Service Charge Manager

Service Charge Manager - Basingstoke (Hybrid)- Permanent- Up to circa £70,000

About the role

Are you a service charge professional with the expertise to lead a team, oversee complex financial processes and drive improvements in service delivery? We’re looking for a proactive and knowledgeable Service Charge Manager to take ownership of our service charge function, ensuring accuracy, compliance and a positive experience for our customers.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact, combining technical expertise with people leadership to ensure service charges are managed effectively, transparently and in accordance with relevant legislation and best practice.

The role

Reporting to the Head of Service Charges, you’ll lead the effective delivery of service charge budgeting, administration and year-end accounting across a diverse property portfolio. You’ll ensure that charges are calculated accurately, expenditure is appropriately recovered and all processes meet required legal, regulatory and organisational standards.

Working closely with colleagues across finance, property management, repairs and customer services, you’ll play a key role in strengthening financial controls, improving operational performance and ensuring customers receive clear and timely information about their service charges.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the team: Provide clear leadership, support professional development and establish a culture focused on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Oversee service charge budgets: Coordinate the preparation, review and approval of annual service charge budgets, ensuring expenditure and income forecasts are accurate and reflect the services provided.
• Manage year-end accounts: Take responsibility for the delivery of year-end service charge statements and final accounts, ensuring deadlines are met and calculations are supported by robust financial information.
• Maintain compliance and manage risk: Ensure service charge processes comply with relevant legislation, regulatory expectations, leases and internal policies, identifying and addressing risks proactively.
• Strengthen financial controls: Monitor service charge income, expenditure, reconciliations and recoverability, investigating variances and ensuring appropriate action is taken.
• Drive service improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve data quality and enhance the efficiency and consistency of service charge operations.
• Build effective working relationships: Collaborate with internal teams, external auditors and other stakeholders to resolve issues, share information and support effective decision-making.
• Champion customer service: Ensure customer enquiries and disputes are handled professionally, with clear explanations of charges and timely resolution of concerns.
• Provide management information: Produce and interpret financial and operational reports, highlighting trends, risks and areas for improvement to support senior management decisions.
• Support audit and assurance activity: Maintain accurate records, clear audit trails and supporting documentation to demonstrate the integrity of service charge calculations and reporting.

What you’ll bring

You’ll be an experienced service charge professional with a strong understanding of the financial, legal and operational requirements involved in managing service charges.

You’ll be confident leading a team, balancing competing priorities and working with colleagues across the business to achieve positive outcomes.

You’ll also have:

• Previous experience in a service charge management or senior service charge role, ideally within social housing, residential property management or a similarly complex environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of service charge budgeting, expenditure allocation, apportionments, reconciliations and year-end accounting.
• A sound understanding of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended, and the wider legislative and regulatory framework governing residential service charges.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to motivate colleagues, develop capability and maintain consistently high standards of performance.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, with the confidence to investigate discrepancies, interpret complex information and identify appropriate solutions.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• The ability to communicate financial information clearly to a range of audiences, including customers who may not have a technical understanding of service charges.
• Experience working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including finance teams, property managers, auditors and external organisations.
• Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel, with experience using financial, housing management or property management systems.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, with a commitment to continuous improvement, good governance and delivering value for money.
• A relevant accounting qualification or equivalent practical experience would be advantageous.