Income & Admin Officer

Job Title: Income and Administration Officer 
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £29,713.46 per annum
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week 
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday
Location: Arlington, London, NW1 7HE

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.
The difference you will make as an Income and Administration officer
You will manage rent and service charge accounts, supporting customers to meet their payment responsibilities and taking proactive action to minimise arrears. 
Ensuring our customers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding the payment of rent and service charges and their impact on maintaining their tenure. Support colleagues by proactively engaging customers, providing advice and guidance, and co-producing plans as part of the responsive rent arrears management process

About you

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of working in a customer-facing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide advice and support, and to empathise with customers who are facing a range of issues. 
• A team player who is flexible and has a resilient, can-do attitude. 
• Confidence and consistency in making decisions to support effective rent arrears management
   

Why join Riverside?

At Riverside, we're committed to creating brighter futures for our customers and communities. You'll join a supportive team where you'll be empowered to make decisions, develop professionally and have a genuine impact on people's lives.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays 
• Flexible working options available dependant on role
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside: 

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues. 

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered.

Role Profile

• The primary focus of this role is managing rent and service charge accounts, supporting customers to meet their payment responsibilities and taking proactive action to minimise arrears.
• Ensure customers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding the payment of rent and service charges and their impact on maintaining their tenure.
• Support colleagues by proactively engaging customers, providing advice and guidance, and co-producing plans as part of the responsive rent arrears management process.
• Manage the income management process by co-producing a bespoke payment plan tailored to the individual’s circumstances.
• Provide guidance and advice to customers to ensure they are financially included, signposting to relevant resources relating to benefit claims, debt issues and money management.
• Make referrals to the Riverside Income Maximisation Team when dealing with complex cases.
• Proactively provide up-to-date advice relating to effective tenancy sustainment approaches to colleagues to assist in supporting customers with income management.
• Initiate a discussion with relevant parties on complex arrears cases to present facts about how the arrears will be managed.
• Support colleagues dealing with evictions where required.
• Provide advice to customers around setting up efficient payment options.
• Manage rent and service charge accounts across a portfolio of properties.
• Work directly with customers to agree realistic repayment arrangements.
• Monitor arrears and take timely action to recover outstanding debt.
• Support customers to understand their tenancy obligations and payment responsibilities.
• Promote available payment methods and encourage sustainable payment habits.
• Work closely with colleagues to identify and resolve income-related issues early.
• Liaise with internal specialists and external agencies where additional support is required.
• Produce rent statements, maintain accurate records and complete income-related administration.
• Support legal and enforcement processes where appropriate.

What we're looking for

This role combines customer engagement, income recovery and administration, making it ideal for someone who enjoys balancing people-focused work with achieving measurable results.

Provide administrative support by

• Administrating petty cash for the required services.
• Assisting with the monitoring of income and expenditure.
• Generating and communicating rent statements to customers and colleagues as required.
• Maintaining and updating tenancy information, rent accounts and financial information on the appropriate digital platforms.
• Collating and submitting information, including funding and performance returns.
• Producing reports and other written documentation to support income management delivery as required.

Other Duties

• You will be required to work normal office hours, which may include some flexibility to meet customer and business needs.
• You will be required to travel to different properties within the defined area as and when required.
• Use the Lone Worker system as and when necessary.
• Ensure customers are safe at all times, carrying out all duties within Riverside’s policy and procedure framework, for example health and safety, safeguarding, dignity at work, GDPR, equal opportunities and cash handling.
• Deliver your role in line with Riverside company values, “Our Riverside Way”.
• Participate in team meetings, attend regular supervisions and reflective practice sessions.
• Undertake regular training and take responsibility for continuous development to enable you to deliver your role safely.
• From time to time, you may be required to undertake additional duties and responsibilities in consultation with your Line Manager.

Person specification

Essential Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of working in a customer-facing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide advice and support, and to empathise with customers who are facing a range of issues.
• A team player who is flexible and has a resilient, can-do attitude.
• Confidence and consistency in making decisions to support effective rent arrears management.
• Competent literacy, numeracy, administration and IT systems skills, including the ability to produce reports and other communications.
• Experience of rent collection, arrears management, debt recovery or income management.
• Experience in housing, social housing, local authority or customer account management environments.
• Experience of managing sensitive customer conversations and negotiating positive outcomes.
• Experience of working towards performance targets and achieving results.
• Experience of handling customer accounts, payment plans or debt recovery processes.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records and working with digital systems.

Desirable

• Knowledge of current benefit systems.
• Experience of working in care and support services.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise tasks to achieve results.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• A proactive, resilient and solution focused approach.

Who this role would suit

This role may be particularly suitable for individuals with experience as:

• Income Officer
• Rent Officer
• Housing Officer (Income)
• Arrears Officer
• Debt Recovery Officer
• Customer Accounts Officer
• Income Recovery Officer
• Credit Control Officer (housing or public sector environment)
• Tenancy Sustainment Officer with significant income management responsibilities

Additional Information

• The Group has offices across the UK and, on this basis, there may be a requirement to travel to other locations to effectively perform this role.
• The role will be exposed to sensitive information; therefore, the role holder is expected to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• To fulfil the requirements of this role, you will be required to work flexibly during the hours of operation.
• The role holder is expected to be committed to equal opportunities and to promote non-discriminatory practices in all aspects of work undertaken.

Please note: Whilst this role involves supporting customers who may be facing financial challenges, the primary focus is income collection, arrears management, tenancy sustainment and income administration.