Bereavement Operative

Cheshire East Council; Macclesfield; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

34 days annual leave

Up to 10 extra days annual leave

37-hour week with flexi-time

Hybrid/remote working where possible

Salary sacrifice green car scheme

Salary sacrifice for white goods

Career average pension

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Discounted gym membership

Job summary

Cheshire East Council is seeking a Bereavement Operative to join the Bereavement Services Team. The role is full-time (37 hours) with flexibility, covering cemeteries and crematoria. Duties include grave preparation, equipment operation, cremations, grounds maintenance, and customer care.

The successful candidate will be organised, resilient, and a strong communicator with a customer-focused approach. We offer enhanced annual leave (34 days rising to 39), the option to purchase extra leave, a

Qualifications

• Good levels of literacy and numeracy
• A clean driving licence
• Strong communication and customer service skills

Responsibilities

• Grave Preparation: Excavate, prepare, and reinstate graves safely and accurately, including construction tasks
• Plant & Equipment Operation: Safely operate machinery, vehicles and tools for groundworks and maintenance
• Cremation Duties: Carry out cremations in compliance with legal and safety standards
• Grounds Maintenance: Mow, strim, weed control and site cleanliness
• Customer Care: Support bereaved families and co-ordinate with Funeral Directors
• Teamwork: Communicate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders

Skills

Literacy

Numeracy

Driving Licence

Customer Service

Communication

Job description

An exciting opportunity has become available to work within the Bereavement Services Team as a Bereavement Operative to carry out specialist operational duties across cemeteries and crematoria. The position is full-time (37 hours per week) with flexibility required.

About the role

The role covers a broad range of operational, technical and customer-facing duties, key duties include:

• Grave Preparation:Excavate, prepare, and reinstate graves safely and accurately, including associated construction tasks, with flexibility to work at short notice and outside normal hours.
• Plant & Equipment Operation:Safely operate and maintain specialist machinery, vehicles, and tools for groundworks and maintenance tasks.

• Cremation Duties:Carry out cremations in compliance with all legal and safety standards, maintaining dignity and professionalism at all times.
• Grounds Maintenance:Perform horticultural tasks such as mowing, strimming, weed control, and site cleanliness, following environmental and safety standards.
• Customer Care:Support bereaved families with sensitivity, co-ordinate with Funeral Directors, and assist with funeral services.
• Teamwork:Communicate effectively and deliver high-quality service to colleagues, stakeholders, and the public.

About you

You will be organised, resilient, and a strong communicator with a customer-focussed approach.

The successful candidate will have:

• Good levels of literacy and numeracy
• A knowledge of Health and Safety at Work practices

• A clean driving licence
• The ability to converse at ease with our customers;
• A flexible approach to work;
• A pro-active approach to problem solving

To find out more about the essential and desirable criteria for the role please view the attached job description specification document.

In return we are able to offer:

• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive34 days of annual leave(including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave –Want more time off? You can purchaseup to 10 extra daysof annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a37-hour standard full-time work weekwith the added perks of flexi-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme.There's no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme -Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with ourcareer average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme -Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life's challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership -Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
• Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
• Off-Peak Racket Sports
• Athletics Tracks
• Sauna/Steam/Spa

Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!

Cheshire East is an amazing place to live and work. As one of the largest employers in the borough, we are able to offer you a wide range of challenging and rewarding career opportunities.

We are working for a brighter future - together and our commitment to you is that our workplace culture will provide a shared purpose, a well-led organisation with valued people succeeding together as one team and one council to deliver the best service for our customers and communities.

If you want to be part of our award-winning council and contribute to our ongoing success, have the flexibility and drive to enable us to innovate, are committed to working as part of a team and striving to deliver exceptional service wherever you can, we would especially like to hear from you.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our local communities so that we can all work for a brighter future - together.

For any technical enquiries please email [e-mail]

For an informal chat please contact Christine Heathcote on 07772866995 or email [e-mail].