Dispute Resolution Specialist- Banking & Finance

Job Description

Dispute Resolution Specialist – Banking & Finance 

What’s on offer

BOSS Best Places to Work 2023 – placing at number five in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Category and credited for its culture, engagement and flexible working arrangements.
Culture – At AFCA we live and breathe our Diversion, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy – a place where you can bring your TRUE self!
A permanent, full-time or part time and secure role in a for-purpose organisation committed to helping the community
Work-life balance and flexibility so you can work in a way that best suits you and your family
Hybrid working from home and our conveniently located CBD offices in Melbourne and Sydney, with state-of-the-art technology and facilities designed for flexibility, collaboration, and wellbeing
Progressive, flexible, and inclusive leave entitlements, including 18 weeks paid parental leave, paid gender affirmation leave, extra personal leave, and paid time off over Christmas. Plus, study leave to support your professional development
Competitive remuneration in addition to salary packaging and novated leasing options
Free wellness initiatives to support you to be your best. From yoga and mindfulness classes to annual skin checks and flu vaccinations, we always strive to support our people to be happy and healthy
Free Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family members. Our external partner is a leading provider of wellbeing and mental health support services. We offer unlimited access to professional support including confidential counselling, wellbeing coaching, financial coaching, dietary and nutrition consultations, and introductory legal advice.
Professional development is supported and encouraged, so your career continues to grow as you enhance your technical and leadership skills and capabilities.

Life at AFCA

Our people are at the centre of everything we do. We live and breathe our cultural qualities, which shape how we behave and how we engage with our customers and each other. At AFCA, you will truly feel the difference of working at an organisation which supports people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities to thrive. Our consistently high employee engagement results reflect that AFCA is a truly great place to work and a place where people can contribute, belong, and flourish!

At AFCA, we help people find fair outcomes to problems with their bank, insurer, super fund, or financial firm.

As a financial ombudsman scheme, we are a for-purpose organisation that provides a free service for consumers including individuals and small businesses. We listen to and work with consumers and their financial firms to find solutions to complaints which have gone unheard or unresolved. That’s what AFCA does.

About the opportunity

Joining AFCA means joining an organisation of passionate and intelligent people committed to fairness and driving positive change in the financial sector. We live a people for purpose culture that is human centred, empowers our people, is inclusive and is driven by ideas to continually improve.

You will work in a professional environment and have clarity over the tasks and duties that need to be performed and an excellent induction plan and ongoing support to succeed. You will deliver high-quality services and work efficiently, with confidence and competence.

We have fantastic career opportunities for passionate Dispute Resolution Specialists to help drive financial fairness in our Banking and Finance team.

As a Dispute Resolution Specialist, you will play a central role in how we consider and resolve complaints. You will:

• Review complaints from consumers and small businesses that have not been resolved directly with the financial firm
• Work with customers to gather information and understand the core issues
• Apply a sound understanding of the AFCA complaint resolution criteria including relevant legal principles, applicable industry codes or guidance, good industry practice and previous AFCA decision to resolve financial complaints fairly and efficiently
• Utilise alternative dispute resolution methods to help parties resolves complaints by negotiation
• Investigate complaints that cannot be resolved by negotiation and produce preliminary assessments and draft decisions in Plain English.

Our Banking and Finance teams deal directly with consumers and financial firms to help resolve and investigate complaints involving issues such as:

• Disputed transactions including scams
• Responsible lending
• Credit reporting
• Misleading and unconscionable conduct
• Financial hardship
• Charges including interest and fees
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Disclosure and instructions

AFCA’s Dispute Resolution Specialists play a central role in how we consider and resolve complaints, sometimes with multiple issues. In this role, you will utilise experience in negotiation, conciliation and case work investigation to resolve financial complaints fairly and efficiently applying relevant codes, industry guidelines, legislation, common law and AFCA’s Fairness Jurisdiction.

Working as part of a team, Dispute Resolution Specialists review complaints from consumers and small businesses that have not been able to be resolved directly with the financial firm, and impartially negotiate fair outcomes where possible.

Dispute Resolution Specialists also prepare preliminary assessments and draft decisions on complaints that are not able to be resolved by agreement.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

Demonstrated understanding of complaint handling or alternative dispute resolution processes and a strong resolution mindset
Demonstrated experience in the financial services industry, preferably within Banking & Finance or legal services
Ability to investigate and identify the issues and information we need to form a view
Strong verbal and written communication skills to understand information and communicate the issues and approach in clear and concise manner
Draft written communication in Plain English to a variety of stakeholders
Excellent organizational skills that enable you to work across multiple complaints and activities simultaneously ensuring matters are progressing
Resilience and empathy to have difficult conversations with a focus on resolving complaints for consumers and financial firms in a timely manner
A highly responsive approach to your work
Ability to work autonomously and as part of a close and supporting team
An opportunity to thrive in and help contribute to a culture that values fairness, efficiency, and accessibility.

To apply 

AFCA is a 2023 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we are committed to responding to every applicant. If this role sounds like a great fit, we encourage you to apply by submitting your resume and cover letter.

If you are passionate about how we drive fairness in the financial sector and are looking for an organisation that values the human in all of us, we encourage you to apply – even if you don’t meet every single criterion.

We encourage applications from people of all ages, cultures, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identities. We strive to provide a recruitment experience that’s fair, inclusive and accessible. If you have any specific accessibility requirements, please reach out to the recruiter who is managing this process or email us at [email protected].

We appreciate your patience whilst we work through applications. In the meantime, you can learn more about who we are and the work we do on our website and social media channels.