Funeral Arranger

East of England Cooperative; Colchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional cooperative in Colchester is seeking Funeral Co-ordinators to provide professional service to clients, coordinating funeral arrangements and supporting community engagement. Ideal candidates should possess strong communication skills and a compassionate approach. Opportunities include career progression and various employee perks.

Benefits

Competitive rates of pay

20% discount in food stores

22 days holiday plus bank holidays

5% employer pension contribution

Death in service benefit

Enhanced family leave arrangements

Award-winning training and apprenticeship programmes

Access to financial wellbeing support

Free remote GP service

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Great communication and interpersonal skills.
• Professional and empathetic approach.
• Previous administration experience.
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload.
• Comfortable with lone-working.

Responsibilities

• Provide a professional service to clients, advising on funeral services.
• Liaise with Funeral Director and third parties for funeral services.
• Complete all required administration tasks.
• Provide information about after-care services.
• Responsible for the overall standard and compliance of the branch.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

IT literacy

Job description

Find out what it’s like to be part of our Funeral Team

Hear about our roles from our team, they will talk you through what it’s like to work for the East of England Co-op Funeral Services.

Come and join our team!

We have provided Funeral Services to clients and families across the East of England for over 90 years. We know that our Funeral Co‑ordinators are the ‘heartbeat’ of this service as the main point of contact for our clients, families, and local communities.

You will also need to demonstrate the same professionalism when advising on other services, such as pre‑payment plans and masonry.

We will fully support you in engaging with local projects and supporting important causes, helping you to establish the East of England Co‑op Funeral Services and you, as an individual, in the community; our colleagues regularly tell us how rewarding this is!

Whilst previous experience of funerals would be desirable, this isn’t essential; we’re more interested in hearing from individuals who can demonstrate that they have the personality, empathy and people skills suited to this environment. We are truly local, so whatever experience you bring to this role, you can be reassured that you will be fully supported by nearby branches and Head Office colleagues, as well as your line manager.

Want to know more? Take a look at our job description attached to the bottom of this webpage.

Our working patterns are non‑contractual. Any advertised working pattern represents the normal working pattern for the role at time of advertisement and may be subject to change.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide a professional service to clients, advising on funeral services, pre‑payment plans, masonry and ancillary services
• When co‑ordinating a funeral service, liaise with the Funeral Director, as well as third parties (e.g. Crematorium, Minister) to ensure that this is carried out in accordance with the client’s wishes and instructions
• Efficiently complete all required administration tasks (including those required as part of financial and statutory procedures)
• Provide information about after‑care services, such as our bereavement support groups
• To be responsible for the overall standard, service and compliance of the branch
• Co‑ordinate and support chapel visits (either in‑branch or at the local Chapel of Rest)
• Play an active role in the community, developing relationships with key stakeholders and engaging with local causes, projects and initiatives.

The person we are looking for

• Great communication and interpersonal skills
• Professional and empathetic approach
• Previous administration experience
• IT literacy
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload
• Attention to detail (in work, as well as own conduct and presentation)
• Comfortable with lone‑working
• Good knowledge of the branch’s local area
• Flexible to travel to other locations (as required)
• Please be aware all successful candidates will be subject to Identity, Financial and DBS Checks.

Perks of the job

At the East of England Co‑op, we strive to be the best place to work. We invest in our colleagues to help them to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential. How do we do this?

• Competitive rates of pay
• 20% discount in our food stores, along with other discounts across our family of businesses
• 22 days holiday (plus bank holiday entitlement) which increases with service
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Death in service benefit
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements*
• Opportunities to grow, with award‑winning training and apprenticeship programmes
• Great discounts, deals, and cashback across over 900 high street and online retailers
• Financial wellbeing support, including Stream®
• Access to Cycle To Work, Rental Deposit Scheme, and SmartTech (after a qualifying period)
• Employee Recognition Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Free remote GP service, available 24/7, including prescription, fitness, nutrition, and counselling services
• Employee Assistance Programme

We recognise the challenges people face trying to balance commitments both in and out of the workplace - perhaps studying, caring commitments, or other employment. We therefore aim to be as flexible as possible, to create shift patterns that work for both our co‑op and our colleagues.

* Enhanced on statutory terms, subject to service criteria.