Are you motivated, organised and an excellent communicator?
Do you want to join a friendly and hardworking team who will support you to succeed?
Are you ready to kickstart your career, earn while you learn, and make a real difference in your community?
If so, wed love to hear from you! We are delighted to be recruiting an Apprentice Income Collection Officer to join our team at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, on a 15-month apprenticeship.
At Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, we work as one team to support our community and make a real difference. In this role, every task you take on contributes to improving services and helping local people.
Whether youre just starting out or changing your career, our apprenticeships will give you the foundation to build a meaningful career in Revenues, Benefits and Welfare.
What will you be doing?
Our Income Collection team undertakes recovery and enforcement action to maximise the collection of monies owed to the Council. Youll be balancing supporting customers with taking appropriate action where required.
In this role, you will:
- Proactively contact customers over the phone and via email, as well as take incoming calls
- Agree suitable and realistic payment arrangements
- Assist in the processing of claims in breathing space and insolvency.
- Assess individual circumstances to determine the most suitable recovery approach, including setting up deductions, progressing enforcement referrals, and supporting court action where necessary.
- Work with colleagues across the Council to support income collection
- Study for a Level 3 Senior credit controller and debt collection specialist
This is a varied role with a mix of telephone work, administration, and problem-solving.
This role involves frequent telephone contact, including having sometimes challenging conversations about money owed, so confidence in speaking with customers is essential.
Why Income Collection?
A career in income collection offers the opportunity to make a difference while building valuable, transferable skills. Its a role that combines working with people and problem-solving, where you help individuals find realistic ways to manage and repay money owed.
Youll develop strong communication, negotiation, and analytical skills, while gaining experience in customer service and within Revenues, Benefits and Welfare services. This area offers clear progression opportunities and can be a rewarding career path for those who want to support others while developing professionally.
Youll support customers to manage their repayments and financial situation while ensuring money owed to the Council is collected, helping to fund vital services for our community.
What skills and experience do you need?
You dont need any specific experience to apply as we will provide full training and support.
However, we are looking for someone who is passionate about working for our residents and has the following:
- Minimum qualifications of English and Maths at Level 2 (equivalent to GCSE grade 4/C or above / Functional Skills Level 2)
- Confidence using the phone, listening carefully, and agreeing payment arrangements with sometimes challenging customers
- Good communication and teamwork skills
- Commitment to the full duration of the apprenticeship, showing reliability, motivation, and readiness to balance work and study responsibilities
- Willingness to learn and develop new skills - apprenticeships are designed for those ready to grow through hands-on experience and training
Please outline in your personal statement how you meet these criteria.
What can we offer you?
We offer our apprentices an excellent reward package including:
- Earning a salary while gaining a nationally recognised qualification
We pay our apprentices National Minimum Wage for Age:
Age 21 and over = £12.21 per hour
Age 18 to 20 = £10.00 per hour
Under 18 = £7.55 per hour
- 27 days annual leave per year (plus bank holidays)
- Access to mentoring, training, and personal development opportunities
- Discounts at high street and online retailers
- Free physiotherapy and counselling services plus many other wellbeing benefits
- Work in our newly renovated town centre office, overlooking the river and the new Waterfront Park
- Options to work part of your week from home following completion of a 6-month probationary periodFor more detailed information about the role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification included in the Supporting Documents section.
We anticipate that interviews will take place on either the 28th or 29th July.
Ready to apply?
If you would like an informal discussion about the post, please contact:
Nicola Ayre - Assistant Manager, Income Collection
[email protected]
Otherwise, click Apply now to submit your application.
Please note that were unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so candidates will need to have an existing right to work in the UK.
Important Applicant Guidance
Accuracy and Use of AI Tools: You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
Application Updates and Communication: All updates regarding your application, including interview invitations, will be sent from
[email protected] to the email linked to your North East Jobs account, and will also appear in the My Messages section of your account.
Right to Work: All applicants must provide valid proof of their right to work in the UK in accordance with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Councils statutory employment checks. Employment cannot commence or continue unless this has been verified.
Council Principles: The Councils recruitment principles require fairness, transparency, and a commitment to attracting and developing local talent
Limitations: Where an individual cannot demonstrate a valid right to work in the UK the Council will be unable to progress or continue the appointment. This includes cases where an existing employees visa is due to expire and sponsorship is not granted.
