Head of Revenues, Benefits and Assessments

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving continuous improvement and delivering high-quality services? We are seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to join our team. This role provides strategic leadership, operational management, and financial control for the Revenues & Benefits, Credit Control and Financial Assessment and Deputies service areas, using transformational change to drive continuous improvement in service performance and the delivery of high-quality strategic aims and performance targets. You will also be an active member of the Finance senior leadership team with collective responsibility for the managerial leadership of the Finance Service, encouraging a culture that promotes the values and behaviours of the Council.

We are a forward-thinking organization committed to excellence in public service. Our mission is to provide outstanding services to our community, and we pride ourselves on our values of integrity, innovation, and inclusivity. We offer a supportive and collaborative work environment where your contributions are valued, and your professional growth is encouraged.

In 2024, Buckinghamshire Council won two prestigious IRRV awards. The Revenues & Benefits team was recognised for Excellence in Innovation (Revenues and Benefits Administration) and Most Improved Team of The Year. The team has achieved remarkable outcomes since their formation in April 2020 and continues to deliver year-on-year innovations and improvements. From delivering a single system from four legacy systems in 2022 to embracing new ideas and technologies, such as introducing a chat bot, SMS recovery text messaging, housing benefit overpayments attachment of earnings robotics, and deploying the NEC campaigns module to deliver SPD reviews, the team has proven itself to be innovative, adaptable, and effective both in performance and in the service provided to residents. These innovations and improvements have not only enhanced performance outcomes but also made services more accessible and efficient for residents. This is an excellent time to join as Buckinghamshire Council continues to build on this impressive record.

As the Head of Revenues, Benefits & Assessments, you will provide strategic leadership, operational management, and financial control for the service area. You will be responsible for planning, developing, delivering, and managing the Revenues & Benefits, Credit control and Financial Assessment and Deputies services to ensure compliance with legislation and high standards of service delivery. Your role will involve contributing to the strategic direction of the service, developing and implementing policies, managing stakeholder relationships, and overseeing performance and quality management systems. You will also be accountable for managing a revenue budget of approximately £1.5 million and monitoring a collection fund of about £0.7 billion.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Substantial experience in planning and delivering a Revenues & Benefits service, with expert technical knowledge and experience.
• A proven track record of senior management success in a Revenues and Benefits service.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Revenues & Benefits service area, including systems, policies, practices, procedures, legislation, and major issues.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong leadership abilities, with evidence of developing and managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• A degree-level education or equivalent standard, and relevant professional qualifications (e.g., IRRV, CIPFA) are desirable.

If you are a proactive and innovative leader with a commitment to delivering high-quality services, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date: 24th November 2024

Interview date: week commencing 2nd December 2024

Interview-type / process: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: mark.preston@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare: All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy. By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation. From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments. We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently. As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.