Corporate Recovery Officer in Milton Keynes

We’re recruiting a Corporate Recovery Officer to join Milton Keynes City Council and help us make a real difference for our city. You’ll be part of our Corporate Recovery team within Revenues and Benefits, working to collect outstanding debts owed to the Council, including Council Tax and other income streams. The team is responsible for managing payment arrangements, monitoring accounts, and taking appropriate recovery or legal action where needed, while maintaining accurate records and fair, consistent processes. This work plays a key role in maximising income for the Council so funds are available to support essential local services across Milton Keynes. You’ll also work directly with residents, offering support, negotiating affordable payment plans, and signposting people in financial difficulty to appropriate advice services. This is vital work that helps maintain the Council’s financial stability while balancing enforcement with a supportive, fair approach. The role is based within Revenues and Benefits and involves working collaboratively with colleagues, external agencies, and members of the public.

This role may be suitable for home working, following an assessment. Home‐based roles require a minimum of one day per week working from the office or site.

Main Responsibilities:

• Collect and monitor outstanding debts, ensuring payments are allocated promptly and customer records are kept up to date.
• Set up, monitor, and enforce payment arrangements, taking action where agreements are not maintained.
• Apply a single view of debt approach to give customers a clear, joined‐up response to their overall debt.
• Respond to telephone, written, face‐to‐face, and digital enquiries about debt recovery in a clear and supportive way.
• Prepare cases for court or insolvency action and assist at Magistrates or County Court when required.
• Support the team by identifying unrecoverable debts and preparing cases for write‐off in line with procedures.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Significant experience in debt recovery, with an understanding of relevant legislation, procedures, and compliance.
• GCSE English and Maths at grade A to C, or equivalent qualifications or experience.
• Confidence working with numbers and financial calculations, and strong IT skills including Microsoft Office.
• Clear communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to explain sensitive or technical issues simply.
• A strong commitment to customer service, fairness, and handling sensitive information with integrity.
• A supportive team‐focused approach, contributing positively to the work of the Corporate Recovery team.

As part of the pre-employment checks, should you be offered the role, we’ll carry out a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Package Description:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can access low‐cost leasing of electric and low‐emission vehicles.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live. We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference. We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.