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Income & Debt Officer

Hertfordshire County Council • Full-time • Stevenage, Hertfordshire • £25,583 - £28,142 / year • 6d ago

Job Introduction

Job Title: Income & Debt Officer

Starting Salary: per annum (pro rata for part time) - Pay award pending

Hours: 37

Location: Stevenage - Hybrid

Contract Type: Permanent

Directorate: Resources

About the team

We are looking for a motivated, organised and resilient individual to join our Income & Debt Team. This is an excellent opportunity to become part of a high-performing, supportive team that takes pride in delivering an efficient and professional service.

The team sits within the Finance Directorate as part of the Transactional Finance function and is responsible for a wide range of Accounts Receivable activities. Comprised of 15 full-time and part-time colleagues, we operate a multi-skilled approach that enables team members to develop knowledge across a variety of functions while ensuring continuity of service.

As a key member of the team, you will contribute to the effective recovery of income, support customers and colleagues through query resolution, and help maintain strong financial controls. The role offers a varied workload, combining customer contact, debt recovery, administrative processes and stakeholder engagement.

Working to daily, weekly and monthly deadlines, you will play an important role in helping the team achieve its objectives while supporting continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the way we work.

We are committed to providing high-quality training and support, ensuring you have the tools, knowledge and confidence to succeed from day one.

About the role

This is a varied and fast-paced role within our Accounts Receivable function. You will be responsible for supporting income collection activities, providing excellent customer service, and helping to ensure debt is managed effectively and efficiently.

Key responsibilities include:

Contacting customers by telephone and email to recover outstanding debt and resolve account queries.
Managing incoming and outgoing customer calls, providing a professional and customer-focused service.
Issuing payment links and following up with customers to support timely payments.
Producing and issuing copy invoices, statements of account, and standard correspondence.
Investigating and resolving customer and stakeholder queries accurately and efficiently.
Building positive working relationships with colleagues across the organisation to support effective debt recovery and problem-solving.
Running weekly reminder letter processes and ensuring communications are issued in line with agreed procedures.
Managing incoming post and ensuring documentation is processed promptly.
Scanning and processing cheques in accordance with established banking procedures.
Uploading invoices to customer portals and ensuring records are maintained accurately.
Supporting wider Accounts Receivable activities as required and contributing to team objectives.

Through your work, you will help maximise income collection, reduce outstanding debt and contribute to the organisation's financial sustainability.

About you

We are looking for a proactive and customer-focused team player who enjoys building positive relationships and delivering excellent service. You will be highly organised, detail-oriented and confident in managing multiple priorities within a busy team environment.

Essential Criteria

You will be able to demonstrate:

Experience of credit control or debt recovery, including confidently and professionally pursuing outstanding debt by telephone.
Strong communication skills, with an effective telephone manner and the ability to handle challenging conversations sensitively and professionally.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
A good understanding of Accounts Receivable processes, including debits, credits and account reconciliations.
Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accuracy.
The ability to follow established processes and procedures consistently.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload to meet deadlines.
Experience of dealing professionally with customers and internal stakeholders.
A flexible and adaptable approach to work.
The ability to work independently while contributing positively as part of a team.
A reliable and proactive approach, with a willingness to support colleagues when required.

Desirable Criteria

Experience of using SAP or a similar finance system.
Previous experience working within a finance, Accounts Receivable or local authority environment.

This role offers the opportunity to develop your skills and experience within a busy and rewarding finance environment. You will be part of a supportive team where collaboration, learning and continuous improvement are encouraged.

We offer hybrid working arrangements, a modern open-plan office environment and access to a range of local authority employee benefits.

If you enjoy problem-solving, delivering excellent customer service and making a tangible impact through effective debt recovery, we'd love to hear from you. You'll play an important role in improving the organisation's financial position while helping customers resolve their accounts professionally and efficiently.

If you believe you have the skills, experience and enthusiasm to succeed in this role, we look forward to receiving your application.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 6. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Corporate services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Alison.Motler@hertfordshire.gov.uk or

Angela.Williams@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: week commencing 17th August 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Councilis undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.

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