Senior Business Rates Officer - Council

Spinwell Global Limited; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Spinwell Global Limited has been engaged to appoint a Senior Business Rates Officer on a 5-month contract. The role is hybrid with Basildon location and an expectation of in-office attendance one day per week. DBS clearance is required and the post is Inside IR35.

You will organise workloads, supervise staff, oversee billing and recovery, respond to rate payer enquiries, and liaise with courts and enforcement agents while maintaining data protection compliance and striving for efficiency.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising a busy Revenues and Benefits Section.
• Experience in team leadership amid legislative change.
• Strong performance management and targets experience.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• IRRV qualified or willing to study for it.
• GCSE level mathematics and English.

Responsibilities

• Organise and plan workloads, monitor performance of staff.
• Oversee billing, collection and recovery processes for rates.
• Respond to enquiries from rate payers and reps.
• Ensure enforcement actions comply with policy guidelines.
• Liaise with courts, enforcement agents and other agencies.
• Maintain performance statistics and report trends to managers.
• Ensure GDPR compliance and protect personal data.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Performance management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

GDPR compliance

Analytical skills

Targets delivery

Education

GCSEs

IRRV qualification

Tools

Information systems

Job description

Role: Senior Business Rates Officer REF 24143
Contract Length: 5 months
Location: Hybrid/Basildon - expectation of being in the office 1 day per week.
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: £31 per hour
Security Clearance: DBS
Spinwell is recruiting for a Senior Business Rates Officer for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SENIOR BUSINESS RATES OFFICER

• Organise and plan workloads, monitoring performance of the Business Rates officers by proportionate quality testing and implementing remedial action where necessary.
• Monitoring performance of the Visiting Officers by proportionate quality testing and implementing remedial action where necessary.
• Management and development of staff in line with corporate guidelines and procedures, including regular 121's and staff meetings, identifying training needs and performance management of staff.
• Maintain a high level of knowledge in all aspects of Business Rates including case law, legislation, system and national developments.
• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Business Rates billing, collection and recovery process, whilst seeking to promote efficiency and continuous improvement
• To have an in depth technical knowledge of Business Rates and respond directly to enquiries from rate payers and their representatives
• To have continuous regard for maximising the Business Rates tax base, growth and income collection, and minimise loss through avoidance and delay.
• To administer all Business Rates grants, exemptions, discounts and reliefs in line with the Council's policies.
• Manage the Business Improvement District (BID) levy collection processes ensuring they are carried out efficiently.
• Liaise with the Revenues & Enforcement Manager and the BID managers regarding levy rules, billing cycles and updates to the rating list.
• Ensure that policy guidelines on enforcement are applied to debts for which liability orders are to be obtained or are to be held in abeyance.
• To ensure that appropriate methods of enforcement and appropriate sanctions are pursued, having regard to the means and circumstances of debtors, ensuring that due regard is taken in vulnerable cases.
• Liaise with other council departments and with the legal section and the courts and other agencies to obtain recovery of Business Rates, initiating or responding to proceedings in the appropriate court and resolving complex issues where necessary.
• Initiate proceedings for the insolvency of debtors ensuring that appropriate follow-up actions are taken.
• Liaise with any enforcement agents ensuring such agents act efficiently, professionally, and with due regard to council policies and national codes of conduct.
• Liaise with the courts, the police and any enforcement agents in relation to applications for committal proceedings for non-payment of local taxes.
• To carry out a minimum of 4% accuracy checking for all staff, keeping performance statistics, and taking steps to remedy any adverse trends, reporting any concerns to the Revenues & Enforcement Manager.
• Monitor the safety and security of Business Rates staff who are home working.
• Assist with the annual billing processes and government returns seeking to resolve any process or systems issues by liaising with the Revenues & Enforcement Manager and appropriate officers.
• To keep performance statistics, taking steps to remedy any adverse trends and reporting variations to the Revenues & Enforcement Manager.
• To liaise with all internal and external partners as required
• You must ensure that you comply at all times with the General Data Protection Act, relating to personal information held by the Council. Any employee who mis-uses, accesses or discloses personal data relating to a living individual without checking that it is to be used for an authorised purpose relevant to the Authority, may be prosecuted in a Criminal Court, as well as facing disciplinary action

SKILLS/EXPERIENCES OF THE SENIOR BUSINESS RATES OFFICER

• Experience of working in a supervisory role in a busy Revenues and Benefits Section or in an equivalent environment
• Experience in team leadership, in a climate of legislative and organisational change
• Experience of and strong understanding of performance management and the meeting of targets
• Experience of managing people demonstrating good communication, management and interpersonal skills
• Experience of managing resources, including the effective use of Information systems, to achieve results
• IRRV qualified/member or other relevant qualification and evidence of continuing professional development- or willing to study for it
• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, indicating an aptitude for mathematics and English language
• Demonstrates strong leadership and supervisory skills by providing clear direction, setting high standards of behaviour, delegating work fairly and effectively, motivating and empowering teams, supporting staff development through coaching, and recruiting high-calibre talent.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to organisational principles and values by upholding ethics and integrity, promoting equality and diversity, building inclusive teams, and encouraging both individual and organisational responsibility towards the community and the environment.
• Demonstrates strong influencing and stakeholder engagement skills by making a positive personal impact, securing commitment through effective persuasion, negotiation and communication, championing ideas on behalf of self and others, and using political awareness and organisational processes to influence outcomes.
• Demonstrates specialist technical expertise and a strong commitment to continuous professional development, effectively applying and sharing knowledge, leveraging technology to achieve objectives, understanding organisational functions and interdependencies, and utilising the practical skills and coordination required to perform the role effectively.
• Demonstrates a strong focus on delivering results and meeting customer expectations by prioritising customer needs, maintaining high standards of quality and productivity, monitoring performance, working in a systematic and organised manner, and consistently achieving project objectives and outcomes.
• Demonstrates resilience and professionalism by working effectively under pressure, remaining composed during challenging situations, maintaining a positive outlook, balancing competing priorities, responding constructively to feedback, and using setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement.

We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

Applying to this or any other vacancy advertised by Spinwell Ltd constitutes an agreement for Spinwell Ltd to hold your details for 24 months for the purpose of assessing suitability for the advertised position and to make you aware of any other positions deemed suitable of which You will make you aware by means of either email, text or phone. In line with GDPR regulations you are able to request your details be removed from the company data at any time by emailing us