Customer Relations Officer (Cabinet Support)

Benefits and more information:

• https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Salary range:

The salary range for this position is:£35,862 - £40,005

The Role:

We have an exciting opportunity to join the expanding Leader’s Office and Cabinet’s Office in a central role at the heart of the key decision-making in the council.

The purpose of our team is to advise and support the Leader and the Cabinet. We work in a uniquely fast paced and politically sensitive division, connecting politicians to senior officers as they deliver Southwark’s ambitions.

By joining our team, you will be contributing to delivering tangible results in the heart of London. Southwark has the largest council home programme, having over 3,000 homes built or under construction in the last year and directly managing over 55,000 homes in the borough. We are leading the way in access to mental health services, investing over £35m in cost-of-living support for our residents and providing free school meals to primary and secondary school children.

As a Customer Relations Officer, you will be responsible for the management of resident inquiries and casework for particular portfolio leads. You will have the opportunity to participate in multi-disciplinary projects, supporting the team in delivering on the commitments we have made to residents.

About You:

By working in the Leader’s Office and Cabinet Office, you will get a special insight into how different parts of the council work together to make key decisions and deliver for residents. You will contribute to this through leading administrative systems and leading on casework. With your previous experience in handling casework, you play a key role in the Leader and Cabinet’s engagement with residents. You will have opportunities to use your initiative by preparing regular updates and analysis on casework, including identifying areas of concern, trends and matters warranting further attention.

This role provides an opportunity to develop strong relationships with corporate management team, senior officers, the Chief Executive, members and strategic partners on behalf of the Leader. You are therefore confident in communicating with senior leaders and providing key executive support.

Above all, you will be attending and participating in high-level meetings that seek to change lives and reduce inequality. You are someone with clear political and personal awareness, who can demonstrate an active commitment to stand against all forms of discrimination. You will be working on complex and important casework, which may involve vulnerable members of the Southwark community, and making sure they are treated fairly and receive the help they need.

This is an incredibly important role, which is crucial to the Cabinet’s plans to deliver for the residents of the borough.

About Southwark:

Southwark Council is a large, ambitious and progressive local authority with a ‘can do’ attitude and an enviable reputation for being successful, passionate, forward-thinking, and committed to a ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise that ensures its residents and businesses are central to all its activities. The culturally diverse borough, which boasts that over 120 languages are spoken locally, has all the inner city challenges taken on by a council with a commitment to solutions which benefit all its residents.

Application closing date: 11:59 PM on 24th March 2024

Interview Date: 17th April 2024

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.