Location
Docklands Campus

Salary
Starting from £33,661 per annum inclusive of London Weighting

Post Type
Full Time

Post Type
Permanent

Closing Date
Thursday 15 August 2024

Interview Date
To be confirmed

Reference
1919-24-PS

THE DEPARTMENT

The role holder will be expected to perform a wide range of duties within a busy professional team, whilst maintaining the high standard of service and appropriate conduct expected. The role holder will also be expected to have a flexible positive attitude to tasks undertaken individually or as part of the team.

JOB PURPOSE 

The role involves preparing and generating invoices and credit notes, managing sales ledgers, and handling debt collection and income-related processes. You need to understand and explain the Academic Framework and Fees Policies to colleagues and students, providing advice as necessary. The position requires using initiative within set policies to ensure timely debt collection, managing a range of debtors, and completing daily, weekly, and monthly tasks according to procedures.

You will produce and use debtor reports to assist with debt collection, manage the dispatch of collection letters, and meet with students to advise on payment plans. Providing telephone advice to students and colleagues and liaising with third parties to resolve queries are also part of the role. Additionally, you will handle write-off and refund processes, accept card payments, and manage customer files in compliance with GDPR and data security regulations. Responding to emails and mail inquiries promptly and professionally is essential, as is completing all tasks accurately and within deadlines in accordance with UEL financial regulations.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• To assist the Collections Team Managers with the training of new staff members, helping and ongoing support as required. 
• To provide support to staff and students for extended working hours during moving in weekends, student enrolment at all sites, and for other periods when extended service provision maybe required.
• To be proactive and take initiatives to review and make suggestions to improve processes and procedures, adopting best practice across the sector.
• To provide excellent customer service, manage and maintain good relationships with internal and external stakeholders, particularly our financial services providers.
• To be able to work under pressure. Be flexible, organise, manage and prioritise key team and service tasks, assume personal responsibility for the completion of own duties in a professional manner and manage own workload.
• To perform any other related duties as requested by the Head of Service and Deputy Director of Finance.
• To work in accordance with the University of East London’s equality and diversity policy. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Excel and Word (A/I)
• Ability to work with and process financial data accurately (A/I)
• Ability to use initiative to recommend process improvements and improve customer satisfaction (A/I)
• Excellent numeric and problem-solving skills and ability to maintain high standards of accuracy (A/I)
• Ability to assimilate complex information from several sources to ensure compliance with regulations and policy (A/I)
• Good spoken and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with staff at all levels to; explain complex information, answer telephone calls from customers and deal with queries (A/I)

Desirable

•  Experience of using Agresso and SITS (A/I)

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Recent experience of consumer and commercial customer account management and debt collection, including meeting customers face to face and agreeing suitable debt repayment plans (A/I)
•  Recent experience and understanding of debt collection processes and procedures, including pre-legal and legal actions (A/I)  
•  Recent experience of managing sales ledger and income received tasks (A/I)
•  Recent experience of dealing with large volumes of debtor queries and enquiries face to face, by telephone and in writing (A/I)
•  Recent experience of understanding and working in accordance with collections processes, procedures and related policies (A/I) 
•  Recent administrative experience within a busy office environment handling large amounts of data and working to deadlines (A/I)
•  Experience of consumer and commercial customer account management and debt collection in HE sectors (A/I) 

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

 GCSE A level or equivalent in at least two subjects including English language and mathematics (A/C)

Desirable criteria

A degree, accounting qualification such as AAT or professional qualification such as MCICM(Grad) (A/C)

UEL is an inclusive equal opportunities employer and are proud of our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity achievements. We expect all employees of UEL to accept our EDI policy and will not tolerate discrimination in any form. As an employee of UEL, we expect you to follow all relevant Health & Safety policies.

We're a disability confident employer and value all applications. Please let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.

So, if you’d like to take your career to the next level with us here at the University of East London and are passionate about our environment and commit to success, we want you to apply today.

Further Details

Job Description & Person Specification

To contact the recruitment team please phone +44 20 8223 3000 x 4600 or e-mail hrhub@uel.ac.uk

CVs without a completed application form will not be accepted.

At UEL we are committed to working together to build a community which values diversity in both our staff and student populations, is representative and inclusive, enabling all to progress and thrive.