Cemetery Maintenance Operative

Beighton; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Sheffield City Council is seeking a Cemetery Maintenance Operative on an 18-month fixed contract to support the Bereavement Services team. You will travel to numerous cemetery sites, carry out grass cutting, hedge cutting, planting and other grounds upkeep, ensuring spaces are safe, tidy and welcoming for visitors.

The role is outdoor year-round, involves driving council vehicles, and requires a full UK driving licence.

Qualifications

• Flexible, motivated and committed to delivering excellent customer service.
• Able to complete grounds maintenance activities for up to 9 hours per day.
• Willing to work from different cemeteries across the city, driving council vehicles.
• Full UK driving licence is essential.

Responsibilities

• Travel to a variety of cemetery sites as required.
• Carry out grass cutting, strimming, hedge cutting, planting and general grounds upkeep.
• Work outdoors in all weather and seasons.
• Help maintain 16 city-wide cemetery sites over ~300 acres.
• Liaise courteously with the public, funeral directors and colleagues.
• Empty bins and manage fly tipping.
• Help keep cemetery grounds safe, tidy, respectful and welcoming.

Skills

Flexible

Motivated

Customer service

Driving licence

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Cemetery Maintenance Operative to join our Bereavement Services team on an 18-month fixed contract.

The service manages and maintains 16 city-wide cemeteries covering approximately 300 acres. As a Grounds Maintenance Operative, you will work outdoors in all seasons, helping to keep these important public spaces safe, tidy and welcoming for visitors.

You will be expected to work safely, follow instructions and risk assessments, and uphold Sheffield City Council's values by being open and honest, working together to get things done, and keeping people at the heart of everything we do.

Key responsibilities:

• Travel to a variety of cemetery sites as required.
• Carry out grass cutting, strimming, hedge cutting, planting and general grounds upkeep.
• Work outdoors throughout the year and in varying weather conditions.
• Help maintain 16 city-wide cemetery sites covering approximately 300 acres across the city.
• Liaise courteously and sensitively with members of the public, funeral directors and colleagues.
• Emptying of bins and dealing with fly tipping
• Help keep cemetery grounds safe, tidy, respectful and welcoming.

About You

The successful candidate will be:

• Flexible, motivated and committed to delivering excellent customer service.
• Able to complete grounds maintenance activities for up to 9 hour per day
• Willing to work from different cemeteries throughout the city, whilst driving council vehicles
• A full UK driving licence is essential for this post.

Further Information

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyoneand where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.