Utility Billing & Collections Manager

City of Clermont • Clermont, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising the daily operations and activities of the Utility Billing Division and coordinating those activities within the Finance Department and other departments. Provides oversight of the Utility Billing Division, which includes performing administrative, financial, accounting, cash management, record keeping, collection and customer services tasks and responsibilities. Works under general administrative direction and requires a considerable amount of independent judgement and discretion. This position is exempt. Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions will not apply. Per Florida Statute 295.065, certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such servicemembers and veterans, receive preference and priority, and that certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment by the state and its political subdivisions and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or closely related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible related experience, utility billing and employee supervision.
• Proficiency in use of all Microsoft Suite applications such as Excel, Power Point, Word, etc..
• Ability to deal effectively with stress and time pressures.
• Valid Florida Driver's License Class "E".
• In some cases, an equivalent combination of higher education and experience may be considered, provided that the education and experience is in a relevant and related field.

Nice To Haves

• Preference given for experience with Tyler Technologies MUNIS Utility Billing software.
• Government accounting experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervises assigned staff including establishing work schedules, assigning tasks, providing training, evaluating performance, counseling, and recommending discipline.
• Formulates accounting policies and procedures, assists in monitoring their implementation; evaluates effectiveness and recommends changes to systems and controls.
• Manages the utility billing functions including, but not limited to: preparation of utility bills, receipt of utility payments, customer refunds, establishing and disconnecting utility service, cashier balancing, and customer service.
• Manages the coordination of the planning testing, training, implementation and review of all aspects of computerized financial systems including any software upgrades.
• Implements procedures, monitors operations and activities for proper handling of cash and other forms of payments from utility customers, coordinates accounts receivable and cash collection reconciliations.
• Acts as liaison for city-wide departments pertaining to cash handling and banking functions.
• Coordinates and communicates with other city departments and stakeholders utility and meter reading concerns, strategizing process improvements, and resolving challenging issues.
• Interprets and ensures compliance with Florida Statutes, City Ordinances, Employment Policies Manual, union contracts, other policies and procedures, rules and regulations, and IRS guidelines pertaining to payroll and other finance areas.
• Oversees, manages, and resolves challenging customer service concerns.
• Oversees and coordinates all utility customer payment plans following City policies.
• Tracks and monitors to ensure customer compliance.
• Oversees and coordinates the processing of utility service requests (work orders) and the coordination of such requests with the Public Services Department.
• Resolves technical issues related to the city’s utility systems.
• Coordinates quality assurance, reporting, compliance and audit activities, including serving as the point person for year-end audit confirmations and other audit-related functions as needed.
• Oversees all aspects related to city utility rates, researching and benchmarking as necessary, and recommends changes to management based on results of findings.
• Oversees the preparation and mailing of utility bills and delinquent notices, and processes Notice of Liens and/or Release of Liens.
• Evaluates all facets of the utility billing function, anticipates problems, and performs any tasks necessary for success.
• Ongoing implementation of automation in order to streamline processes and recommends process improvements.
• Establishes procedures necessary to complete monthly customer billing cycles as accurate and effectively as possible, integrating the capabilities of the automated system into their daily tasks.
• Reviews, reconciles, and verifies data inputs to ensure accuracy of utility billings and customer information.
• Reviews and analyzes accounts: monthly, quarterly or annually to determine whether transactions are properly recorded.
• Receives, resolves, and responds to employee and public inquiries, concerns, and complaints regarding departmental related functions.
• Observes municipal ordinances, policies, and/or procedures regarding utility billing, collection, application for services and deposits, investigation of billing discrepancies and account disputes, processing of past due notices, and disconnections and makes recommendations for updates as needed.
• Recommends the annual write-off of uncollectable accounts and coordinates related activities with the City's debt collection agency.
• Develops custom reports using database queries to compile data needed for monitoring statistics, presentations, recommendations, historical data, and other reporting as required or requested.
• Serves as the administrator of the utility billing module for the city’s utility billing software.
• Coordinates upgrades and modifications of the customer billing software with software vendor, consultants, programmers, and other users in the City.
• Communicates effectively with others to maximize the efficiency of department operations and processes.
• Contributes to the preparation of the City annual budget and assists with the preparation and monitoring of departmental budget, objectives, and goals.
• Assists in the preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Quarterly Budget Reports.
• Provides financial and statistical information for committees, directors, managers, and other staff as requested.
• Attends staff, committee, and professional meetings to exchange information; attends technical or professional classes, workshops, or seminars; and reads professional journals to keep abreast of trends and practices in assigned areas.
• Serves as one of the department’s public records coordinators.
• Works on multiple tasks and requests at one time in a fast-paced environment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The City of Clermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.
• Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss potential accommodations with management.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions.

What This Job Offers

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