[Hiring] Subject Matter Expert @Citizens Advice SORT Group

Role Description

Citizens Advice SORT Group is a growing and ambitious organisation determined to deliver the highest quality services to the communities we serve. We are leading providers of information, advice and casework services and support tens of thousands of clients every year.

Join our Innovation Team! We're at an exciting stage of our digital transformation. Our innovation team is developing AI-powered tools designed to assist advisers by improving the accuracy of advice and the efficiency of case notes. We now want to do the same for money and debt advice, which is some of the most complex and highest-stakes work we do. We need your expert knowledge of debt and money advice, your critical thinking, and your practical experience to help us get it right. This role is a unique opportunity to shape the future of Citizens Advice and to combine your frontline expertise with cutting-edge technology.

Qualifications

• A Subject Matter Expert: Deep and current understanding of debt and money advice, including the full range of debt options, income maximisation, creditor practice, and challenges clients face when in financial difficulty.
• A Critical Thinker: Ability to analyse information, spot inaccuracies, and think critically about the potential unintended consequences of technology.
• A Clear Communicator: Can effectively articulate complex ideas and feedback to a non-adviser audience.
• A Team Player: Enjoys collaborating with others and is enthusiastic about a hands-on, fast-paced work environment.
• Enthusiastic about Technology: Genuine interest in how technology can improve our services, even if not a technical expert.

Requirements

• Substantial recent experience of delivering debt and money advice to clients, at casework or specialist level.
• Detailed working knowledge of the MaPS Customer Facing Standards and the Advice Assessor Toolkit, and ability to apply them to a case with confidence and consistency.
• Understanding of the debt customer journey as the standards set it out, including assessment of need, identification of vulnerability and emergencies, choice of delivery channel, exploration, advice, Breathing Space, debt options, creditor contact and record of advice.
• Ability to reach and justify an assessment outcome, including judging whether a shortfall has had an impact on the customer and whether it has caused detriment.
• Deep and current knowledge of the full range of debt options, including informal arrangements, Breathing Space, Debt Relief Orders, bankruptcy and individual voluntary arrangements, and a sound grasp of when each is appropriate.
• Working knowledge of income maximisation, budgeting and the Standard Financial Statement, and how priority and non-priority debts should be handled.
• Understanding of the regulatory requirements that apply to debt advice.
• Ability to analyse information, spot inaccuracies and think critically about the unintended consequences of a change or a tool.
• Ability to explain complex money advice concepts clearly to people who are not advisers, in writing and in conversation.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a hands-on, fast-moving team environment.
• A genuine interest in how technology can improve advice services, whether or not you have worked on technology before.
• Ability to use a variety of IT and digital systems and packages, and to learn new ones quickly.

Benefits

• We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.
• We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
• We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups, as they are currently under-represented in our workforce.

Requirements for role

• An understanding and commitment to equity and the positive value of diversity and inclusion and its application to service delivery in the charity sector.
• Ability to commit to and work within the values, aims, principles and policies of the Citizens Advice service in which equity and diversity is embedded throughout.
• A proven commitment to the continuous professional development of self and wider teams.
• Willingness and ability to work unsocial hours on occasion (including weekends), with travel across the North West and other parts of the country.
• Proven ability to keep up to date with technology and take individual responsibility for learning new technologies.