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- Tasks: Lead a review of debt services, improving efficiency and driving value for money.
- Company: Connect2Luton partners with Luton Borough Council to provide expert recruitment services.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience in local government and contribute to meaningful change.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on debt recovery processes while working in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in local authority debt services and strong negotiation skills required.
- Other info: This is a temporary role lasting approximately 3 months with potential for future opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Connect2Luton are excited to recruit an Interim Debt Specialist on behalf of Luton Borough Council.
Main purpose of position: Seeking a highly experienced Interim Debt Specialist to lead a comprehensive review of our debt services (recovery and management) over a period of approximately 3 months. This interim role is central to identifying opportunities to transform, improve efficiency, scope service re-design and drive value for money across our debt recovery and management services.
Successful candidate will provide strategic insight, benchmark against best practice and recommend a future operating model, please see programme delivery for details of expectations of role.
You will be responsible to:
- Map and evaluate existing income and debt recovery processes, roles, systems and policies across appropriate service areas.
- Understand our current performance, the escalation of debt (how many go to court/summons stage vs paid at reminder or within payment terms) and aged debt profiles.
- Benchmark performance and approach against statistical neighbouring LA's and best practice.
- Review how data is captured, shared and used to support recovery.
- Identify inconsistencies, duplication, inefficiencies and gaps across services and processes.
- Review our approach to bad debt provision and write offs.
- Produce report with key findings and high-level recommendations plus identify any quick wins to drive efficient and effective in the shorter term (e.g. sundry debt collection).
Skills and Experience:
- Substantial experience of working within local authority debt related services.
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills to be able to engage effectively at Board level with major partners and stakeholders for complex, high level strategic issues and challenging situations when needed.
- Able to work on own or as part of a team.
- Able to prioritise, plan and organise heavy workload within a matrix management arrangement to meet conflicting priorities, targets and deadlines.
- Decisive and able to exercise judgement within an agreed framework and able to assess and manage high levels of risk.
- Able to identify when discrimination is taking place in service delivery or in the workplace and to take appropriate action where discrimination is identified.
- Knowledge of Programme, Project and Risk Management systems, methodologies and tools.
- Strong understanding of governance, legal/statutory compliance.
- Strategic thinker with ability to interrogate data, identify issues and develop solutions.
About Us: Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council. We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.
Interim Debt Specialist employer: Connect2Luton
Contact Detail:
Connect2Luton Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Interim Debt Specialist
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific debt recovery processes and policies used by local authorities. Understanding the nuances of these systems will help you speak confidently about how you can improve efficiency and drive value for money in your interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare to discuss your experience with benchmarking performance against best practices. Be ready to share examples of how you've successfully implemented changes in previous roles that led to improved outcomes in debt management.
✨Tip Number 3
Highlight your negotiation and influencing skills during discussions. Since this role involves engaging with stakeholders at a high level, showcasing your ability to navigate complex situations will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Demonstrate your strategic thinking abilities by preparing to analyse data and identify issues. Bring examples of how you've interrogated data in the past to develop effective solutions, as this will resonate well with the expectations of the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Interim Debt Specialist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to grasp the key responsibilities and skills required for the Interim Debt Specialist position. Tailor your application to highlight your relevant experience in debt recovery and management.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your substantial experience within local authority debt-related services. Provide specific examples of how you've successfully managed debt recovery processes and improved efficiency in previous roles.
Showcase Strategic Thinking: Demonstrate your ability to think strategically by discussing past experiences where you identified inefficiencies or gaps in processes. Mention any recommendations you made that led to significant improvements or cost savings.
Prepare a Strong Cover Letter: Craft a compelling cover letter that not only outlines your qualifications but also reflects your understanding of the challenges faced in debt management. Address how you can contribute to transforming and improving the council's debt services.
How to prepare for a job interview at Connect2Luton
✨Understand the Role Thoroughly
Before the interview, make sure you have a solid grasp of the responsibilities and expectations outlined in the job description. Familiarise yourself with debt recovery processes and local authority services to demonstrate your expertise.
✨Prepare Strategic Insights
Given the role's focus on strategic insight and benchmarking, come prepared with examples of how you've successfully transformed debt services in the past. Be ready to discuss specific metrics and outcomes that highlight your impact.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
As the position requires excellent negotiation and influencing skills, think of scenarios where you've effectively engaged with stakeholders at various levels. Prepare to share these experiences to illustrate your capability in handling complex situations.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities
The role involves identifying inefficiencies and gaps in processes. Be prepared to discuss how you've approached similar challenges in previous roles, including the methods you used to analyse data and develop actionable solutions.
