Senior Customer Service Advisor

Civic Recruitment Limited; Enfield (CT); Hybrid; USD 181,000 - 271,000; Full time

Job summary

Civic Recruitment Limited is recruiting for a Senior Customer Services Officer – Council Tax & Housing Benefits on a 5‑month contract. Location: Enfield Civic Centre with hybrid working.

The role requires delivering high‑quality frontline service across Customer Operations, offering specialist advice on Council Tax, Housing Benefit and related matters. You will handle telephone and webchat queries, support vulnerable customers, and contribute to continuous service improvements within the team.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a customer service or contact centre environment.
• Significant experience dealing with Council Tax enquiries, including billing, collection and recovery processes.
• Experience of providing advice and guidance relating to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
• Experience of handling complex customer enquiries and complaints professionally and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Deliver an efficient and professional first point of contact service through telephone, webchat and digital channels.
• Provide specialist advice on Council Tax matters, including billing, discounts, exemptions, reductions, liability, collection and recovery processes.
• Respond to and resolve complex customer enquiries relating to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
• Ensure customers receive accurate information in accordance with legislation, council policies and procedures.
• Take ownership of customer enquiries and resolve issues at the first point of contact wherever possible.
• Support vulnerable customers by identifying needs and providing appropriate advice and signposting.
• Explain Council Tax legislation, recovery procedures, payment arrangements, discounts and exemptions in a clear manner.
• Assist customers experiencing financial difficulties by discussing available support options.

Job description

Enfield, United Kingdom | Posted on 23/06/2026

At Civic Recruitment and Limited, we know that individuals are more than just fixed expenses; they are the cornerstone of every thriving organisation. That’s why we are passionate about transforming recruitment in the public and private sectors. In the modern job market, organisations in both public and private sectors face significant workforce challenges. Public sector entities, such as local councils and central government departments, often struggle with lengthy recruitment processes, limited access to qualified candidates, and stringent budgetary and regulatory constraints. Private sector businesses, on the other hand, encounter high turnover rates, difficulties managing a mix of permanent and temporary staff, and challenges in sourcing specialised talent for niche industries. These sector-specific obstacles, coupled with the universal complexities of payroll management, create a pressing need for efficient workforce solutions. Civic Recruitment Limited addresses these challenges with innovative recruitment and payroll solutions tailored for diverse organisational needs. Recognising the critical hurdles organisations face, the company leverages its expertise to streamline processes, reduce recruitment times, and alleviate administrative burdens. With an extensive database of over 1 million pre-screened candidates, Civic Recruitment Limited is well‑positioned to cater to the specific needs of both public and private sectors.

Job Description

5 months contract with a Local Authority

Job Title: Senior Customer Services Officer – Council Tax& Housing Benefits

Location: Enfield Civic Centre / Hybrid Working

Job Purpose

To provide a high-quality, customer-focused and professionalfrontline service across Customer Operations Services, acting as a specialistadvisor for Council Tax, Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit enquiries. Thepostholder will support customers through telephony and webchat channels, resolving complex enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible andpromoting digital self‑service solutions.

The role is responsible for delivering accurate advice andguidance on the billing, collection and recovery of Council Tax, as well asassisting customers with Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support enquiries inline with current legislation, regulations, council policies and customerservice standards.

Working collaboratively within the Contact Centre, theSenior Customer Services Officer will play a key role in ensuring customersreceive timely, efficient and accessible support while contributing to thecontinuous improvement of service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Service Delivery

• Deliveran efficient and professional first point of contact service throughtelephone, webchat and digital channels.
• Providespecialist advice on the full range of Council Tax matters, includingbilling, discounts, exemptions, reductions, liability, collection andrecovery processes.
• Respondto and resolve complex customer enquiries relating to Housing Benefit andCouncil Tax Support.
• Ensurecustomers receive accurate information in accordance with legislation,council policies and procedures.
• Takeownership of customer enquiries and resolve issues at the first point ofcontact wherever possible.
• Supportvulnerable customers by identifying their needs and providing appropriateadvice, guidance and signposting.
• Actas a subject matter expert for Council Tax enquiries and provide supportto colleagues where required.
• ExplainCouncil Tax legislation, recovery procedures, payment arrangements,discounts and exemptions in a clear and understandable manner.
• Assistcustomers experiencing financial difficulties by discussing availablesupport options and repayment arrangements.
• Keepup to date with relevant legislation, best practice and policy changesaffecting Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.

Digital and System Support

• Encourageand support customers to use online and self-service facilities to accessservices independently.
• Accuratelyupdate customer records and maintain case information using Civica systemsincluding Open Revenues and D360.
• Processcustomer requests and enquiries efficiently while ensuring data accuracyand compliance with GDPR requirements.
• Utilisecontact centre technology and CRM systems to manage customer interactionseffectively.

Team and Service Improvement

• Workcollaboratively with colleagues across Customer Operations and Revenues& Benefits services.
• Contributeto achieving team performance targets, service standards and customersatisfaction objectives.
• Identifyopportunities to improve processes and customer experiences.
• Participatein training, team meetings and service development activities.
• Supportthe delivery of a positive, inclusive and customer‑centric culture.

Person Specification

• Experienceof working in a customer service or contact centre environment.
• Significantexperience dealing with Council Tax enquiries, including billing,collection and recovery processes.
• Experienceof providing advice and guidance relating to Housing Benefit and CouncilTax Support.
• Experienceof handling complex customer enquiries and complaints professionally andeffectively.