Senior Recovery Officer

Somerset County Council; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/hybrid working

LGPS pension

Health and wellbeing

Volunteer opportunities

Annual leave 28 days

Job summary

Somerset County Council is seeking a Senior Recovery Officer to lead the day-to-day delivery of the Recovery Team, overseeing recovery activity across Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments and Sundry Debts. You will manage complex cases and support Recovery Officers while working with the Recovery Manager to drive performance.

The role focuses on delivering fair, supportive services to customers, developing staff, and improving outcomes for the council and the community in

Qualifications

• Experience in debt recovery within a local authority or public sector environment.
• Experience leading, supervising or developing staff within a recovery or revenues service.
• Strong knowledge of recovery legislation, enforcement processes and debt collection best practice.
• Experience dealing with complex cases and supporting vulnerable customers.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a focus on delivering results and improving performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee recovery of unpaid debts across council services.
• Manage complex and sensitive recovery cases with support for vulnerable customers.
• Supervise Recovery Officers, promoting a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Act as senior contact for escalated customer enquiries, complaints and disputes.
• Work with enforcement agents and partner organisations to achieve positive outcomes for customers and the council.
• Monitor performance and drive service improvement.

Skills

Debt recovery experience

Staff supervision

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical thinking

Job description

Salary: Grade 12, ranging from £29,542 - £33,119 per annum

Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent role

Closing date: 19 October 2026

Are you an experienced recovery professional with a passion for leading people, improving services and delivering positive outcomes for customers?

Join Somerset Council's Recovery Team and play a key role in helping us maximise income collection while ensuring customers receive fair, supportive and customer-focused service when managing their debts.

About the Role

As a Senior Recovery Officer, you'll support the day-to-day delivery of the Recovery Team, overseeing recovery activity across Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments and Sundry Debts. You'll manage complex cases, provide guidance and support to Recovery Officers, and work closely with the Recovery Manager to drive service performance and continuous improvement.

How You'll Make a Difference

• Lead and support the recovery of unpaid debts across a range of council services.
• Manage complex and sensitive recovery cases, ensuring appropriate action is taken while supporting vulnerable customers.
• Supervise, coach and develop Recovery Officers, promoting a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Act as a senior point of contact for escalated customer enquiries, complaints and disputes.
• Work with internal teams, enforcement agents and partner organisations to achieve positive outcomes for customers and the council.
• Monitor performance, identify opportunities for improvement and support the ongoing development of the service.

What You'll Bring

• Experience working in debt recovery within a local authority or similar public sector environment.
• Experience leading, supervising or developing staff within a recovery or revenues service.
• Strong knowledge of recovery legislation, enforcement processes and debt collection best practice.
• Experience dealing with complex cases, challenging situations and customers facing financial difficulty.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to make balanced decisions and build effective relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on delivering results and improving performance.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

• 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most enhanced and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Find out more about working at Somerset Council:

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Further Information

• We offer flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance.
• This role is subject to a basic DBS check.
• Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Interviews are set to take place in the week commencing 2 November 2026.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Kim Slader (Recovery Manager) via email: [e-mail]

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

You can find a copy of the job description here: TR0277 Recovery, Revenues and Welfare Senior Officer - Recovery.pdf

Ref: 1444/SGQ