At a Glance
- Tasks: Coordinate and oversee legal aid billing operations for a leading children's charity.
- Company: Join Coram, the UK's oldest children's charity making a real difference since 1739.
- Benefits: Flexible part-time hours, competitive salary, and supportive work environment.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to supporting all backgrounds.
- Why this job: Make an impact on vulnerable children while developing your management skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in legal aid billing and strong organisational skills required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Contract - Permanent
Hours - Part time 0.6 FTE (21 hours per week) or 0.8 FTE (28 hours per week) with some flexibility around working hours
Salary Range - £30,000 to £40,000 FTE pro rata (£18,800 to £24,000 for 0.6FTE and £24,000 to £32,000 for 0.8FTE)
Location - London office - Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
About Coram
Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive. One of the nine members of the Coram group, Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) is the UK’s specialist centre for children’s rights in education, immigration, community care and family law, and provides significant international legal systems consultancy. The centre is located on the Coram Campus in central London with a base in Colchester. We champion access to justice through information and advice, legal practice and representation, policy and strategic litigation. Our Legal Practice Unit provides advice and representation primarily under legal aid contract. Our Policy and Practice Change team promotes practice change through training and capacity building to professionals and secures systems change through research, policy and advocacy.
About the role
This role will coordinate, oversee and supervise the Legal Practice Unit’s legal aid billing operations. Through systematic and efficient management, the post-holder will play an important role in CCLC’s financial and operational sustainability. Working with the Managing Director of Legal Practice, the Heads of Department and Coram’s central finance team, the key objective of the role is to help maximise the unit’s legal aid billing in controlled work, certificated work and inter partes costs. It will also oversee private fees billing. The post-holder will oversee the smooth running of legal aid billing. In this role, the post-holder will work very closely with legal, operations and administrative staff. The role will act as a key point of contact for a range of internal and external stakeholders including Coram’s central finance team who will support the role with grant fund management and overall accounting functions for CCLC. The post-holder will support the Managing Director of Legal Practice and Children’s Rights and department heads in the successful maintenance of our relationship with the Legal Aid Agency.
The role would suit a legal aid billing professional with significant direct hands-on experience of a range of types of civil legal aid billing (including controlled and certificated work) and an understanding of the challenges of legal aid. The ideal candidate will have experience of supervising the work of others but support and training will be provided. We are looking for someone who is interested in developing into management, is a proactive problem-solver, is highly organised and able to maintain oversight over different workstreams ensuring progress. In addition to legal aid experience, they will need an aptitude for processing large amounts of data, developing and managing spreadsheets and improving organisational systems. They will be well supported through training, an enthusiastic and competent junior billing team, the central finance team and an outsourced legal cashiering company, as well as a friendly and collaborative management team including the Managing Director and the Heads of practice areas.
This is a largely office-based role in order to fully provide support to the billing team. However, some remote/hybrid working may be possible depending on the experience of the candidate after the initial settling in period and there will be flexibility over how the working hours days will be spread across the week (within working hours). The team are mostly based in the London office and with one billing team member in Colchester so the postholder may require some occasional travel.
Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are under-represented at Coram. If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Senior Billing Officer and Coordinator employer: Coram
Coram, located in the heart of Central London, is an exceptional employer that offers a vibrant work culture focused on making a meaningful impact in the lives of vulnerable children. Employees benefit from a supportive environment that encourages professional growth and development, alongside the opportunity to engage in diverse projects that promote equality and safeguarding practices. Joining our team means being part of a historic charity where your contributions truly matter.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Billing Officer and Coordinator
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the legal aid sector and let them know you're on the hunt for a Senior Billing Officer role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of legal aid billing processes. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience and how you've tackled challenges in the past. Show them you're not just a number-cruncher, but a proactive problem-solver!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to showcase your organisational skills! Bring examples of how you've managed multiple workstreams effectively. This will demonstrate that you can keep everything running smoothly, which is key for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at Coram and making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Billing Officer and Coordinator
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in legal aid billing. We want to see how your skills match the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Show Your Passion:Let us know why you’re excited about working with Coram and supporting vulnerable children. A personal touch can really make your application stand out, so share your motivation and any relevant experiences.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and ensure your key points shine through without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application via our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Coram
✨Know Your Legal Aid Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of legal aid billing, especially controlled and certificated work. Familiarise yourself with the challenges faced in this area, as it will show your understanding and commitment to the role.
✨Showcase Your Organisational Skills
Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to manage multiple workstreams effectively. Think about times when you've improved organisational systems or managed large amounts of data, as these skills are crucial for the Senior Billing Officer role.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Team Dynamics
Since this role involves supervising a junior billing team, be prepared to talk about your leadership style and how you support team members. Highlight any experience you have in training or mentoring others, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Emphasise Your Problem-Solving Skills
Think of specific instances where you've proactively solved problems in a billing context. This could involve streamlining processes or addressing discrepancies. Showing that you're a proactive problem-solver will align perfectly with what they’re looking for.
