Closing Date 2025-06-22 Job Title: Hardship Fund Manager Location: Durrington (Worthing) Hybrid Contract Type: Permanent Hours: 37/ week Salary: £40,000 There has never been a better time to join our organisation as we build towards a greener future, tackling climate change, minimising our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint! Job Overview At Southern Water, we have a hardship fund, enabling customers to apply for debt repayment, and grants for white goods or essential household items. The fund has recently been significantly increased and we are looking for someone to fully manage this process from beginning to end. You will be liaising internally with stakeholders such as Finance and Procurement, as well as externally to promote the fund, through charities and other relevant organisations. On a day to day basis, you will review applications to the hardship fund, presenting recommendations at a monthly panel meeting, so the ability to make difficult decisions and present effectively at all levels is a must! Day to day you'll be; - Managing the daily operations of the hardship fund, ensuring compliance with company policies and external regulations within required timeframes - Undertaking eligibility assessments; evaluating customer applications, assessing financial need, and verifying documentation to determine eligibility for financial assistance - Working closely with internal departments (customer service, billing, legal and finance) and external partners (charities, government agencies) to ensure seamless service delivery - Maintaining accurate records of customer interactions, applications, and outcomes and ensuring timely follow-up with customers and other stakeholders - Developing and implementing strategies to raise awareness about the hardship fund - Tracking program performance and outcomes, preparing regular reports for management and stakeholders. - Identifying trends and areas for improvement - Ensuring processes and decisions comply with regulatory requirements and are ready for audits or reviews - Providing training and guidance to customer service colleagues on how to assist customers with the hardship fund process - Tracking and reporting expenditure to ensure operational decisions align with allocated budget About You You will have a good head for numbers, with the ability to present data confidently. You will be able to work independently and mange your own time and workload. To be suitable you will have: - Strong knowledge of financial support programs, debt management, or social welfare initiatives - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations empathetically - Organisational skills and attention to detail to manage multiple cases efficiently - Proficiency in Microsoft Office and customer management systems (e.g., CRM) - Knowledge of local regulations related to water services and customer protections - Familiarity with hardship or charitable funds, especially in utility services. - Qualification in social work, business administration, public administration, or related field (or equivalent experience) - Experience in customer service, financial assistance programs, or a similar role, preferably in utilities or public services - Experience in the water industry or utility sector (ideal) Package This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our Durrington (Worthing) office and home 2/3 days a week. We are offering a salary of up to £40,000 per annum depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including: • Generous pension up to 11% company contribution • 25 days annual leave • Life assurance equal to 4x salary • Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service) • Health Cash Plan • Full funded eye tests • Two paid volunteering days a year • Occupational health service • Discounts with over 800 popular retailers • Digital GP service • Study support may be available for job-related qualifications • Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options • Cycle to work scheme Join our Affordability and Vulnerability team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment. Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role? If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com) Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position. Privacy Statement: Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application. All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered. LI-AW1 LI-Hybrid