Council Tax and Benefits Manager

Team: Revenues & Benefits (Finance Directorate)

Salary: £55,584 - £59,162 per annum (pay award pending)
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: You will be expected to attend a CBC office location as often as needed to carry out your role, which will be no less than once per month.
Contract Type: Hybrid – Permanent
Closing Date: 21st July 2026

Interview Date:  29 July 2026

Make a Difference in a Service That Matters

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Council Tax and Benefits Manager to lead our Council Tax billing, Benefits and Systems teams.

This is a key leadership role responsible for delivering efficient, customer-focused Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support services while ensuring compliance with an increasingly complex legislative framework. You will play a vital role in maximising income collection, supporting vulnerable residents, shaping local support policies and driving service transformation.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Revenues and Benefits, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support.

You will lead a team of managers and specialist officers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services that achieve statutory requirements, corporate objectives and excellent customer outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the Council's Council Tax, Housing Benefit, Local Council Tax Support services.
• Leading the Systems & Controls team.
• Ensuring accurate and timely administration of Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support in line with legislative requirements and local policy.
• Leading the administration of Free School Meals entitlement.
• Leading the design, administration and annual review of the Council's Local Council Tax Support Scheme, ensuring it remains financially sustainable, supports vulnerable residents and aligns with the Council's strategic priorities.
• Providing expert advice and recommendations to senior managers and elected members on Local Council Tax Support policy, including modelling the financial and equality impacts of proposed changes.
• Managing the annual billing for Council Tax, and the annual uprating of Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support claims.
• Developing and implementing service improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Monitoring service performance against key indicators.
• Providing expert advice to senior managers and stakeholders.
• Building effective relationships with external agencies, government departments and regional networks.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, regulations and professional standards.

About You

We’re looking for a confident leader and an accomplished practitioner with demonstrable expertise in Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support, ready to bring energy and vision to our Revenues & Benefits service. With a strong track record in managing change, driving performance, and shaping policy, you thrive on solving complex challenges and inspiring teams to deliver their best.

Ideally, you’ll be IRRV qualified and educated to degree level (or equivalent experience), with the ability to turn technical knowledge into clear, pragmatic advice that influences decisions. Most importantly, you’ll combine professionalism with enthusiasm, building strong relationships, embracing innovation, and keeping people at the heart of everything you do.

Our Offer

We have a number of rewards and benefits available to our staff, to view these please visit our Rewards and Benefits page

Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer.  We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.

You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies in this Recruitment Pack.

Our Competency Framework and Qualification Guidance are to be read in conjunction with our Recruitment Pack.