Council customer service officer job description

Not usually. Most roles are open to candidates with strong customer service experience, and a Certificate III in Customer Engagement or Business is advantageous rather than essential. Employers generally value cash-handling experience, computer literacy and the ability to stay calm under pressure. Local government knowledge is an advantage but can be trained on the job.

Look for experience in a customer-facing role — government, retail, banking or a call centre — where the candidate has handled enquiries, payments and difficult customers. Strong communication, accuracy with data and payments, and comfort learning new systems are the most transferable skills for a busy council service centre.

Mandatory requirements usually include customer service experience, working rights in Australia and computer literacy. Preferred qualifications include cash-handling experience, a customer engagement or business certificate and local government knowledge. Avoid over-qualifying the role, as it narrows your candidate pool unnecessarily.

Yes. Many councils hire from retail, banking or call-centre backgrounds and train staff on council systems and processes. Focus on communication, resilience, accuracy and system confidence. Clear job descriptions help candidates understand the counter and phone work and self-select appropriately.

This depends on your service centre hours and workload. Casual officers offer flexibility for peak periods and relief cover but attract a 25% casual loading under the Local Government Award. Permanent part-time or full-time staff provide continuity and stronger retention. Many councils use a mix — permanent staff for core hours and casuals for peaks and leave cover.

Under the Local Government Award (MA000112), most customer service officers work ordinary hours, but where they cover weekends or extended hours, Saturday is paid at 150%, Sunday at 175% and public holidays at 250% for full-time and part-time staff. Casual rates are higher again because the 25% loading is added to the penalty. Use award interpretation software to calculate rates accurately.

Often, yes. Many councils have an enterprise agreement that pays above the award and may provide additional entitlements such as a 35-hour week or rostered days off. Where an agreement applies, its terms prevail (it must leave employees better off overall than the award). Always confirm whether an agreement applies before setting pay.

Key elements include: position title and classification level, employment type (casual, part-time or full-time), hourly rate, applicable award or enterprise agreement, reporting structure, main duties, service centre location and required experience. For casuals, include the 25% casual loading. Use our digital employment contracts to simplify this process.

Award and agreement rostering rules vary, so confirm the notice period that applies to your council. As a general practice, providing rosters at least 7 days in advance gives staff visibility of their shifts. Using rostering software helps ensure compliance and reduces last-minute changes.

Match staffing to counter and phone demand across opening hours, cover breaks so the centre stays staffed, and balance hours fairly across the team. Use rostering tools to fill gaps when staff are absent and to manage any weekend or extended-hours cover. This keeps service standards high without overloading individual officers.

Break entitlements are set by the applicable award or enterprise agreement and generally include a meal break for shifts beyond a set length. Because the counter must stay staffed, plan breaks around demand and ensure staff record their time accurately. Use time and attendance tools to support compliance.

Collect availability preferences during onboarding and update them regularly. Use HR software and rostering tools to track when each officer can work and any skill or system constraints. Set clear policies about minimum availability and how to request changes, which simplifies coverage of your service centre.