Finance Officer – AR

Housing Finance Officer About the Role

We are looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Housing Finance Officer to join our Housing Services team. Reporting to the Senior Housing Finance Officer, you will play a key role in delivering an efficient, customer-focused housing finance service, supporting the management of income and expenditure across the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with finance and administration experience, ideally within housing or the public sector, who enjoys working with financial data while providing excellent customer service.

• Manage and maintain tenant, leasehold, garage and sundry accounts.
• Set up, amend and process Direct Debits and BACS payment files.
• Process invoices, payments, refunds and financial adjustments accurately and within deadlines.
• Raise requisitions and process supplier invoices using the council’s ERP finance system.
• Reconcile housing finance accounts and produce regular financial reports.
• Open, amend and close rent and sundry accounts, ensuring records remain accurate and up to date.
• Apply rechargeable costs and other authorised charges to customer accounts.
• Assist with Housing Revenue Account administration and year-end financial processes.
• Monitor shared mailboxes, correspondence and financial records to ensure prompt action.
• Respond to enquiries from tenants, leaseholders and colleagues, providing accurate advice on housing finance matters.
• Take payments over the telephone and resolve account queries in a professional and timely manner.
• Maintain accurate financial records to support audit requirements and financial controls.
• Identify potential financial risks or discrepancies and increase where appropriate.
• Support continuous service improvements by reviewing processes and contributing to team initiatives.
• Provide cover for colleagues within the Housing Finance team when required.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Experience working in a finance, accounts or housing finance environment.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience processing financial transactions, reconciliations and payments.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and experience using finance or ERP systems.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• The ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines in a busy environment.
• A proactive approach with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Experience with in a local authority, housing association or social housing organisation.
• Knowledge of Housing Revenue Accounts (HRA), rent accounting or leasehold accounts.
• Experience with Direct Debit and BACS payment processing.
• Understanding of financial controls, audit requirements and public sector finance procedures.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Friendly and approachable
• Organised and highly accurate
• Trustworthy and professional
• Self-motivated and proactive
• A strong team player with a commitment to excellent customer service

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a busy Housing Services team where you’ll contribute to delivering an efficient, high-quality finance service that supports residents and communities.