Operations Manager (Income)

The role

The Operations Manager (Income) plays a pivotal leadership role within the Income Operations service, providing strategic and operational oversight of the Council’s approach to income collection across rent, council tax, business rates, Business Improvement Districts and sundry debts. The post holds responsibility for significant service areas and large-scale financial portfolios, ensuring income streams are effectively managed and aligned with corporate priorities.

You’ll lead multi-disciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, responsive services that support residents and businesses while maintaining strong oversight of substantial operational budgets and collection targets. You’ll oversee complex arrears and enforcement activity, including former tenant recovery, and work in partnership with legal services, corporate finance, customer services and external partners to coordinate a consistent and effective approach to debt management. A strong emphasis is placed on performance management, service innovation and the delivery of efficient, insight-led operations that respond to the needs of a diverse community.

As a senior operational lead, you’ll drive cross-council collaboration to address long-standing debt, shape the Financial Inclusion Strategy and manage relationships with strategic partners delivering resilience services. The post carries a high level of independent responsibility, influencing stakeholders across political, community and organisational settings and ensuring services contribute to wider priorities around financial sustainability, poverty reduction and improved outcomes for residents.

What you’ll be doing

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across income collection services, including rent, council tax, business rates, Business Improvement Districts and sundry debts
• Driving the development and delivery of income maximisation and arrears management strategies that strengthen performance and support financial sustainability
• Leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and managing significant budgets to deliver high-quality, efficient and customer-focused services
• Overseeing complex arrears recovery and enforcement activity, working closely with legal, finance and partner organisations to ensure a coordinated approach to debt management
• Implementing robust performance frameworks, using insight and innovation to continuously improve service delivery and outcomes for residents and businesses
• Shaping cross-council initiatives such as financial inclusion and resilience partnerships, influencing stakeholders to address long-standing debt and support community priorities

What you’ll bring to the role:

• Degree-level education or equivalent senior managerial experience within a complex income or revenues environment
• Extensive experience delivering high-performing revenues and rent income collection services at scale
• Proven leadership of large teams and significant budgets, driving accountability, motivation and continuous improvement
• Strong strategic capability, able to shape long-term service direction in response to policy, financial and community demands
• Sound financial acumen, with the ability to interpret complex financial information and ensure robust governance and propriety
• Skilled at building productive relationships with councillors, partners, contractors and community stakeholders
• Confident in making balanced, evidence-based decisions in politically sensitive and high-profile environments
• A strong customer focus, committed to enhancing service delivery while supporting financial inclusion and positive resident outcomes

Why Southwark?

Southwark Council is the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues such as The Shard, The Tate Modern and Borough Market along with many social enterprises and we have a young, diverse, and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities.

Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

Additional details

This post attracts an additional financial benefits package to the value of £2,724 per annum (pro-rata) which can be used towards benefits, or taken as cash, paid monthly.

Full time, 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday. This role offers a flexible hybrid working arrangement, with time split between working from home and our Tooley Street offices.

We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Employee benefits:

You’ll join a motivated, driven, and supportive team that values each of its members and strives for excellence. You’ll also be part of a successful, high-achieving development team making a real difference to the lives of residents across the borough. In return for all your hard work, skills and experience, you will receive:

• A competitive base salary (pro rata for part time staff)
• Strong supportive senior management team
• Regular one to one supervision
• Professional development & training opportunities
• Clear career development pathways
• Agile and flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Season ticket and cycle loans
• Annual Leave starting at 33 days per year, increasing to 36 (with length of service) (pro rata for part time staff)
• Wellbeing programme
• HSF Health plan and eye care scheme
• EAP employee assistance programme, confidential counselling and support
• Social clubs and staff groups

Disability Confident (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.

Recruitment timetable

Closing date: 20/03/2026 at 23:59*

*We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, in which case we will move the key dates for the process. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Interview date: 09/04/2026

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Attachments

• Click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification