Funeral Arranger

East of England Cooperative; Colchester; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Discounts across family of businesses

23 days holiday (plus BH)

Enhanced family leave and pay

Training and apprenticeship programmes

Retail discounts

Wellbeing support services

Cycle To Work scheme

Employee recognition

Long service awards

Free remote GP service

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

East of England Co‑op Funeral Services is seeking a Funeral Co-ordinator in Colchester to serve clients with empathy and professionalism. You will advise on funeral services, pre-payment plans, and related arrangements, coordinating with directors and third parties to fulfil client wishes.

The role emphasizes strong communication, IT literacy, and attention to detail, with the ability to work independently and across local branches as needed.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Professional and empathetic approach.
• Experience in administration or office work.
• Proficient IT skills and familiarity with common software.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload.
• Strong attention to detail in all tasks.
• Comfortable working alone and making decisions.
• Good knowledge of the local Colchester area.
• Willingness to travel to other branches as needed.
• Candidates will be subject to Identity, Financial and DBS checks.

Responsibilities

• Provide a professional service to clients, advising on funeral services, pre-payment plans, masonry and ancillary services
• Coordinate funeral services by liaising with the Funeral Director and third parties to meet client wishes
• Complete all required administration tasks, including financial and statutory procedures
• Provide information about after-care services, such as bereavement support groups
• Be responsible for the branch's overall standard, service and compliance
• Coordinate and support chapel visits (in-branch or at the local Chapel of Rest)
• Play an active role in the community, building relationships with stakeholders and local causes

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Empathy

Administration experience

IT literacy

Time management

Attention to detail

Lone working

Local area knowledge

Travel flexibility

DBS checks

Job description

Location: The Centre, Greenstead, Colchester, CO4 3PX

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.

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
• 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.