Service Charge Lead

Job Description

Large Housing Association requires Service Charge Lead to ensure the service charge setting cycles are coordinated and run effectively. Providing operational support to the housing team to ensure compliance with Service Charge Policy and Procedure, and therelevant legislation.Responsibilities:Support the interpretation and implementation of service charge setting requirements (for example project managing any new service charge regime, ensuring systems and processes are updated or in place by the required date)Be an expert in service and personal charges, including changes in legislation and development in good practice from bodies such as the regulator of social housing and the National Housing Federation and to inform all relevant departments on changes.Act as an expert in the field of service charges, in particular the 1985 & 1987 Landlord and Tenant Act and Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.Up skill Housing staff and provide guidance on how to analyse expenditure, forecast future expenditure and ensure that service charges are billed in accordance with agreed procedures / best practice/ terms of lease or tenancy agreement.Provide period exception reporting to Housing to identify non-recoverable expenditure; missing recoverable expenditure; expenditure not treated appropriately; and prepare / advise on appropriate adjustments.Co-ordinate process for ensuring housing teams are preparing commentaries to accompany accounts and budgets, explaining exceptional variances, exceptional items to create robust service charges estimates.Coordinate that service charge accounts for all variable service charge schemes are prepared, reviewed by Housing, signed off and sent to customers and recognised Residents Associations as agreedCoordinate external audit process ensuring all schemes requiring an audit are signed off and issued to external and internal partnersLiaise with internal and external auditors and coordinate the resolutions of all audit queries effectively and within timescales requiredAttend key stage meetings with Development on new schemes to ensure service charges are accurately set according to liabilities and the legal management structure of schemes are signed off and documented within the relevant system accordinglysensitive schemes as requiredGenerate detailed lifecycle costing to inform calculation of sinking/ usage funds.Prepare draft reports for review by Service Charge Compliance ManagerSupport the Compliance Manager with the development of a risk map, outlining the risks associated with service charge setting processes, and follow the arrangements to mitigate or manage those risks. Reporting on those as requiredSkills and experience:Proven experience implementing service charges within the Housing sector.Effective IT skills including intermediate MS OfficeUnderstanding of landlord and tenancy obligations contained in Occupancy Agreements (Freehold documents, Leases & Tenancy Agreements)Line management experience, i.e. setting targets, conducting regular 1-1s and appraisalsKnowledge of accounting processes relating to service charges and varying methods of allocation & apportionment of service charge costs

Keyskills :
ChargesFinanceLandlordSocial HousingLeasehold