Job Description

We’re building thriving communities as one of the UK’s largest housing groups and a leading developer of affordable housing.

We believe everyone is entitled to a good home they can afford, in a place they are proud to live. More than 100,000 people live in our homes.

If you want to experience work that’s truly rewarding, join us. Because when we achieve together, customers and communities thrive.

Work for Orbit. Believe in people.

The role

The role of the Utilities Officer is to work within the service charge team to assist in ensuring that Orbit’s group-wide communal utilities contracts are effectively managed, making sure that billing is in line with usage and meter readings so that the costs recovered from customers through their service charge is accurate. Accurate record keeping and reporting are fundamental to ensuring that costs are controlled, suppliers are monitored and effectively managed.

This role is part of the Property directorate where you'll help us to lead the way keeping our promise to more than 100,000 customers.

What you'll achieve

Key elements of the job include ensuring invoices are audited for accuracy and processed with any invoicing queries being effectively and efficiently resolved. Liaising with Suppliers, Property Managers, Independent Living Teams and Service Charge Officers to ensure that we hold accurate asset information and metering details and updating this information in an energy database.

Maintaining the Energy Database ensuring that acquisitions, disposals, address changes, responsibility-for-payment and charge-rate changes are accurately and promptly reflected

Developing and/or maintaining site databases as may be required for the effective management of contracts

• Liaising with suppliers to collect management information in accordance with the agreed contract terms

Prepare regular monitoring reports to ensure that supplier billing is in line with usage and meter readings, highlighting any assets where information is missing and liaising with the wider business to obtain this information

Review consolidated invoices for errors, inconsistencies or other anomalies and work with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve any issues identified

Process payments for communal utilities & void properties within agreed timescales

Assisting the procurement team to manage energy tenders at prescribed intervalsWhat you'll bring

Essential skills

Educated to GCSE level or equivalent experience (English and Maths essential)

Ability to prioritise a varied workload and work under pressure to meet deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy

Good user-level knowledge of MS Office programmes, particularly Excel

Good communication and interpersonal skills

Problem solving skillsDesirable skills

Experience of working within the utilities sector or in a similar property related role

Experience and understanding of contract management processes and issues

Experience of working in either a customer-facing and/or supplier-facing role with problem-resolution dutiesWhy Orbit?

Choosing us means being rewarded in every sense.

Here’s what you can expect to enjoy with us.

A rewarding experience that works for you

We strive to create an inclusive experience with benefits and wellbeing programmes designed to help you, and your loved ones, to thrive. For a better work life balance, we offer flexible working opportunities for many roles.

A place to progress

From training programmes to professional qualifications, we provide opportunities to learn and develop at every stage of your career. Whether you’re a student, graduate or experienced professional we’ll support you to grow.

For leaders, our tailored development journeys are designed to stretch and strengthen your leadership skills. As well as practical training, we give you access to renowned business schools and experiential programmes for greater breadth and depth of learning.

A purpose to feel proud of

We’re proud to make a difference to people together. We’re values-driven with a commercial focus on performance - because the more profit we make, the more we can achieve for people.

What brings us together is a passionate belief in progress and people.

Read more about the values and purpose that drive us on our careers website.

How we hire

We aim to make our hiring process simple and fair:

Online application

Interview(s)

Decision and offerWe put the safeguarding of our customers, colleagues and contractors at the heart of everything we do and as such, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check