Customer Care Manager (INTERNAL ONLY)

City of Petersburg • Petersburg VA 23803, VA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The purpose of this position within the organization is to oversee and coordinate the daily operations of Customer Care, Utility Billing, and related collection functions to ensure accurate billing, efficient revenue collection, and high-quality customer service. This position is responsible for supervising and directing staff, including the Customer Care Supervisor, while maintaining the integrity of customer accounts, resolving complex and escalated issues, and ensuring compliance with all applicable City and State laws and regulations. This position plays a critical role in supporting management in the planning, organization, and execution of billing and collections operations, including utility services and other revenue streams. The incumbent provides leadership and operational oversight to ensure consistency in processes, adherence to departmental policies, and the achievement of revenue and service delivery goals. The position exercises independent judgment in the interpretation and application of policies, the resolution of sensitive customer matters, and the coordination of workflow across multiple functional areas. Work is performed under general supervision, but requires a high level of accountability in decision-making, staff supervision, and operational performance.

Requirements

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, public administration, or a related field.
• Requires four (3) years of progressively responsible experience in utility billing, customer service, collections, or financial operations, including at least one (1) year in a supervisory or lead capacity.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a local or state government environment.
• Working knowledge of utility billing software and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Supervises and delegates work activities of staff responsible for customer care, utility billing, and collections.
• Assists in the planning, organizing, and coordination of Customer Care, Utility Billing, and Collections operations.
• Ensures accurate and timely billing of water, sewer, refuse, and other utility services.
• Assists in the printing and mailing of utility bills according to established schedules and coordinates with data processing to resolve production issues.
• Implements and monitors billing procedures and performs bi-weekly edit checks to verify accuracy and identify irregularities in utility usage.
• Handles escalated customer inquiries, complaints, and disputes; determines appropriate resolutions in accordance with City policies and ordinances.
• Oversees the research, analysis, and correction of billing errors, including authorizing necessary account adjustments.
• Coordinates the setup and maintenance of billing arrangements and customer payment plans.
• Assists in the preparation and execution of delinquent account disconnects and supports negotiation of payment agreements.
• Supervises staff involved in the collection of current and delinquent revenues in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
• Collects, reviews, and ensures proper handling of confidential personal and financial data related to customer accounts.
• Runs daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports to monitor billing accuracy, revenue collection, and operational performance.
• Gathers and analyzes data related to utility services to support operational decision-making and process improvements.
• Assists in process improvement initiatives to streamline billing, collections, and customer payment processes.
• Coordinates customer service initiatives and projects to improve service delivery and efficiency.
• Receives and evaluates customer service complaints, determines facts, and ensures proper application of City ordinances.
• Assists in monitoring employee work hours and productivity to ensure alignment with departmental budget constraints.
• Ensures compliance with applicable City and State laws, regulations, and policies related to billing and collections.
• Requests special meter readings for high bills, suspected leaks, or account discrepancies.
• Processes utility service applications and ensures proper documentation is maintained.
• Determines and explains service charges, billing processes, and account activity to customers.
• Reviews customer complaints and investigates causes such as usage changes or environmental factors.
• Assists in the creation and maintenance of departmental procedures and budget-related tracking.
• Performs related work as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager