Operational Income Collection Manager

Leicester City Council; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicester City Council is seeking an experienced Income Collection Manager to lead a new specialist team within the Income Collection Service. You will develop and manage the recovery of Adult Social Care debt and housing benefit overpayments to maximise income while delivering a fair, customer-focused service.

Based at Town Hall with hybrid working (office one day per week plus rota days), you will oversee performance, partnerships with enforcement agencies, and data-driven improvements to

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing recovery of sundry debts with good understanding of ASC debt, benefit overpayments, or other public sector debt portfolios.
• Excellent communication skills for conveying complex and sensitive information to customers, colleagues, elected members, enforcement partners and stakeholders.
• Evidence of effective staff management, motivating teams, driving performance and creating an inclusive environment.
• Experience in challenging environments with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Experience supporting vulnerable customers while balancing recovery objectives is advantageous.
• Forward-thinking with readiness to adopt new technologies and data-driven solutions for efficient recovery services.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end recovery process for ASC charges and benefit overpayment debt, ensuring timely collection of balances.
• Supervise and develop the team to maximise recovery performance and deliver excellent customer service.
• Collaborate with Social Care professionals and Financial Assessment teams for a joined-up recovery approach.
• Oversee debt enforcement agents and recovery partners, ensuring contractual compliance and value for money.
• Manage pre-legal recovery activities and support legal recovery processes.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce aged debt.
• Produce, analyse and interpret collection performance data.
• Handle complex, sensitive, high-value cases and respond to enquiries from customers, elected members and external agencies.

Job description

Reference: REQ8091

Description: Full Time / 37 Hours Per Week / Permanent Operational Income Collection Manager – Adult Social Care Debt & Benefits Overpayment Recovery

An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead a new specialist team within our Income Collection Service. You will play a pivotal role in developing and managing the recovery of Adult Social Care debt and benefit overpayments, helping to maximise income collection while delivering a fair and customer-focused service.

As an Income Collection Manager, you will lead, motivate and inspire your team in the efficient management and recovery of Adult Social Care (ASC) debt and Housing Benefit overpayments. You will ensure the effective contract management of debt enforcement partners, driving improved service outcomes and delivering performance.

You will play a key role in developing a technology-driven, efficient recovery function that maximises income collection while supporting Leicester City residents who are receiving Adult Social Care services and maintaining compliance with relevant legislation and council policies.

You will be based at the Town Hall, staff are currently working in a hybrid arrangement that includes home and office working, with one team day in the office and participation in an office-working rota, averaging four extra office days per month.

What you'll be doing

• Managing a team of 6 staff, you will lead the end-to-end recovery process for Adult Social Care charges and benefit overpayment debt, ensuring effective and timely collection of outstanding balances.
• You will supervise, support and develop your team to maximise recovery performance while delivering excellent customer service.
• Working in partnership with Social Care professionals and Financial Assessment teams, you will help deliver a joined-up approach to supporting residents while ensuring the effective recovery of Adult Social Care debt.
• You will oversee the management of debt enforcement agents and other recovery partners, ensuring contractual compliance, value for money and effective recovery outcomes.
• You will be responsible for pre-legal recovery activity and support legal recovery processes, balancing income maximisation with the needs of vulnerable customers.
• The role requires you to identify and implement process improvements that increase recovery efficiency, reduce aged debt and improve the customer experience.
• You will produce, analyse and interpret collection performance data.
• You will also personally oversee complex, sensitive and high-value cases, responding to customer enquiries, complaints, elected member enquiries and correspondence from representatives and external agencies.

What you'll need

• You will have significant experience managing the recovery of sundry debts with good understanding of Adult Social Care debt, benefit overpayments, or other public sector debt portfolios, with a strong understanding of debt recovery legislation, enforcement processes and regulatory compliance requirements.
• With excellent communication skills, you will be confident in conveying complex and sensitive information to customers, colleagues, elected members, enforcement partners and stakeholders.
• You will be an experienced people manager with a proven ability to motivate teams, drive performance and create an inclusive environment where staff can perform at their best.
• You will have a track record of working in challenging environments, be able to demonstrate strong problem-solving skills.
• Experience of supporting vulnerable customers while balancing recovery objectives will be highly advantageous.
• With a forward-thinking approach, you will embrace new technologies and data-driven solutions to deliver an efficient, customer-focused recovery service that maximises collection of ASC debt and benefit overpayments while supporting the council's financial objectives.
• Due to access to sensitive information this post requires a DBS check.

If you would like more information on this role please contact Emma Hartley, Corporate Income, Assessment & Payments Manager on 0116 454 4616 or by email: [e-mail]

Interviews / Assessments will take place on week commencing 21st of September

Region: Central

Location: Town Hall

Salary: *GBP*40,444 - *GBP*43,149 Per Year

Package: Total benefit value (includes pension contribution and full holiday entitlement): *GBP*58,494

Contractual hours: 37

Basis: Full time

Contract type: Permanent