Utilities Officer

Origin – Great homes, positive people and strong communities

An inspiring past and a bright future

A home is the essential foundation for a good quality of life, so what we do every day really matters to the wellbeing of our communities. Here at Origin, we trace our roots back 100 years, building and managing high quality homes as well as providing support services and housing for those who are most vulnerable in London and Hertfordshire. We work to provide safe, decent affordable homes and support for individuals and communities.

Focused on our residents, our driving ambition is to provide services that make people’s lives easier, and homes and communities they can be proud to live in. We are ‘not for profit’ and reinvest all our surpluses back into our varied and vibrant neighbourhoods.

The role – Utilities Officer (1 year fixed term contract)

As Utilities Officer you will work closely with and support the Utilities Manager in delivering a high-quality utilities and council tax management service to our organisation.  You will challenge invoices and bills that you do not think are accurate, resolve associated queries and orchestrate the timely and accurate processing of invoices and bills.  This is a great opportunity to take ownership of specific projects which support effective utilities management.

What you’ll do

You will:

• Develop and maintain site databases for contract management and oversee accounting for Combined Heat and Power plants.
• Act as the main contact for the Utilities team, supporting annual utilities tariff calculations and new development processes.
• Prepare monitoring reports to ensure supplier billing aligns with usage and meter readings, and process payments for utilities and council tax.
• Review consolidated invoices for errors and collaborate with colleagues to ensure uninterrupted utility supplies and resolve issues.
• Respond to queries regarding communal utilities, liaise with suppliers for management information, and monitor utilities and council tax performance.
• Address legacy issues to maximise income, stay updated on utilities legislation, and provide technical advice and training to key stakeholders.

Skills and experience we'd like you to have

We’re looking for someone who:

• is able to demonstrate accurate record keeping and reporting including data extract, analysis and the ability to draw conclusions and devise crosschecks
• has experience in a busy environment working to tight deadlines.
• is able to work on own initiative.
• is technically proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel and use of formulas
• is a confident communicator across all channels and have experience of responding to queries. 
• has experience of maintaining successful partnerships; working in either a customer-facing and/or supplier-facing role with problem-resolution duties.

Our Values

Our core values are at the heart of how we work

• Take the lead
• Create energy
• Build trust
• Be generous
• Stay grounded
• Remember the little things

We're committed to the wellbeing of our people and in creating an environment that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Our benefits to you

• Origin’s ways of working make it easier for you to balance work and home life. You will benefit from flexible working which offers you the opportunity to work from where you are most effective, with the technology and equipment you need, as well as access to flexible space for collaborative working.
• A generous 25-day holiday allowance plus bank holidays, that increases with time, with the opportunity to buy and sell leave
• 2 additional ‘giving something back’ volunteer days
• A pension scheme with contributions from 4% - 8% of your salary
• Family leave, compassionate leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Simply Health cash plan providing money back when you spend on health appointments including physiotherapy, dental and opticians
• Interest free loans to help spread the cost of a season ticket or another big purchase
• Annual staff conference, team away days and annual team meal allowance
• Access to Perk Box for fantastic savings on everyday purchases and much more
• Free employee assistance programme
• Opportunities to join staff network groups
• Refer a friend bonus

We’re also committed to ensuring that our people have access to an excellent range of learning and development opportunities including our induction programme, course sponsorship, leadership development, mentoring and talent schemes along with professional membership if it’s a requirement to your role.

Tell us your story

We are looking forward to learning about you. Please help us get to know you by sending your latest CV and covering letter detailing how your skills and experience meet the requirements for the role of Utilities Officer.

Closing date for applications: 7 November 2024

Interviews will be held: 14 November 2024

Please note that suitable candidates will be invited to interview throughout the application window and therefore the vacancy may close at short notice. However, all candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application and therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.