Head of Income
About us
United Utilities’ (UU) mission is to deliver high-quality water for a more prosperous, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society.We are proud to be ranked #4 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. We promote a workplace culture where our people can grow, excel, and truly be themselves.
We uphold our ethics, values, and business model to fulfil our mission. By setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable, long-term value for our colleagues, customers, and communities. Whether you collaborate with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation.
We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll be part of a thriving company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. These include:
- A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service, in addition to 8 bank holidays
- A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
- A performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
- A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme
- A car allowance to support your travel needs
At UU, we champion flexible ways of working. This position requires in-person attendance at Lingley Mere, Warrington, or Whitehaven to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility to support your work-life balance.
The Role
We are thrilled to present an outstanding opportunity for a Head of Income to join our dynamic team at United Utilities (UU). Be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to building a greener, brighter future!
In this pivotal role, you will lead all Sales and Cash Collections activities within the Customer Services department, you will be a member of the Customer Service Leadership team and helping shape our customer strategy.
You will be accountable for designing and implementing strategic plans short, medium, and long-term to ensure our activities meet customer needs and regulatory requirements, while achieving our business objectives. Additionally, you will serve as the business lead on all affordability scheme design and implementation.
Join us and make a significant impact on our mission to create a sustainable future. This is your chance to be part of an innovative environment that values creativity, professional growth, and meaningful contributions.
If you are passionate about making a positive difference for the North West of England, we would love to hear from you.
To be considered for this position you must have the right to work in the UK.
Key accountabilities- Management of budget and annual revenue for all sales and cash collection activities within Customer Services.
- Leading a large and diverse number of teams to ensure the delivery of agreed business objectives.
- Ensure an effective and value adding end to end operating model and associated processes and policies
- driving optimal sales and bad debt performance, balanced with a customer centric experience
- including the continued introduction and integration of self-serve, automated and digital solutions which enhance the customer journey and experience as well as driving business efficiency.
- Provide the strategic direction, leadership, and operational oversight of the Income department, and to deliver on target performance for this area, working closely with key stakeholders and operating within agreed budgetary guidelines and business objectives.
- Deliver an effective credit risk management framework using internal and external data sources to define the cash and debt collection strategies required for all customer groups to maximise early collections and minimise bad debt in order to deliver against collections targets (current year/prior year/legacy year)
- Ensure completeness of income to UU targets and accurate, efficient and seamless delivery of the circa 11 million bills. Managing all aspects associated with the delivery of Billing Management across all Customer types to ensure maximum revenue and maintaining Customer service standards.
- Responsible for the effective management of the performance of multiple external suppliers by setting performance metrics which ensure value for money and improved service delivery.
- Ensure that a culture of debt and credit risk awareness is promoted and maintained across the business and to drive the business to contribute to our collection and aged debt performance.
Skills & experience
To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:
- Qualified to degree level in a relevant discipline / Qualified or working towards CICM qualification
- A strategic thinker with the ability to create and deliver plans to meet the Sales and Cash Collections requirements for United Utilities.
- Significant operational experience of Sales and Cash Collections preferably in the utility sector.
- Highly driven, self-motivated and outcome focussed with a commitment for delivering service excellence and a proven track record of using continuous improvement activities to achieve business excellence.
- Proven communication skills (both verbal and written) with the ability to influence and persuade strategic decisions at a senior and board level and able to manage challenging stakeholders.