Funeral Service Operative

Dignity PLC; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading funeral service provider in the UK seeks a Funeral Service Operative to support families throughout the funeral process. Key duties include assisting in ceremonial activities and handling the deceased with care. Candidates should possess empathy and a valid UK Driving Licence. This full-time role offers training, a competitive salary, and benefits including annual leave and a company pension.

Benefits

30 – 33 days annual leave

Company pension and life assurance

Employee assistance programme for wellbeing support

Annual company bonus

Qualifications

• Demonstrates empathy, professionalism, and composure under pressure.
• Is physically capable of manual handling tasks, including lifting and carrying.
• Takes pride in presenting themselves in a professional and dignified manner.

Responsibilities

• Drive and operate specialist vehicles including hearses and limousines.
• Prepare the deceased in accordance with family, religious, or cultural wishes.
• Assist with ceremonial duties and support families in a respectful manner.

Skills

Empathy

Reliability

Composure under pressure

Manual handling

Education

Full UK Driving Licence

Job description

Position: Funeral Service Operative Location: Erdington - Birmingham, E F Edwards Funeral Directors Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent - working a rotational shift pattern: 6am - 2pm, 8am - 4pm & 2pm - 10pm. Salary: £25,652 per annum + 15% Shift Allowance

Why This Role Matters

At Dignity, we believe that every farewell should be handled with compassion, dignity, and care. Your role will ensure that families feel supported, respected, and reassured every step of the way.

The Role

You’ll support every stage of the funeral process — from preparing vehicles and venues to assisting with ceremonial duties and family interactions. This is a physically active, hands‑on role that requires empathy, reliability, and a calm, respectful presence. As a representative of both your local branch and the wider Dignity Group, you’ll help maintain our trusted presence in the community.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive and operate specialist vehicles (including hearses and limousines)
• Set up venues and carry out ceremonial duties, including coffin bearing
• Maintain funeral vehicles and equipment to high standards
• Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota (including nights/weekends) to support families
• Bring the deceased into our care from the place of death — including private homes, hospitals, hospices, or public spaces — under varying circumstances
• Prepare the deceased (washing, dressing, presentation) in accordance with family, religious, or cultural wishes
• Support with chapel visits and interactions with families in a calm and respectful manner
• Carry out all duties involving the deceased with the utmost care and professionalism

About You

• Demonstrates empathy, professionalism, and composure under pressure
• Has a respectful, caring approach when supporting both colleagues and families
• Is physically capable of manual handling tasks, including lifting and carrying
• Is comfortable working in direct contact with the deceased in a variety of conditions
• Is reliable, flexible, and able to work outside standard hours when needed
• Takes pride in presenting themselves in a professional and dignified manner
• Holds a Full UK Driving Licence (essential)

No previous funeral experience is necessary — full training, uniform, and support will be provided.

What We Offer

• A fulfilling and meaningful role supporting families in your community
• Full training and personal development opportunities
• 30 – 33 days annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
• Uniform and all necessary equipment provided
• Company pension and life assurance
• Access to an employee assistance programme for wellbeing support
• Annual company bonus

We wouldn’t be able to provide this essential service without the dedication of our people. If you’d like to join a compassionate team committed to delivering the highest standards of care — we’d love to hear from you.

What are the next steps?

To join us in this role, simply hit the 'apply' button to submit your application and a member of our Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch!

About Us

We are Dignity, one of the UK’s oldest and most trusted funeral providers, with over 200 years of history, 570 branches, and 46 crematoria. From launching the UK’s first funeral plan to helping shape modern regulation, we have led the way in supporting families with care, compassion, and professionalism.

Now we are building the UK’s leading end of life company. As part of the Dignity Group, we also operate Farewill, the country’s largest will writer and one of the UK’s top probate providers, giving families support not just at the funeral, but before and after as well.

Today we are over 4,000 people across the UK, all driven by the same goal: to care for families with compassion and make the UK a world leader in end of life care. Here to help, whenever you need.

FCA Statement

We’re regulated by the FCA, so some roles may be subject to background checks.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We know that diverse teams make better decisions, build better products, and create a better place to work. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your life looks like, we’d love to hear from you. And if there’s anything you need to make the process more accessible, please let us know.

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.