Utilities Customer Service Supervisor

POSITION SUMMARY

POSITION SUMMARY:

An employee in this position performs responsible supervisory and administrative work in support of the utility billing, cashiering, and customer service functions of Public Utilities for Harnett County. This includes: managing and directing the activities which involve the utility billing and collections function; handling customer inquiries related to utility billings; directing heavy public contact functions; coordinating with other departments and divisions within the County organizational structure; troubleshooting problems; generating computer records and reports; and making recommendations for computer programming and software changes.
Hiring Range: $62,763.00

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:

• Supervises the collection of money for payment of utility billings, account deposits, tap fees, etc., including the receipting, posting, and balancing process associated with this responsibility; collects for other districts or municipalities.
• Participates in hiring of assigned staff; trains, assigns, and monitors work of employees; delegates duties appropriately; provides backup when employees are absent; cross trains employees in several functions; provides performance coaching and evaluation; and coordinates the work of meter readers in reading, service connections, and disconnections.
• Answers complaints from citizens, researches problems, and renders decisions or answers to their questions; refers precedent setting issues to higher level management for advice and consultation; provides information to mortgage companies regarding water and sewer availability for new home construction.
• Prepares bulk, water sample, septic hauler, and hydrant meter billings.
• Prepares service orders, account maintenance, deposit processing, billing reports, payments, and funds request for other municipalities.
• Organizes, supervises, and participates in processes for billing and/or collections for municipalities.
• Supervises billing processes and handles any special problems associated with the utility billing cycles; monitors the appropriate billing cycles; assures that all records are submitted on a timely basis in order that established deadlines will be met; and reviews and approves disconnection reports.
• Participates in the review, coordination of installation, testing, use, and training for new software programs and/or applications; serves as liaison to vendor for problems.
• Performs and coordinates utility revenue accounting including transferring balances, adjustment entries, payment entries for special accounts, etc.; performs special billings.
• Approves customer bill adjustments; makes arrangements for payments; and works with community agencies for customer emergency or destitution problems.
• Performs credit balance refunds to customers and/or transfers balances to customer accounts; activates owner accounts vacant one year; and performs account status maintenance.
• Performs financial duties; submits cashier reports to Finance; request checks for shortages or deposits for overages; approves bank drafts; researches wire payments in bank accounts, processes interdepartmental payments; and makes daily deposits as needed.
• Organizes, supervises, and participates in the AMI meter process including monitoring AMI meter software for alarms, alerts, orphans, key reports, meter reading files and the generation and uploading of VFLEX files. Corrects problems or discrepancies; performs edits, issues service orders for potential problems such as high readings, misreadings, etc.; communicates potentially high bills to customers and fixes problems.
• Organizes, supervises, and participates in the entering and reviewing of utility readings from AMI reading files and handheld water meter reading computers.
• Participates in maintaining the billing software, AMI software, and Customer Portal software including meetings, issuing tickets, and testing.
• Serves in the absence of assigned employees.
• Researches and prepares special reports for management as requested on the assigned area of work

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Associate’s degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field;
• Three (3) years of work experience in a utilities or computer services operation involving heavy public contact along with some supervisory experience;
• Or equivalent education and/or experience.

• Knowledge of local policy and state statutes regarding utility billing, collections, rules and regulations, and utility account maintenance.
• Knowledge of generally accepted principles of accounting for the receipt of cash payments.
• Knowledge of standard operating practices involved in modern office operation and public service.
• Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices and the ability to implement them in an office environment.
• Knowledge of computer hardware, software, and their various applications for work supervised.
• Knowledge of the County personnel and purchasing policies and procedures.
• Skill in managing conflict.
• Skill in providing customer service.
• Ability to schedule, assign, review, and direct the work of a group of employees.
• Ability to deal effectively with the public in a tactful and effective manner.
• Ability to create and maintain accurate records, reports, and files in support of a cash receipt, tax, and customer-oriented operation.
• Ability to operate calculator, computer terminal, typewriter, cash register, and related office equipment.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Must be able to perform light work frequently exerting up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects; and occasionally requiring to exert up to 20 pounds of force to move objects. This work also involves the physical abilities of balancing, feeling, grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, discriminating among sounds, lifting, having manual dexterity, using mental acuity, reaching, performing repetitive motion, speaking, standing, expressing ideas by the spoken word, and walking. An incumbent must also possess the visual acuity to work with data and figures, to handle accounting processes, to operate a computer, to read extensively, to work with color, and to inspect for errors.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The employee works in an office environment.

Harnett County takes pride in offering an excellent benefit package including health, dental, vision and life insurance, membership in the North Carolina Local Government retirement, free health clinic for employees and anyone in their household and other benefits. To see more information about the benefits offered by Harnett County,