Funeral Operative

East of England Cooperative; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional cooperative funeral service based in Ipswich is looking for compassionate individuals to join their Funeral Team. You will drive funeral services, support grieving families, and maintain high standards of care. Ideal candidates should possess strong communication and interpersonal skills, be team players, and hold a full UK driving license. The organization offers career progression, competitive pay, and a range of employee benefits, ensuring a supportive working environment for all team members.

Benefits

20% discount in food stores

22 days holiday

5% employer pension contribution

Enhanced family leave

Opportunities for training and progression

Financial wellbeing support

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Great communication and interpersonal skills.
• Professional and empathetic approach.
• Attention to detail is essential.

Responsibilities

• Drive funeral services and support clients and families.
• Prepare the deceased for viewings and ceremonies.
• Maintain cleanliness of facilities and vehicles.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Empathy

Attention to detail

Team player

Local area knowledge

Driving licence

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

• Drive and/or bear on funeral services, supporting our client’s and family’s needs throughout
• To bring the deceased into our care from different locations / in varying circumstances
• Prepare the deceased for viewings and the funeral service
• Oversee chapel visits
• Maintain the cleanliness and high standard of our facilities and ceremonial vehicles
• Other support tasks, including preparing coffins, checking floral tributes and order of service, etc.

You may also be required to participate in an ‘out-of-hours’ on‑call rota. The hiring manager will discuss this further should you be invited to attend an interview.

The person we are looking for

• Great communication and interpersonal skills
• Professional and empathetic approach
• A ‘team player’
• Attention to detail
• Professional standard of conduct and appearance
• Good knowledge of the local area
• A full UK manual driving licence

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.