A opportunity has opened up on the Customer Systems Support team for an interim Systems Specialist role for 3 months whilst we are implementing a new Library Management System. The team works within Customer Services for Essex County Council supporting the administration of systems for Coroners, Registrations, Libraries and Contact Centres. The team has gone through a recent changes and the role will be pivotal role in supporting team members reskilling and training, reviewing processes to ensure they are still fit for purposes and task managing other members of the team.

Job Purpose

The transformation across Essex County Council (ECC) Customer Services is wholly centred on the customer and their experience, when seeking support from and within ECC and responding effectively. The technical processing team are responsible for systems which support the customer front line functions, ranging from financial (Oracle) to libraries (V-smart). With a user base of over 250,000 and £600 million in transactions handled by the team, it is imperative that the quality and standard is maintained, and processes are run to the optimum.

The Technical Processing and Optimisation Specialist will be responsible for the day to day management of technical system processes. In addition, taking an active role in planning, testing and providing resources for specific projects, improvements and upgrades on financial and customer facing systems.

With understanding of functional processing and the ability to assess requirements across the systems. This role requires significant experience in testing and resource planning, with the ability to demonstrate successful change management and an understanding of incident processes.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for managing resources to enhance and test developments, implement periodic upgrades, inclusive of legislative and statutory changes and the day to day management of the systems.
• Responsible for maintaining oversight of functional processing, delivering expert advice on all aspects of the system, to ensure effective delivery of an excellent service to all system users, suppliers and external customers.
• Contributes to finding innovative solutions to issues which could potentially impact or disrupt the customer experience and/or the processing cycle.
• Collaboratively working with business teams to ensure that system processes are fit for purpose enabling day to day processes to be completed accurately and within service level agreements.
• Responsible for managing a library of test scripts and process documentation, ensuring currency and relevance.
• Responsible for ensuring processes are audit compliant, assisting with audit reviews and implementation of recommendations.
• Input into continuous improvement projects across customer services to ensure a culture of embracing change and embedding the Six Pillars of Customer Excellence across the service and into processes.
• Responsible for the provision of timely, fit for purpose reports for customers, ensuring these meet individual requirements.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to RQF Level 3 (A level) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and specialist knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Significant experience in testing and resource planning with the ability to demonstrate successful change management
• Understanding of change management and incident processes.
• Experience in working in a customer facing environment, demonstrating a passion for delivering excellent customer experiences.
• Excellent communication skills - able to explain and adjust communication to a range of audiences; adept at communicating complex challenges in a clear, compelling way.
• Analytical skills to be able to monitor, evaluate and assess situations and changes that will impact upon the service.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.

This position will initially, in line with current government guidance be based from home, with an expectation of being home based for the foreseeable future. However, if / when government guidelines change the role may then revert to being office based, whilst retaining some flexible working options.

As part of employment with Essex County Council should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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