Utility Billing Specialist at City of Avondale, AZ

About the Department

Hiring Range: $28.17 - $35.22

Salary ranges are the entire compensation range for the position classification.

The hiring range is an estimate of the compensation amount for the selected candidate. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, and/or training.

The Utility Billing Specialist is a key position within the Utility Billing Unit that performs a variety of clerical, accounting, customer service, and billing duties. Key responsibilities involve conducting billing activities and providing crucial backup coverage for the Utility Billing Supervisor and other Revenue Division staff/key processes. Work differs from that of the Senior Customer Service Representative in the complexity of duties and responsibilities.

Position Duties

Provides customer service by processing payments, responding to inquiries and escalated customer calls, creating customer accounts, and ensuring customers receive timely assistance. Maintains department customer service standards.

Participates in routine pre-billing processes. Creates bill meter read exports, performs mass imports of meter reads from Public Works data, manages exceptions, and performs quality checks/corrections.

Performs full billing operations regularly, including creating bills in the utility system, exporting/sending bills to the bill print vendor, reviewing and approving bill results, exporting/sending bills to online bill presentment and payment vendor, and ensuring all billing tasks/checks are completed correctly.  

Processes post-billing activities as needed, such as calculating adjustments and credits.

Processes residential/commercial/hydrant/water service applications, service termination requests, letters of credit requests, sewer fee appeals, account information requests, and account updates.

Coordinates meter investigations, monitors meter reads, sends emails for meter installs/pulls, and contacts technicians regarding investigations for meter status.

Submits service orders for service turn-on/off and for customer concerns for high/low/zero usage, and submits sanitation work orders. Sends out AM/PM service orders to be completed by technicians. Inputs all reads from completed service orders.

Performs financial functions such as balancing cash drawers, completing department deposits, posting online/phone/bank payments, entering end-of-day cashier report totals, and posting to the general ledger.

Performs various clerical functions by filing, entering information into databases, and generating/submitting reports.

Minimum Qualifications

High School diploma or GED equivalency. An associate's degree in accounting or a related field is preferred.

Four (4) years of experience performing complex customer service work at a level equivalent to a Senior Customer Service Representative.

Other Qualifications

Work requires the ability to read and interpret City codes, ordinances, policies and procedures, computer program information and directions, billing and account receivable, and other financial reports.

Work requires the ability to perform general math calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as having a basic understanding of governmental accounting.

Work requires the ability to write clearly and precisely, including draft policies and procedures, customer correspondence, and reports.

Work is governed by broad instructions, objectives, and policies. Work requires the exercise of initiative and independent analytical and evaluative judgment. Ability to evaluate problems with billing, cashiering, and complex customer concerns.

Planning responsibilities include organizing submittal deadline requirements.

The position has no budgetary responsibility.

This position does not have formal or informal supervisory duties over other employees, but it may provide guidance to less experienced employees.

Work involves choices of action within limits set by standard practices and procedures.  Professional judgment is required to apply the proper course of action.

The incumbents in this position contact others within the organization, which may involve similar work units or departments within the City. Meetings and discussions may be conducted with customers. Employees must maintain regular attendance and be able to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.