Scottish Government
Debt Management
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Looking for an opportunity to provide excellent customer service while helping recover public funds responsibly and compassionately?
The Recoveries Team sits within the Finance Directorate and is responsible for recovering overpayments and returning money to the public purse. As a Recoveries Officer, you will be part of a supportive team that delivers a professional, fair and customer-focused service, working with students and other stakeholders to manage outstanding debts and support positive outcomes.
In this role, you will manage a varied caseload, maintaining debt records, handling customer enquiries and supporting recovery activities through a range of communication channels. You will use your communication and problem-solving skills to engage with customers sensitively and effectively, helping to secure appropriate repayment arrangements while ensuring processes are applied consistently and in line with guidance.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities:
- Adding cases to the Debt Management System, identifying and implementing appropriate debt recovery action by email, telephone call or by letter following team guidance.
- Taking payments via WorldPay system.
- Dealing with new dental debts and any follow up action that is required.
- Using debt negotiation skills to secure payments or repayment plans within guidelines.
- Considering if escalated action is necessary and appropriate based on case history, issuing letters where required to warn of potential action.
- Escalation of complex cases to recoveries specialists where appropriate.
- Dealing with student enquiries received via telephone, email or in writing.
- Providing a customer focused and professional service to students and stakeholders, including solicitors and sheriff officers.
- Handling cases with sensitivity and compassion.
- Working as part of a team, adapting to changing priorities as required.
QUALIFICATIONS
Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills:
- Connections and communication - Communicates and builds relationships across teams to deliver excellent service, quality and performance. Works with others in collaboration to share information constructively. Encourages feedback and creates a secure and safe environment where good communication and relationships can thrive.
- Delivery and decision making at pace - Makes timely decisions, seeking the views of others where necessary and is confident to make recommendations considering the implications. Works at pace, responding flexibly to emerging priorities and manages their own workload effectively.
Experience:
- Experience in customer service or support, with the ability to understand complex information and explain it clearly, and the ability to remain calm and professional in difficult situations.
Behaviours:
- Managing a Quality Service - Level 1
- Working Together - Level 1
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How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 750 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance [https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/] for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and job simulation.
Assessments are scheduled for w/c 12 October 2026 however this may be subject to change.
Apply before 23:59 on 6 October 2026. This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only (external candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy).
Recruitment Principles: As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
About us:
SAAS is an executive agency of the Scottish Government and responsible for assessing and paying student awards for Scottish domiciled students in Higher Education throughout the UK. We administer budgets of around £1.4 billion each year, making payments to both educational institutions and over 190,000 students a year. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.
More information on SAAS can be found on our website https://www.saas.gov.uk
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service [https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/about-us/], working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer https://www.jobs.gov.scot/what-we-offer.
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As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/nationality-requirements/.
Working pattern:
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. This role requires in person attendance of 6 days per month minimum with more regular attendance as required to support the leadership and strategic direction of the team. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. Flexible working patterns will be considered in line with business needs.
SAAS has separate arrangements from core Scottish Government for Public and Privilege holidays. SAAS office is fully closed between Christmas and New Year.
Security checks:
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard, and read about the Government Vetting Charter https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vetting-explained-and-our-vetting-charter/the-vetting-charter, or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/pre-employment-checks/. Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.
Equality statement:
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity https://www.jobs.gov.scot/an-inclusive-organisation and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments https://www.jobs.gov.scot/requesting-adjustments-2 for anyone who needs them.
Further information:
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website https://www.jobs.gov.scot. Read our Candidate Guide https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/introduction/ for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
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