and colleague development frameworks
• Defined Contribution Pension and attached life assurance
• Volunteering hours available to all colleagues to enable them to give back
• Savings at cinemas, gyms, holidays, days out, various shops and eateries and lots more
• Enhanced leave
• We celebrate colleagues who go above and beyond with a range of personalised recognition initiatives.

We follow a sector-wide, outcome-based framework for professionals in social housing. The Competence and Conduct Standard introduce a sector-wide, outcome-based framework for those working in social housing in England, while also requiring senior professionals who deliver social housing services to gain, or work towards, a housing management qualification.

Successful candidates will complete a Basic DBS check.

We create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and believe that creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.

All candidates will be required to verify their right to work in the UK prior to commencement of employment with the Aster Group & it’s subsidiary brands.