Team Leader - Benefits Team (Crisis and Resilience Fund) in Gateshead

Fixed Term Contract until 31st March 2029. Lead a team, support residents and make a difference every day.

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might just be the perfect match. We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.

At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

Bring your benefits expertise to a role where every decision matters. Our Customer Experience and Digital service is responsible for delivering high-quality, customer-focused services that support residents, businesses and communities across Gateshead. Bringing together digital services, customer experience, customer services, Council Tax, business rates, benefits and financial assessments, the service plays a key role in improving how customers access and interact with council services.

Supporting colleagues, helping residents, improving lives. Are you an experienced benefits professional looking to take the next step in your career? As a Benefits Officer, you'll play a key role in leading and supporting the delivery of an efficient, accurate and customer-focused benefits service. You'll use your expertise to ensure residents receive the financial support they're entitled to, while helping to develop colleagues, drive service improvements and maintain high standards of performance.

This is a rewarding opportunity to combine your technical knowledge, leadership skills and commitment to excellent customer service to make a real difference to the lives of people across Gateshead.

What you'll get to do:

• Supervise and support members of the Benefits team, providing training, mentoring and guidance to help deliver a high-quality service.
• Use your knowledge of benefits legislation and local schemes to ensure claims are assessed accurately and in line with statutory requirements.
• Oversee the processing of Housing Benefit, Local Council Tax Support and other benefit-related applications, ensuring work is completed accurately and within performance targets.
• Monitor team performance, manage workload priorities and support the recovery of benefit overpayments in a timely and effective manner.
• Provide advice and support to customers, responding to enquiries by telephone and in person with professionalism and empathy.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, partner organisations and external agencies to improve customer outcomes, promote benefit take-up and support joint working initiatives.
• Handle complex benefit cases, including retrospective award requests, revisions, appeals and fraud-related matters, ensuring legislation and procedures are applied correctly.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.

What you'll bring:

• A minimum of 4 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent), including English and Maths.
• Significant experience working within Housing Benefit, Local Council Tax Support, the wider benefits system or Local Government Finance.
• Experience of supervising and supporting staff, including providing coaching, mentoring and performance management, with the ability to effectively monitor workloads, prioritise tasks and maintain high standards of service delivery.
• Strong knowledge of Housing Benefit legislation and administration, with the ability to interpret and apply complex regulations accurately.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications and digital systems to manage information and deliver services effectively.
• Excellent communication, organisational and administrative skills, with the ability to support colleagues and build positive relationships with customers and stakeholders.
• Strong numeracy skills and the ability to work accurately under pressure, managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines.
• A flexible and collaborative approach, with the ability to use your own initiative, handle sensitive information confidentially and contribute to continuous service improvement.

What’s in it for you:

• Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary – we invest in your future too.
• Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
• Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
• Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
• Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
• Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions - a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to drive (after 12 months service).
• Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services – plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases (after 6 months service).

Our commitment to you:

We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. We know that we deliver better services when our workforce reflects the full range of backgrounds and experiences in the society we serve. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application. Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.