Senior Court Officer

Thurrock Council; Thurrock; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government entity is seeking a Senior Court Officer to manage debt collection processes while attending court hearings and presenting cases. The role requires strong negotiation skills and knowledge of various debt collection processes. Ideal candidates will have confidence in handling challenging conversations. This position offers generous annual leave, flexible working, and excellent employee support programs. Application is available for both internal and external candidates with deadlines set for January 2026.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Flexible working

Excellent employee assistance programme

Training opportunities

Reflective supervision

Qualifications

• DBS Check – A Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Basic Level is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the processes for collecting debts owed to the Council.
• Attend County Court and Magistrates Court hearings.
• Present cases for liability order and committal hearings.

Skills

Confidence to manage difficult conversations

Knowledge of debt collection processes

Knowledge of the Money Claims on Line (MCOL) process

Knowledge of the County Court processes

Understanding of charging order and committal processes

Negotiation skills

Experience communicating with the public

Knowledge of means enquiry process for committal hearings

Job description

Senior Court Officer - Debt Management Team

Grade E

Salary: £39,027 - £44,463 per annum

12 months fixed term

37 hours per week

Located with Thurrock’s Debt Management Team, a highly respected service which has been nominated twice for the IRRV Most Improved Team of the Year Award and was a finalist in 2012 and achieved a Bronze Award in 2013.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for effectively managing the major processes involved in the collection of the various portfolios of debt owed to the Council, taking selected cases through the court processes by attending and presenting at County Court and Magistrates Court hearings for both liability order hearings and committal means enquiry hearings.

Ideal Candidate

• Confidence to manage difficult conversations
• Knowledge of debt collection processes (ideally Council Tax, Non-Domestic Rates and Sundry)
• Knowledge of the Money Claims on Line (MCOL) process
• Knowledge of the County Court processes and methods of enforcement
• Clear understanding of charging order, bankruptcy and committal processes
• Full knowledge and understanding of the Thurrock Fair Debt Policy
• Experience using negotiation skills
• Experience of communicating with members of the public
• Full knowledge of the means enquiry process for committal hearings

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days rising to 30 after 5 years' service
• Flexible working to support a good work‑life balance
• Excellent employee assistance programme
• Excellent training opportunities and an established CPD programme
• Reflective supervision and management support

Requirements

DBS Check – A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check at Basic Level is required for this post.

Application Deadlines

• Redeployment Only: 30th December 2025
• Internal and External Applications: 11th January 2026

Interview Date

TBC

Job Profile

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