Customer Service Officer

About Us :

Katherine Town Council is the Municipal Council for Katherine, NT. Providing services to the Katherine Community relating to rates, roads, infrastructure, animal control, waste management and other core essential services.

At the heart of the Big Rivers region is Katherine, the fourth largest township in the Northern Territory. Outside of Darwin and Palmerston Local Government Areas, Katherine is the next major regional centre closest to the Port of Darwin; the only major multimodal port located in Northern Australia and Australia’s gateway to the Asia Pacific.

Katherine is located at a critical crossroads point for Northern Australia and the top end, connecting Perth to Darwin from the west and Adelaide to Darwin through the north/south highway and rail corridor. Katherine services the wider region with access to education and medical services.

Around 8,000 people live in the Katherine municipality. The local RAAF Airbase at the Katherine suburb of Tindal adds around 2,000 to this figure making it over 10,000 people living and working in Katherine.

Our community is at the center of everything we do. In achieving this, we continue to the vision where:

• Katherine is welcoming, vibrant, family-friendly, and fosters diversity and unity.
• In Katherine, everyone belongs, everyone feels safe, and there is a sense of community
• Our vision recognises the importance of valuing our environment and investing in our people and culture.

VISION

Katherine Town council's vision is for Katherine to be a place of opportunity where we live, work, learn and grow together.

MISSION

Together, we will work effectively today, to shape our exceptional future tomorrows.

VALUES

• Accepting of DIVERSITY
• Sense of COMMUNITY
• Respect for PEOPLE, our ENVIRONMENT and our CULTURE

About You :

• Current NT Drivers Licence
• Sound written and verbal communication skills
• Business, Administrative experience

Position Summary :

This position reports directly to the Manager Community Relations and is responsible for the delivery of a comprehensive range of high quality, integrated Council Services to customers via counter, over the telephone, or email, ensuring excellent service.

Key Requirements :

Selection Criteria

Essential

• Demonstrated ability to meet the positions key responsibilities;
• Current NT Drivers Licence;
• Sound written and verbal communication skills;
• Experience in Microsoft Office products and packages;
• Experience in managing and positively engaging a team environment;
• Ability to understand various legislations, statutory obligation and Council policies in order to make informed decisions;
• Demonstrated experience and ability to deliver good outcomes;
• Extensive knowledge and skill gained through on-the-job training; minimum experience of 2 years in similar or related role.

Desirable

• Business, Administrative experience
• Previous experience in Local Government role.

Job Responsibility :

Position's Key Responsibilities

1. Deliver a high level of customer service by providing a secure and friendly first point of contact, promptly and courteously responding to customer’s needs and enquiries via the front counter, telephone, email or other;

2. Process, receipt and balance all incoming payment transactions that come via telephone and/or the front counter in accordance with Council regulations in a professional manner;

3. Provide high level administrative support to the Administration Manager and the Team Unit;

4. Coordinate the processing of bookings for Council Facilities including the receipt of deposits, payments and fees; coordination of facility inspections, manage the applications for facility hire and the hire diary and general liaison with customers/hirers. Includes both short term and long-term hires;

5. Assist with the process of creating, sending, filing and recording ingoing and outgoing correspondence on behalf of the Council;

6. Undertake errands throughout Katherine as required, do the daily courier run and all the responsibilities associated with the courier run.

7. Support operations that come to the front counter by undertaking duties including but not limited to processing dog registrations/licenses, hiring of anti-barking collars, hiring animal traps, impounding dogs and vehicles, processing signage applications, disable permits, infringements and service requests;

8. Assist Katherine Municipal Ratepayers with acquiring general property information, whilst also undertaking minor property file changes, updating property details such as postal addresses and contact information.

9. Undertake operations of Council record management system and processes, this being uploading and the creation of tasks and ensuring all tasks are in accordance to Council’s Customer Service Charter.

10. Ensure the disabled parking permits register is kept up to date with accurate information available, provide reprint permits and process applications;

11. Improve the delivery of services by making recommendations for change and creating standardised practices and/or processes that are easily adaptable to the needs of the community;

12. Other responsibilities as shall be reasonably associated with or incidental to the above responsibilities or as shall, in the course of the employment, be agreed between the parties as being or forming part of the duties.

Organisational Responsibilities

1. Ensure compliance with Workplace Health and Safety requirements. Comply with workplace procedures for risk identification, risk assessment and risk control. Participate in activities associated with the management of workplace health and safety. Identify and report health and safety risks, accidents, incidents, injuries, property damage and mishaps at the workplace.

2. Assist in the implementation of the Katherine Town Council’s Local Counter Disaster Sub-Plan in the event of a disaster;

3. Ensure incumbent is dedicated to servicing our community and will listen to and proactively respond to their needs;

4. Foster sustainable, honest relationships with the community and stakeholders

5. Perform and deliver results that align with organisations strategic direction and serve our community;

6. Work in accordance with Council’s Vision and Mission statement.

7. Provide excellent customer service through incoming telephone calls, email and front counter enquiries

Level of Responsibility

Authority & Accountability

• Responsible for completion of regularly occurring tasks with general guidance on a daily basis. May supervise work or provide on-the-job training, based on their skills and/or experience, to employees of the same or lower levels

Judgment & Problem Solving

• Personal judgment is required to follow predetermined procedures where a choice between more than 2 options is present. Work performed falls within general guidelines but with scope to exercise discretion in the application of established practices and procedures.

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

• Application of developed skills acquired through on-the-job training or accredited external training over a number of months. Positions may require demonstrated competence in administrative areas.

Management Skills

• Not required at this level, possibly on-site supervision and provide general advice and guidance to team members.

Interpersonal Skills

• Employees at this level require communication skills to enable them to effectively communicate with clients, other employees and members of the public and in the resolution of minor matters.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualifications or relevant experience in accordance with the requirements of work in this level, which may be acquired through a Certificate II or a non-trades Certificate III, however described.

Job Functions :

Local

Job Benefits :

1. 6 weeks annual leave per annum
2. 3 weeks sick leave per annum
3. Free access to Katherine town pool and 50% gym discount

Selling Point :

Opportunity to work in a role that has meaning and make a positive difference to the community.

Contact :

Cherie Bush