Customer Service Specialist, Senior

Customer Service Specialist, Senior

Salary

$54,808.00 - $82,700.80 Annually

Location

730 East Broad Street, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

35M00000056

Department

Public Utilities

Opening Date

09/02/2026

Closing Date

9/16/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The anticipated hiring range is $54,789 - $68,754.

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified Customer Support Specialist, Senior to provide exceptional service by assisting customers and customer service agents with account-related inquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring a seamless customer experience. This role involves handling customer requests, researching and adjusting accounts, handling escalations, coaching customer care agents, and maintaining accurate records while adhering to quality and compliance standards.

Duties include but are not limited to

• Assist customers and internal agents by providing information, handling requests and escalations, explaining procedures, conducting research, adjusting accounts where appropriate, and answering questions.
• Discuss and resolve problems and concerns.
• Provide call center support and dispatch calls as assigned.
• Contact citizens to ensure their request was completed and provide follow-up based on their response.
• Assist Supervisors with coaching and developing of customer care agents by either call observations or one on one coaching.
• Enter information into databases to capture complaints and allow other agencies to respond to citizen requests.
• Observe and comply with departmental policies, customer service standards, and compliance guidelines.
• Participate in ongoing training, cross-training, and quality assurance (QA) activities, including conducting QA training when assigned.
• Investigate and resolve account discrepancies, billing errors, and payment concerns.
• Process service orders to address customer issues and update account information.
• Educate and navigate customers on payment options, account processes, and assistance programs.
• Communicate professionally and effectively across multiple channels, including phone, email, and in-person interactions.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Associates Degree in a business related area
• Three years of customer service or payment processing, reconciliation, and adjustment experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in account investigation, billing inquiries, or payment processing is a plus.

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Best practices in customer service policies and procedures
• DPUs Rules and Regulations regarding Utility Rates
• CIS billing system
• Using standard office equipment

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Computer Proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite
• Diplomacy
• Account management
• Oral/written communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Basic Mathematics
• Customer service
• Researching
• Customer management systems
• Identifying and correcting account discrepancies accurately

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Multi-task
• Problem solve
• Work with diverse populations
• Listen attentively
• Analyze data to resolve customer issues or concerns
• Prioritize responsibilities
• Remain flexible in a fast-paced environment.

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, see, hear, finger (pick, pinch, type or otherwise work primarily with fingers), and use substantial repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, walk, and reach extending hands and arms in any direction. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.

• Internal use: HR Generalist to review.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.

01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veterans widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02

5-point veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03

Which best describes your highest level of education?

• High school diploma/GED
• Some college
• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters/ Advanced Degree
• None of the above

04

Do you have experience conducting coaching sessions or audits in a call center customer service environment?

• Yes
• No

05

How many years of experience do you have handling escalated situations in customer service?

• Less than one year
• 1-3 years
• 4-6 years
• More than 7 years
• No experience

06

How many years of experience do you have in a customer service/call center environment (phone, email, or in-person support)?

• Less than one year
• 1-3 years
• 4-6 years
• More than 7 years
• No experience

07

What is your level of proficiency using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)?

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Expert

08

Do you have experience creating coaching plans or maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), or QA forms for Customer Service Call Centers?

• Yes
• No

09

Please summarize your experience using QA or a Customer Service Information system to recommended or implement process improvements.

Required Question

Employer City of Richmond

Address 900 East Broad Street

Suite

Richmond, Virginia, 23219

Phone (804) 646-5660

804-646-5660

Website https://www.rva.gov/