Head of Benefits & Support

Doe Park Water Activities Centre; Bradford; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

Doe Park Water Activities Centre is seeking an experienced Head of Benefits & Support based at City Hall, Bradford. You will lead Revenues, Benefits & Customer Services, steering strategic development, governance and efficiency across housing benefit, council tax reduction and related services.

You will manage substantial budgets, ensure compliance with statutory duties, drive service improvements and champion digital transformation to deliver high-quality public services for residents.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading local authority Revenues/Benefits teams.
• Strong governance, regulatory compliance and budgeting experience.
• Experience in digital transformation and service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction services, Corporate Payments and Cash Control, and a service support function.
• Oversee delivery of the annual billing programmes and ensure secure processing of payments; monitor PCI DSS compliance.
• Lead data security, governance, and communications across Revenues, Benefits & Customer Services.

Job description

Job Introduction

Head Of Benefits & Support

Salary: £79,609 to £90,671

Location: City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford

Following the retirement of our current Head of Service, we are looking to recruit an experienced and inspirational Head of Benefits & Support.

As a key member of the Revenues, Benefits & Customer Services Leadership Team, you will help shape and deliver high-quality, efficient services. You will provide strategic leadership, drive continuous improvement and innovation, manage significant budgets and ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

The role

You will provide strategic leadership for our Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction services, Corporate Payments and Cash Control, and a whole Service support function.

Responsibilities Include

• A Council Tax Reduction caseload of more than 45,000, alongside Housing Benefit and supported accommodation cases.


• The Housing Benefit finance function, including government subsidy claims and management of the annual external audit of the Housing Benefit subsidy claim.


• Delivery of the annual Council Tax and Business Rates billing programme.


• The secure receipt and processing of electronic and digital payments across the Council and compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).


• Management and control of cash across the authority and provision of cash bill payment facilities.


• Technical support, systems development and innovation across Revenues, Benefits & Customer Services.


• Service-wide data security, authority-wide compliance with the Department for Work and Pensions Memorandum of Understanding


• Financial and system output controls.


• Communications and administrative support across the Service.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and inspirational leader with a strong track record of delivering local authority services, preferably in Revenues, Benefits or Customer Services.

You will combine strategic vision with strong operational expertise, with the ability to lead high-performing teams while maintaining effective governance and ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities, regulatory requirements and best practice.

You will have a strong commitment to innovation, service improvement and technological advancement, using these to support the continued development and delivery of Revenues, Benefits & Customer Services.

Interview arrangements

Interviews will be held during the week commencing 2 November 2026. As part of the selection process, you will be asked to deliver a presentation. The presentation topic will be provided to you in advance of your interview.

Attached documents

• Job Profile - Head of Benefits and Support JP v4 Feb 2024.doc