Strategic Head, Revenue and Benefits - 37 Hours

Application Deadline: 3 November 2025

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Torbay Council

Reporting To: Director

Compensation: £71,698 - £75,817 / year

Description

Job Description & Person Specification >

Are you a strategic leader, with significant expertise in Revenues and Benefits and a passion for improving the financial wellbeing of local residents, driving continuous improvement and delivering high quality services?

We are seeking a Strategic Head of Revenue and Benefits, with the experience, capacity and expertise to shape and lead a service that is critical to ensuring our residents are at the heart of everything we do.

Working alongside colleagues and external partners, you will be the Council’s lead technical expert on matters relating to Council Tax, Business Rates and Benefits. You will work closely with Directors, Divisional Directors, Members, Heads of Service, external partners and government departments to ensure statutory obligations are met and the service is operating effectively and efficiently.

We would love to hear from you if you have:

A proven track record of effective leadership in the delivery of a high performing Revenue and Benefits Service.
Experience of designing and delivering modern, customer focused services involving multi-agency working and digital innovation.
In-depth and specialist knowledge of revenues and benefits legislation, processes and systems within a local authority setting.
Excellent communication skills to impart information clearly and concisely to various audiences, underpinned by the ability to work effectively in a political environment, securing and sustaining confidence of colleagues and Members.
Successfully delivered large scale transformation or business planning initiatives.
Strong financial acumen and experience of managing high value budgets.
An appropriate qualification, such as Institute of Revenues and Rating Valuation (IRRV) Honours, supported by significant experience in a senior role within a Revenue and Benefits Service.

Interviews will take place in person during week commencing 10/11/2025 and will comprise a formal question and answer session and short presentation with senior officers and a staff panel.

This post meets the requirements of the Public Services Network (PSN) and therefore will require a Basic Criminal Record Check. This will show any unspent convictions and conditional cautions.

If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser:
https://www.torbay.gov.uk/strategic-head-revenue-and-benefits/

For an informal chat please contact Malcolm Coe on 07905 164040 or malcolm.coe@torbay.gov.uk.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 10th November 2025.

Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there's a published deadline - so if you're keen, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills

Essential:

Political Acumen – Demonstrates strategic awareness and the ability to operate effectively within a complex public sector environment, working collaboratively with statutory and non-statutory partners.
Stakeholder Engagement – Proven ability to build and sustain effective relationships, advocate persuasively, negotiate outcomes, and influence diverse stakeholder groups with conflicting interests.
People-Centred Management – Approachable and transparent, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and develop staff, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and service excellence.
Innovation and Adaptability – A creative thinker who challenges conventional approaches and responds swiftly to emerging issues and changing circumstances.
Advanced Communication – Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, able to convey complex information clearly and engage a wide range of audiences.

This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Knowledge

Essential:

Expert knowledge and understanding of the Council Tax, Business Rates and Housing Benefits systems and processes within a local authority context.
In-depth knowledge of Revenues and Benefits legislation, policy, and practice.
Strong financial acumen, including experience managing high-value budgets.
Comprehensive understanding of local government operations, political structures, and strategic challenges.
Extensive knowledge of national and local issues and developments affecting local taxation and public finance.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

Proven leadership of a high-performing Revenues and Benefits service.
Experience designing and delivering modern, customer-focused services that integrate multi-agency working and digital innovation.
Successful delivery of large-scale transformation or business planning initiatives that yield sustainable outcomes.
Demonstrated success in senior leadership roles within complex organisations, operating autonomously and with strategic accountability.
Qualification and membership of a relevant professional body, e.g., Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) Honours or equivalent, or a commitment to obtain qualification.

Skills

Knowledge

Experience & Qualifications

About Torbay Council