Levy Collection Support Officer - Planning Policy Team

37 Hours per week - Full Time – Fixed term for 23 months

Are you organised, detail-oriented and looking for an opportunity to develop your career within planning, infrastructure and local government?

We're looking for a Levy Collection Support Officer to join our Planning Policy team, supporting the administration and collection of statutory development levies, including the new Building Safety Levy.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in an evolving area of local government, helping to ensure developments contribute towards the infrastructure and services needed by our communities.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

About The Role:
As a Levy Collection Support Officer, you will provide technical, administrative and financial support across the levy collection process.

Working closely with colleagues across Planning, Building Control and Finance, you'll help ensure levy processes are administered accurately, timely and in line with legislation and Council procedures.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the implementation and ongoing administration of statutory development levies, including the Building Safety Levy.
• Determining levy liability and chargeability, issuing notices and maintaining accurate records.
• Recording payments, processing financial information and producing payment certificates.
• Carrying out checks on levy submissions, calculations and exemptions.
• Supporting review and refund processes where required.
• Preparing management information returns and revenue reports.
• Liaising with developers, agents, government bodies and internal stakeholders.
• Maintaining accurate electronic and financial records in line with data protection requirements.

About You:
We are looking for someone with excellent administrative and organisational skills who enjoys working with data, financial information and legislation-driven processes.

You will ideally have:

• Experience in an administrative role, preferably within a local authority or public sector environment.
• Experience of financial processes such as invoicing, reconciliations, fee calculations or payment recording.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate work to deadlines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office applications, particularly spreadsheets and databases.
• Good numeracy skills and the ability to work with calculations and financial data.
• The ability to interpret plans and measurements
• A proactive approach and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer:
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information on this position please contact Neal Gascoine, Principal Infrastructure Monitoring Officeron Neal.Gascoine@reading.gov.uk or 0118 937 3827

Closing Date: Sunday 15th November 2026
Interview Date: Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th November 2026
Interview Setup: In person at the Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU – interview will include a technical test