Customer Care Representative 1

This candidate would provide essential administrative and operational support to ensure the effective day to day management of the Supplemental Arrearage Reduction Program. This role would support customer enrollments and account maintenance, coordinate and track required customer communications, maintain program trackers and standard reports, and assist with monitoring participant compliance, late payments, drops, and graduations. The contractor would also support data validation and reporting used for leadership updates and regulatory submissions, help maintain program documentation and job aids.

JOB SUMMARY:

This Energy Assistance Specialist will help ensure income-eligible customers can access and fully benefit from available federal, state, local, and company-sponsored bill payment assistance program grants. In this role, the successful candidate will support enhancements to programs and processes to drive results through increased customer enrollments. In addition, this candidate will foster and maintain relationships with local community action agencies, and other key internal and external stakeholders focused on the same mission of increasing affordability solutions for economically vulnerable communities in need. This candidate also will support actions required for operational improvements in response to efforts for compliance and effectiveness.

JOB REQUIREMENTS: (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills )

Required:

• High School Diploma required
• 2-3 years of customer experience/ credit & collections/ billing/ energy assistance/utility experience performing duties noted above with progressive responsibility
• Reliable and able to work with minimal supervision by taking ownership for managing workload, prioritizing work, as well as evaluating and tracking results
• Basic computer skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills
• Strong organizational, time management and planning skills
• Strong listening to understand skills
• Intermediate proficiency with MS Excel
• Experience with customer billing/account systems (CC&B)
• Comfortable speaking directly to customers to address questions/concerns

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support the strategic vision and direction of the Energy Assistance team and the work being performed on behalf of the company and with the best interest of customers being top of mind
• Support the day-to-day work responsibilities that help ensure income-eligible customers can fully maximize available bill payment assistance program benefits
• Leverage data analytics to identify customers eligible for bill payment assistance programs as well as analyze performance of programs to determine how to modify, if needed, to reach more eligible customers
• Be an advocate for federal and state financial assistance programs, such as the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Manage day-to-day relationships with key internal stakeholder groups/departments and state and local agencies by building and maintaining healthy relationships that foster new or improved opportunities to better serve customers
• Implement processes for collecting, tracking, and maintaining energy assistance dollars as well as reconciling energy assistance payments for accuracy and auditing
• Support an Energy Assistance strategy that better educates company employees, especially frontline customer service and field employee, and customers about available bill payment assistance resources.
• Participate in public and company planned events, including customer-facing events, that help connect customers to available bill payment assistance programs.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, as well as company policies related to energy assistance programs.
• Ensure all financial transactions are documented correctly and that records of program activities are accurate, organized and accessible for review.

Preferred:

• Bachelor s degree in related field preferred or equivalent academic, education and work experience
• Demonstrated experience building relationships and collaborating with others
• Demonstrated experience working with federal, state and local organizations who assist income-eligible customers
• Strong technical acumen, with ability to solve problems
• Bilingual is a plus

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

Some business travel (5 20% travel): The incumbent will be required to travel to the various company/community sites and meetings. Trips may require air travel and/or overnight stay from home for one or more nights.