Senior Finance Officer (Sundry Debt)
Fixed Term contract – 6 months initially, with high potential for extension or progression to a permanent position.
About The Role
Full Time, 37 hours per week. Salary: £35,315 to £41,547 per annum. Location: Chelmsford. Working Style: Anywhere worker (requires attendance in office as required, typically Thursdays).
Closing Date: 24th May 2026 (23:59).
Responsibilities
* Lead, drive and motivate a team of finance officers, administrators and assistants to deliver debt collection, ensuring exemplary standards and continuous improvement.
* Lead on the delivery of the business plan for debt collection, supporting the wider organisational vision.
* Identify and clarify customer needs to deliver process and technology changes that drive efficiency and value for money.
* Improve financial awareness and capability across the organisation, promoting a culture of empowering budget holders in line with financial regulations.
* Contribute to the production of reports for income and external customers, managing organisational performance, maximising income and ensuring compliance with Financial Regulations.
* Lead service improvement projects or programmes to achieve best practice and organisational efficiency.
* Maintain currency on legislative changes and translate them into local policy and procedure, identifying and reviewing potential changes in technology.
* Collaborate across the organisation to ensure a high level of understanding across all functions, constructively challenge and influence internal and external partners.
* Identify, mitigate, manage and resolve risks to minimise financial impact and loss to the organisation.
* Achieve individual and shared targets and objectives defined annually within the performance management framework.
Experience and Qualifications
* Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelor’s degree) or equivalent by experience.
* Strong experience of income collection, with experience of sundry debt income highly desirable.
* Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
* Good working knowledge of income systems and demonstrable accounts receivable experience in a high-volume environment.
* Ability to interpret complex information and use it to drive continuous improvement.
* Strong leadership skills and behaviours, building and leading a diverse team to achieve shared objectives; experience managing cultural and operational change.
* Good level of commercial awareness, ability to build effective working relationships at senior level with internal and external customers, suppliers and partners.
* Ability to evaluate and support innovative approaches to improving service delivery and value for money, with a strong focus on performance and delivery.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to negotiate with and influence at senior level.
People Management
Approximately 7 direct reports.
Benefits
* Competitive salary range £35,315 to £41,547 per annum.
* Flexible working arrangements and ability to work from anywhere.
* Support for unpaid carers.
* Other employee benefits as part of service with Essex County Council.
Equal Opportunities
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants, veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements. We also support interview all veterans and care leavers as per policy.
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