Business Leader

Dignity Funerals Limited; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Dignity Funerals Limited is seeking a Business Leader to oversee operations across its Preston Ireland Bowker Funeral Directors branches. This role combines business acumen with empathy, focusing on delivering exceptional service and community engagement while leading high-performing teams to ensure operational excellence.

Benefits

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Company pension and life assurance

BUPA private healthcare (Self)

Car allowance (if applicable)

Annual company bonus

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading high-performing teams.
• Strong commercial, financial, and operational acumen.
• Empathetic and service-oriented with excellent client outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations across multiple branches.
• Drive revenue growth and client engagement.
• Develop marketing plans to increase brand presence.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial acumen

Financial management

Team development

Marketing knowledge

Client satisfaction focus

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Job description

Position: Business Leader
Location: Preston Ireland Bowker Funeral Directors Brand - Lancaster
Job Type: Full-Time, 38.33 Hours per week
Salary: £39,000 per annum

Are you a commercially minded and people-focused leader looking to make a real difference? We're looking for a dynamic and driven Business Leader to oversee the operations and performance of our funeral branches within the Preston Ireland Bowker Funeral Directors brand.

As a key figure within our team, you'll be responsible for delivering outstanding care to families, developing high-performing teams, and driving revenue growth - all while upholding the exceptional standards that define our reputation.

Why This Role Matters
At Dignity, we believe every farewell deserves compassion, professionalism, and care. As a Business Leader, you'll ensure that each branch within your brand not only meets these standards but also thrives commercially, operationally, and within the community it serves.

The Role
This is a rewarding and multifaceted leadership position that combines business acumen with empathy and service. You'll take ownership of operations, people, client satisfaction, and local marketing initiatives - helping your brand succeed as a trusted presence in the community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage day-to-day operations across multiple branches
• Drive revenue growth through effective service offerings and client engagement
• Deliver excellent service and respectful care for clients and the deceased
• Uphold all industry, regulatory, and company standards
• Develop and execute marketing plans to grow brand presence locally
• Foster relationships within the local community through outreach and events
• Manage financial performance and cost control to ensure long-term sustainability
• Recruit, train, coach, and support your team to deliver consistently high performance
• Ensure compliance with FCA standards for all funeral planning activity

About You
We're looking for someone who:

• Has proven experience in leading high-performing teams
• Brings strong commercial, financial, and operational acumen
• Is empathetic, service-oriented, and committed to excellent client outcomes
• Has knowledge of marketing principles, including digital and community engagement
• Enjoys analysing data and making insight-driven decisions
• Is confident working independently and thrives on delivering results
• Has excellent communication, planning, and problem-solving skills
• Is digitally savvy and comfortable using Microsoft Office and scheduling tools

Desirable experience:

• Background in multi-site or regional management
• Understanding of funeral or service-based industries
• Competence with financial and performance reporting tools

What We Offer

• A meaningful leadership role with real community impact
• Full training and support from regional and central teams
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Company pension, life assurance, and employee assistance programme
• BUPA private healthcare (Self)
• Car allowance (if applicable)
• Annual company bonus

What are the next steps?
If this sounds like the right role for you and you're ready to bring care and professionalism to an essential service, simply click the 'apply' button. A member of our Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps.

About Us
At Dignity, we're here for families when it matters most. With compassion, professionalism, and integrity at the heart of everything we do, we take pride in supporting people through one of life's most difficult moments. Every member of our team plays a vital role in delivering exceptional service and care to those who need us.

With over 500 funeral homes across the UK, Dignity Funerals is a trusted presence in local communities, operating under respected and well-known local names. We're proud to offer a truly personal and attentive service - one that's tailored to the individual needs and wishes of every family we support.

We're also part of the wider Dignity Group, a growing organisation with the unique ability to support every aspect of end-of-life planning and care. This includes:

• Our Crematoria and Memorials Group, managing 45 crematoria nationwide
• Dignity Funeral Plans, giving people peace of mind by allowing them to plan ahead
• The recently acquired Farewill, a leading provider of online wills and probate services

Together, our goal is simple: to provide families with continuity, care, and clarity - from planning and preparation through to the funeral itself, and beyond.

FCA Statement
Please note that this role is subject to meeting regulatory requirements. As an FCA-regulated organisation, we are committed to adopting the highest standards and we do this by employing individuals with the appropriate skills, experience and integrity to protect both the company and our clients. If you are considered for a role, you will be providing your permission for us to conduct the relevant checks and assessments that will be carried out during the recruitment and onboarding process. The nature of the checks will depend on whether the role is subject to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Our Vision is to connect with our clients, colleagues, company and communities based on our principles whilst celebrating our differences.
We aim to empower leaders and colleagues to seek out and understand new voices and perspectives; to be vocal about inequity and exclusion, and to take decisive, informed and bold action to promote inclusion and belonging.

Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate and no fees will be payable.
We reserve the right depending on application numbers to close or extend the closing dates for positions; we would therefore recommend an early application.

In Short

• Industry Business & Management
• Founded 1994
• Location UK
• Company size 200 - 499

OUR PURPOSE

Our customers are at the heart of what we do. We are here to help them at one of the most difficult times in their lives and we are honored to serve the communities we are part of.

Listening to our customers and understanding their changing attitudes and lifestyles must drive what we do as a business.

Our brands, products, services and technology must reflect those changes and are the reason why we now offer enhanced choice and value-for-money. The high-quality of our offering, competitively priced, is how we will differentiate ourselves from the competition, both nationally and locally.

Every day we want to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. We aim to do this by delivering excellent client service through the continued dedication of our people and by serving our customers with expertise, compassion and commitment.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Our clients rely on us to provide the highest possible standard of care and we strive to maintain and improve client satisfaction across our business. All Dignity funeral homes send a written survey to the families we serve, and the results continue to demonstrate this commitment.

OUR CLIENT SURVEY

· 99.9% thought our staff were respectful

· 99.8% thought our premises were clean and tidy

· 99.7% said our vehicles were clean and comfortable

· 99.6% agreed that our staff listened to their needs and wishes

· 99.2% of clients agreed that our staff had fully explained what would happen before and during the funeral

· 99.1% said that the funeral took place on time

· 99.1% agreed that our staff were compassionate and caring

· 98.9% said that we met or exceeded their expectations

· 97.7% of respondents said that they would recommend us

Dignity Prepaid Funeral Plans are designed to give our customers reassurance and peace of mind, knowing their funeral has been planned and paid for in advance. They are also designed to protect loved ones from the additional stress of arranging and paying for a funeral, when the time comes.

Dignity Funeral Plans recently won the Feefo Gold Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, as rated by real customers.

We met the criteria of collecting at least 50 reviews between January 1st 2017 and December 31st 2017, with a Feefo service rating of between 4.5 and 5.0.

IN THE COMMUNITY

BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

In 2018, Dignity raised £218,000 for its corporate charity, the British Heart Foundation, and has raised £448,000 since January 2017.

Fundraising initiatives include sponsored walks, marathons and skydives; selling lapel badges; football events, raffles, carol services and numerous cake sales and coffee mornings. Dignity also gave clients the option to make a charitable donation when adding a message of remembrance to our Memorial Christmas Trees.

CPR TRAINING

Every year 30,000 people in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but the survival rate is less than one in ten. British Heart Foundation is on a mission to change that and want to increase the number of people that know how to save a life.

During our partnership there will opportunities for Dignity staff to learn Call Push Rescue (CPR) techniques that may help save a life.

DIGNITY SPONSORED DEFIBRILLATORS

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation and it is an essential life saving step in the chain of survival.

There are already many defibrillators available in public places such as train stations, shopping centres, airports and leisure centres. These defibrillators are often known as public access defibrillators (PAD) as anyone can use them in an emergency.

Our partnership with British Heart Foundation enables us to purchase defibrillators to be located at crematoria for use in an emergency.

We are also looking to acquire defibrillators to be located on the exterior of funeral homes in areas where there is a high footfall and towns without existing defibrillators.

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS AND ACCREDITATIONS

Dignity is proud to be affiliated with some of the most credible and trusted professional bodies in the industry and our accreditations demonstrate that we set the highest possible standards for funeral services.

We strive to set the bar for industry standards and provide a truly high quality, premium service that clients feel they can trust and rely upon. This is why working closely with these organisations means we can continue to uphold the very best industry practices.

These affiliations give our clients the insurance and security that our services are safe and secure. We aim to be open and transparent about our prices and services, and it is with the help of these professional bodies and accreditations that we can show people we really are what we claim to be.

These affiliations include National Association of Funeral Directors, Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, Funeral Planning Authority, National Funeral Trust and many more.