INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

Job title: Revenues Team Manager

Salary: PO2 *GBP*38,626 - *GBP*41,511

Hours: 37 - Full Time

Contract: Permanent

Location: Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR

In the role of Revenues Team Manager, you thrive on supporting the team and service, would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best City, working together as a Team for Leeds? Do your values match ours, and do you have something to offer?

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Revenues Team Manager, you will bring to the role:

• Inspiration: Create an inspiring, dynamic team environment with an open communication culture, setting clear team and individual goals and areas of responsibility to meet management or legislative demands and standards.
• Motivation: Motivate team members, listen to feedback, challenge poor performance, and resolve any issues or conflicts. Implement management instructions and regularly ensure the team is fully conversant with procedures and systems.
• Performance Improvement: Drive performance improvements in team operations by working with service managers to implement changes and enhancements to service delivery, ensuring monitoring systems are in place, and actively supporting staff members to embed change.
• Collection Maximisation: Maximise the team collection efforts and develop recovery strategies for target customer segments, managing appropriate action on debtor accounts in line with working procedures and council policies.
• Representation and Documentation: Prepare documents and represent the Council in all appropriate Courts with delegated authority for the recovery and collection of Revenues where senior representation is required. This includes representing the Council in legal applications and submissions. Investigate and respond to complaints within specified timeframes, learning from outcomes to improve service delivery.

About the role

Under the strategic direction of the Service Manager, the Team Manager will spearhead a dedicated team within the Revenues Service. This pivotal role is responsible for ensuring the precise, secure, and timely administration of income collection and recovery for council tax, business rates, and sundry income, in alignment with national, corporate, and service-level standards.

Key Responsibilities:

As the next Revenues Team Manager, you will lead and inspire the team to achieve excellence in income collection and recovery processes. You will provide expert consultation, support, and guidance to team members and colleagues, facilitating informed decision-making and approving critical decisions. Ensuring the provision of high-quality, professional services, you will build strong relationships with residents and stakeholders, maintaining a customer-centric approach within performance, cost, and quality parameters. Additionally, you will play a crucial role in the development and modernisation of operational processes, driving change management initiatives, and empowering staff to realise their full potential.

Role Impact:

The Revenues Team Manager will be instrumental in delivering effective and professional services, building robust relationships with residents and stakeholders, and ensuring the highest standards of customer-focused service. This role is key to the continuous improvement and modernisation of our operational processes, supporting the team through change, and creating an environment where staff can thrive.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role contact Nigel Smith, Revenues Service Manager, call 0113 3788364 or email nigel.smith@leeds.gov.uk

This position requires a Baseline Personal Security Standard check. A Basic Check will be carried out on preferred candidates

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through theSkilled Worker visa route before applying.To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least *GBP*38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Descriptio

Job purpose

Responsible for leading and managing a team within the Revenues Service under the direction of the Service Manager. The Team Manager ensures the accurate, secure, and timely administration of income collection and recovery for Council Tax, Business Rates, or Sundry Income, meeting national, corporate, and service-level standards.

The Team Manager provides professional consultation, support, and guidance to team members and colleagues, assisting in decision-making and approving specific decisions. They deliver effective, professional services, building strong relationships with residents and stakeholders, and ensuring quality customer-focused services within performance, cost, and quality targets.

Additionally, the Team Manager plays a key role in developing and modernising operational processes, managing change, and supporting staff to reach their full potential.

Responsibilities

• Create an inspiring, dynamic team environment with an open communication culture, setting clear team and individual goals and areas of responsibility to meet management or legislative demands and standards.

• Effectively monitor the performance of the team and individuals to ensure national and service standards in relation to speed of processing, quality and output are achieved. Provide management statistics as required.

• Motivate team members, listen to feedback, challenge poor performance and resolve any issues or conflict. Implement management instructions and regularly ensure the team are fully conversant with procedures and systems.

• Undertake regular team meetings, 1-1 meetings and effective appraisals with team members. Support team members in the resolution of complex cases. Review staff performance and progress by reference to courses undertaken and the practical application of knowledge and interpersonal skills. Encourage staff development including identifying training needs, the preparation of training material and the delivery of training.

• Line manage and support the policies and practises of both the Council and the service regarding Recruitment, Health & Safety, Attendance, Performance, Flexible working, Equality and Diversity, Information Governance and Data Protection. Ensure officers are aware of and abide by the rules of the Council and initiate action where appropriate.

• Ensure the accurate, timely and secure administration of council tax, council tax recovery, business rates or sundry debtors' functions. Ensure that billing, discounts, collection and recovery are undertaken in line with legislative requirements and criteria.

• Working with the compliance and service development team to improve team performance including the development of new ways of working, automation of functions and identifying staff training & development needs and that appropriate training consistent with the requirements of the service is offered, delivered and evaluated.

• Driving performance improvements in team operations; working with the service managers to implement changes and enhancements to service delivery, ensuring monitoring systems are in place, and actively supporting staff members to embed change.

• Assisting with the implementation of new technologies to increase automation of processes in order to produce efficiencies and provide a more streamlined service for customers.

• Maximising the team collection and developing recovery strategies for target customer segments and managing appropriate action on debtor accounts, in line with working procedures and council policies. Authorising refunds and write-offs, developing strategies and liaising with other agencies to ensure that customers are signposted to debt counselling and benefit/welfare advice when required.

• To assist the Service Manager in establishing and continually reviewing Service Level Agreements for support services required and manage an efficient procurement of services providers, specifically Enforcement Agents, insolvency practitioners and other collection agencies.

• Implementing and improving processes for the identification and elimination of potential fraud, operating in conjunction with other council departments such as Housing.

• Promote an effective liaison and partnership approach with external agencies and other officers within the Council to develop and improve the services

• Remain up to date with professional standards, current best practice and technical knowledge in service delivery and advise the resilience partner and internal departments of any changes in legislation, best practice and guidance for application management that the Council considers necessary to maintain the services delivered to its customers.

• Deal with computer input and output as necessary. Assist in the development and testing of computer systems and procedures and participate in the planning and development of improved customer service delivery and annual billing/year end activity.

• Preparation of documents, and/or representing the Council in all appropriate Courts with delegated authority for the recovery and collection of Revenues where senior representation is required regarding the team operations including representing the Council in legal applications and submissions. Investigate and respond to complaints within specified timeframes, learning from outcomes to improve on service delivery.

• Duties which are commensurate with the grade, from time to time will include deputising for the Service Manager in event of absence to make sure that that objectives, deadlines and team targets are met.

• Keeping up to date with skills and knowledge of relevant business rates and council tax legislation and carry out other duties as necessary, appropriate to the grade and to ensure effective service delivery to citizens of Leeds.

Qualifications No specific qualifications are required for this role.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

• Ability to manage, lead, motivate, challenge, train and develop staff to achieve service standards and targets.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to liaise, work with, and engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret legislation, guidance, and complex information accurately.
• Ability to develop and implement new procedures to meet changing legislative and corporate requirements.
• Organisational and time management skills, including coordinating, planning, and prioritising the workload and meeting deadlines when faced with conflicting priorities.
• Decision-making skills.
• Ability to problem-solve.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel to facilitate daily business activity.
• Proficient in the use of the Revenues Service systems.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills, tact, diplomacy, and listening skills to enable continual development of working relationships with customers, colleagues, and all stakeholders.
• Ability to resolve staffing issues in line with the Council employment policies and procedures.
• Ability to analyse, organise, prioritise, and evaluate management information and produce reports and presentations.
• Ability to provide a customer-focused service.
• Extensive knowledge of local authority revenues collection.
• Knowledge of the legislation relating to Revenues Service in either council tax, council tax recovery, business rates, or sundry debtors.
• An understanding of good customer service principles and the impact legislation can have on customers of the Revenues Service.
• An understanding of the key principles around performance management.
• An understanding of General Data Protection Regulations and its implications in terms of the collection and processing of personal information.
• Experience of performance managing a team to achieve set targets.
• Experience of supervising and motivating staff and organising them to work on changing priorities.
• Experience of dealing directly with, and advising, members of the public in a professional manner.
• Experience of working with internal and external agencies.
• Experience of communicating information to teams and individual staff.
• Experience of operating computer systems relevant to the post (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Academy).
• Experience of developing office procedures and providing management information.
• Experience of resolving issues.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Apply for this job