About the role
This is an exciting time to join our Revenues and Benefits team!
We are on our journey of shaping what the Revenues and Benefits team looks like at West Northants Council, so there is plenty of opportunity to develop processes, and shape our offering so we can provide the best possible service to our residents and businesses.
Working as part of West Northants Council’s Finance Directorate this is a brilliant opportunity to be part of a team leading in the transformation of the Benefits team.
What will you be doing?
You will take the lead in managing and developing the Housing Benefit Subsidy and Overpayments Recovery teams, ensuring their work is of the highest quality and accuracy. As a senior specialist in Benefits and Subsidy, you'll work closely with the Benefits team to innovate and improve subsidy and overpayment recovery, aiming to maximise income for the Council.
This exciting role includes conducting targeted checks to protect the Council from subsidy loss and delivering dynamic subsidy training as needed. Reporting directly to the Housing Benefit Subsidy and Overpayment Recovery Manager, you'll also have the responsibility of overseeing the line management of three Subsidy officers and three Housing Benefit Overpayments Recovery Officers.
About you
We are seeking a highly skilled Benefits professional with extensive knowledge of legislation and best practices concerning Housing Benefit and the recovery of overpayments. You should have a proven track record in leadership, team management, and motivation within a Benefits environment, coupled with effective performance management skills to lead high-performing teams.
Excellent communication abilities are essential, including the capacity to support and negotiate with stakeholders, including subsidy auditors. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and are passionate about achieving results that benefit our community, we encourage you to apply!
Our benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
- Cycle to Work scheme.
- Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
- Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
- Car Lease scheme
- Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
- Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
- Ongoing training and development opportunities.
- A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
- Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
- Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.
Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
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