Controls Officer

Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Controls Officer to join our Revenues & Benefits team. This role is key to ensuring all payments received and made by the Council are accurately processed, reconciled, and recorded. If you are passionate about financial accuracy, reconciliation, and excellent customer service, we would love to hear from you.

Contract: Fixed term contract/secondment until December 2026

About us

We play a vital role in the billing and collection of Council Tax, Business Rates, BIDS and assessment of Benefits.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Revenues & Benefits Service within the Technical Support (Systems) Team in providing a proactive and forward-thinking service that ensures financial integrity.

We are looking for a revenues and benefit focused specialist who will be responsible for financial control and reporting and supporting the team. We are a friendly and supportive team and work flexibly between our office sites and home.

About the role

As a Controls Officer, you will play a crucial role in safeguarding the Council’s financial controls by ensuring all income and payments are accurately processed, balanced and reconciled. You will:

• Ensure all payments for Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit overpayments, and BIDS are correctly posted and reconciled.
• Investigate unmatched or unallocated items and manage suspense accounts to minimise discrepancies.
• Perform daily, monthly, and annual reconciliations between the NEC system, Pay360 and SAP.
• Prepare and monitor direct debit extracts, Paygate/BACS files, and payment files to ensure accuracy and controls are maintained.
• Maintain and monitor purchase orders, including spreadsheet detailing cost codes and suppliers
• Liaise with internal and external teams, including Finance, Revenues & Benefits colleagues, auditors, and other stakeholders to resolve discrepancies and support year end accounts.
• Support colleagues’ development by sharing specialist knowledge, skills, and best practices.
• Contribute to projects that improve processes, financial controls, and service delivery.

This is a varied role that combines technical expertise, problem‑solving and collaboration, offering the opportunity to develop within a complex and essential service area.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will need to have the following skills, experience, and attributes:

• Experience in finance, reconciliation, or revenues & benefits administration, including NEC systems.
• Strong numerical skills, attention to detail, and accuracy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with specialist systems such as NEC, SAP, and Paygate.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and manage workloads effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to the values and behaviours of Buckinghamshire Council: Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative, and Trustworthy.

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

Other information

For further information about the role please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Interview date: W/C 18^th May 2026 or 25^th May 2026

Interview-type/process: MS TEAMS

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Service Area

Corporate Finance sets the overall financial strategy for the Council as well as the financial, risk and control assurance framework. The service is responsible for co-ordinating the Medium-Term Financial Plan, as well overseeing essential services, from statutory financial reporting and pensions administration to strategic procurement and supplier relationship management, as well as financial support for major projects.

Our expert staff work collaboratively to set a balanced budget and review the Council’s financial framework and procedures and to establish an appropriate assurance framework. Now is an exciting time to join Corporate Finance as we continue to play a key role in supporting all front-line services, ensuring that value for money is achieved and financial activities are directed towards the Council’s priorities.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/