Council Tax Assessment Officer

Working on behalf of a Local Authority, Aatom Recruitment has a new opportunity for a Council Tax Assessment Officer on a 3 month contract with the possibility for further extension.

Main Responsibilities:

• Assist in providing financial services support across a wide range of functions – pay, payments and reconciliation, covering payroll, employee admin, pensions, traded services, payment processing, financial assessments, compliance management, VAT returns, BACS processing, bank reconciliation, income collections, debt recovery, housing benefits, council tax and business rates.
• Navigation of and inputting into the Councils financial management systems to undertake financial administration including payments, transitional processing and reconciliations, processing reliefs discounts and appeals and maintain the integrity of master data.
• Proactively challenge the legitimacy of data and undertake systematic checks ensuring that data loads and interfaces from source systems are effective and robust.
• Assist in the investigation and resolution of queries and complaints, ensuring a customer focussed service, keeping them informed of progress and actions.
• Input, check and maintain accurate records using corporate electronic systems and spreadsheets, ensuring information is stored appropriately and confidentially.
• Administer financial services documentation and correspondence and assist in the delivery of performance linked to corporate objectives and development of actions to deal with exceptions.
• Undertake telephone duties, in accordance with the Council’s wider Customer Experience Strategy principles and standards of professional conduct. This will include providing information and guidance in respect of other service areas of the council.
• Contribute to business process re-engineering improvements across all functional areas to drive forward efficiencies by continuously reviewing working practices, making suggestions for improvements to enable continued development and improved performance
• Undertake duties whilst dealing with interruptions, queries and conflicting demands arising from customer and service queries and requests, ensuring strict deadlines are met.
• Assist in the preparation of data and statistical returns.
• Respond to, investigate and resolve complex queries, dealing with complaints and difficult customers ensuring a customer focussed service, keeping them informed of progress and actions.
• Undertake timely interpretation of financial information, proactively acting to address issues and provide high quality performance information.
• Assist management in business process re-engineer improvements across all functional areas and lead on projects to drive forward efficiencies by continuously reviewing working practices and making suggestions for improvements.
• Keep abreast of technology and legislative changes within the area of responsibility; proactively disseminate any relevant information to team members and colleagues.

Requirements:

• Experience of working in a Financial Services environment.
• Experience in the use of IT and Microsoft packages.
• Experience of working to and meeting strict deadlines.
• Experience of working in a customer services environment.
• Experience of problem solving
• Experience of working with sensitive and confidential information
• Previous experience of using ERP financial management systems
• Demonstrable competency in numeracy and literacy.
• Good working knowledge of computer-based systems including Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of local government financial procedures and statutory regulations.
• Knowledge of relevant financial policies and procedures, in order to provide guidance to a range of audiences.
• Knowledge of Data Protection and Information Security and an ability to respect and promote confidentiality
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and verbal formats with a variety of audiences including members of the public.
• Ability to establish the needs of customers using appropriate questioning techniques and listening skills and using them to agree and implement solutions.
• Ability to handle confidential information in a sensitive, efficient and effective manner.

If this sounds good to you, please contact Inesa!