Area Funeral Arranger

Southern Co-op; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20% colleague discount in our retail

Health and dental cash plans

24/7 virtual GP and fitness discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Life insurance and NEST pension

Financial wellbeing tools

Cycle-to-work and EV schemes

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Southern Co-op is seeking an Area Funeral Arranger to support families with care and compassion across multiple funeral homes in a defined area in Portsmouth. You will listen, guide choices and help create personal funeral experiences.

No prior funeral experience is required; full training and support are provided to build a rewarding career in funeral services. Travel across the area and a full UK driving licence are essential.

Qualifications

• Genuine empathy, compassion and understanding.
• Excellent communication skills for sensitive conversations.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support families to arrange meaningful funerals, guiding choices.
• Care for the deceased with dignity and respect, daily checks.
• Assist families in Reflection Rooms, making moments personal.
• Help families choose memorials and aftercare options.
• Complete funeral, memorial and client administration accurately.
• Manage day-to-day running of the funeral home, health and safety checks.
• Work across different funeral homes while maintaining consistent client care.
• Pick up arrangements at various stages of the client journey.
• Build rapport with families, including handovers from colleagues.
• Collaborate with colleagues and suppliers to finalise funeral details.
• Complete FCA-regulated training for pre-paid funeral plans.
• Represent Funeralcare at local events and in the community.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Organisational skills

Administrative skills

IT skills (MS Office)

Resilience

Adaptability

Building rapport

Independent working

Travel flexibility

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Be there when it matters most.

Could you support someone through one of the most difficult moments of their life?

As an Area Funeral Arranger, you’ll support families with care, compassion and reassurance when they need it most. You’ll listen, guide them through their choices and help create a funeral that feels personal and right for their loved one.

You’ll provide flexible cover across multiple funeral homes within a defined geographical area. You’ll need to quickly understand what’s already been agreed and provide a consistent, caring service for every family.

No previous funeral experience is needed. What matters is your ability to listen, communicate sensitively, stay organised and genuinely care about people. We’ll provide full training and support to help you build a rewarding career in funeral services.

What you’ll do

Every family is different. Every funeral is personal. And every day in this role brings an opportunity to make a difference.

From the first conversation through to the funeral and beyond, you’ll build trusted relationships with families and make sure they receive a caring, professional and personal service.

You’ll:

• Support families to arrange meaningful funerals, listening carefully to their wishes and guiding them through the choices available
• Care for the deceased entrusted to us, ensuring they are always treated with dignity and respect, including completing daily checks
• Support families visiting our Reflection Rooms, helping to make these important moments as comfortable and personal as possible
• Help families choose memorials and other ways to remember their loved one, as well as providing ongoing aftercare
• Complete funeral, memorial and client administration accurately and with attention to detail
• Take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the funeral home you are supporting, including opening and closing, health and safety checks and maintaining high standards
• Work across different funeral homes, adapting quickly to different teams, locations and ways of working while maintaining a consistent standard of client care
• Pick up funeral arrangements at different stages of the client journey, quickly familiarising yourself with what has already been discussed and agreed with the family
• Build rapport and trust with families, including when you are taking over an arrangement from another colleague
• Work closely with colleagues, internal teams and external suppliers to make sure every detail of a funeral comes together
• Complete FCA-regulated training, enabling you to discuss and arrange pre-paid funeral plans
• Build relationships within your local community and represent Funeralcare at local events and activities

What we’re looking for

Above all, we’re looking for someone who wants to make a genuine difference to families experiencing the loss of someone they love.

You’ll understand that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to saying goodbye. You’ll take the time to understand each family, treating their individual wishes, beliefs and circumstances with care and respect.

The core skills and qualities needed for this role are the same as those needed in our branch-based Funeral Arranger roles. However, as an Area Funeral Arranger, you’ll need to be particularly comfortable with change and working across different locations.

You’ll also bring:

• Genuine empathy, compassion and understanding
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to have sensitive conversations
• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail
• Good administrative skills
• Confidence using IT, including Microsoft Office
• Resilience and the ability to remain calm and professional during emotionally challenging situations
• Adaptability and the confidence to move between different funeral homes, teams and locations and to understand what is happening and pick up arrangements that may already be underway
• The confidence to build rapport and trust with families, even when you are not the colleague who initially supported them
• A consistent and professional approach to client care, regardless of the funeral home you are working from
• The ability to work independently and confidently in different funeral homes
• Flexibility to manage the travel and changing requirements that come with working across an area
• A willingness to learn and develop within the funeral profession

Travel to other funeral homes will be required as part of your role and training.

A full UK driving licence is essential.

What you’ll get

We want our colleagues to feel supported too.

• 20% colleague discount in our retail stores
• Health and dental cash plans
• 24/7 virtual GP and fitness discounts through Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life insurance and NEST pension
• Financial wellbeing tools
• Cycle-to-work and Electric Vehicle schemes
• Training and development opportunities to help you build your career

Recruitment Process

• Apply – submit your application online.
• Let's talk – if shortlisted, we’ll contact you to arrange a telephone interview.
• Meet the team – if successful, we’ll invite you to an on-site interview, with a tour of the funeral home and review your Eligibility to Work in the UK documentation.
• Next steps – we’ll provide feedback and let you know what happens next.

Successful candidates will be required to complete a DBS check as part of our compliance requirements.

Any offer of employment will also be subject to meeting our pre-employment vetting requirements, in line with the regulatory framework set out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This includes satisfactory reference checks. Further information will be provided during the recruitment process.

About us

We’re an independent Co-op, operating across the south of England running convenience food stores, funeral homes, crematoria, natural/woodland burial grounds and a Starbucks coffee franchise. We’re owned by our 300,000+ members, have over 4,000 colleagues and a purpose of working together for the benefit of our communities. We have a commitment to sustainable business and a promise to provide a fair, fresh approach, for all.

Become part of the family who are proud to serve local communities and put people first.