Head of Service & Registration and Bereavement

Borough of Brent; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

A London borough council is seeking a senior leader to head its Registration & Bereavement Services. This role involves providing strategic leadership, managing a significant service portfolio, and ensuring compliance with statutory obligations. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in high-profile public services and demonstrate strong commercial acumen. Benefits include up to 33 days annual leave, flexible working options, and excellent pension contributions. Ideal for a compassionate leader committed to community service.

Benefits

Up to 33 days annual leave

Excellent pension with generous employer contributions

Flexible working options

Health and wellbeing support

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Track record of leading complex, sensitive, and politically high-profile services.
• Experience in driving transformation and service improvement.
• Ability to manage a multi-million-pound portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services.
• Manage statutory functions as Superintendent Registrar.
• Oversee the Shared Mortuary Service and drive transformation initiatives.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Empathy

Leadership

Stakeholder influence

Education

Deep professional knowledge of registration and bereavement functions

Job description

Salary range: £90,865 - £111,270 p.a. inc. London weighting, plus fantastic benefits!
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Civic centre and other locations from time to time

Leading high-profile statutory services at life’s most pivotal moments

About Brent

Brent is one of London’s most diverse, dynamic boroughs. Our ambition is to be a national centre of excellence in Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services — combining impeccable statutory compliance with outstanding customer experience.

The Role

This is leadership where purpose, complexity and public impact meet.

Brent Council is seeking an exceptional senior leader to head one of its most sensitive, high-profile and strategically significant service portfolios.

As Head of Service - Registration & Bereavement Services, you will provide strategic leadership across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services, including cemeteries, while holding the statutory role of Superintendent Registrar.

You will operate at the intersection of public service, regulation, community trust and commercial acumen, shaping services that touch residents at the most important moments of their lives.

This is a role for a leader who can set national standards, lead with empathy, manage political scrutiny, and grow sustainable income.

The Opportunity

• Build a Centre of Excellence with national credibility. You will lead services that are subject to government oversight, media interest and political scrutiny — with the opportunity to position Brent as a national leader in registration, nationality and bereavement services.
• Lead scale, complexity and transformation. You will oversee a c. £7m portfolio, a workforce of 49 staff, and services operating seven days a week, balancing statutory compliance, service resilience, customer experience and financial sustainability.
• Shape income growth — responsibly and sensitively. This is a key income-generating portfolio. You will be expected to develop new business areas, maximise existing income streams, and deliver stretch targets — while maintaining dignity, trust and community confidence.
• Be trusted at the highest levels. You will work closely with government departments, coroners, regulators, elected Members, MPs, partner authorities and community leaders, representing Brent with authority and credibility.
• Champion compassionate, high-quality customer service. You will ensure pivotal life events are handled with empathy, care and dignity, setting service standards that reflect the importance of these moments for Brent residents.

What you’ll lead

• Provide strategic vision and set service standards across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services.
• Lead statutory functions as Superintendent Registrar and Designated Individual under the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), acting as Proper Officer for the Registration Service.
• Oversee the Shared Mortuary Service, ensuring seamless reception, storage, viewing and release of the deceased, with robust identification safeguards throughout.
• Lead Brent’s emergency planning for mass fatalities, serving as Resilience Mortuary Manager within the London Resilience framework.
• Drive transformation, digital improvement and customer‑centred service models, embedding environmental sustainability in support of Brent’s 2030 carbon‑neutral ambition.
• Manage budgets, workforce planning and performance, delivering efficiencies and income growth while safeguarding vulnerable residents.
• Build trusted relationships with elected Members, MPs, government departments, partner councils, charities and community groups, acting as an ambassador for Brent.

Your impact at a glance

• Multi million portfolio: overall budget responsibility c. £7m, balancing pay, non pay and income lines across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Cemeteries.
• A sizeable, skilled workforce: leadership of 49 staff across services, ensuring resilience, wellbeing and high performance.
• Life event delivery at volume: 3,800 plus birth registrations; 2,600 registered deaths; 600 plus burials annually; 2,300 plus British citizenship certificates and 2,500 plus ceremonies; c.2,600 annual body movements through the Shared Mortuary Service covering 1 million residents.

About you

You are a senior leader with a proven track record of leading complex, sensitive and politically high‑profile registration and bereavement services. You bring deep professional knowledge of registration, nationality, mortuary and bereavement functions, combining strong commercial acumen with empathy and rigorous governance.

You influence confidently at all levels, inspire high performance, and are driven to deliver excellent resident experiences at scale, recognising that births, deaths, marriages and citizenship represent some of the most significant and impactful life events Brent residents will experience.

Join us and lead services that matter, delivering impact where it counts most!

Ready to Apply

To apply, please include your CV and a supporting statement clearly demonstrating how you meet the six assessment areas below:

• Strategic leadership in high‑profile, sensitive services
• Commercial acumen and income generation
• Statutory and regulatory expertise (registration, nationality, mortuary and bereavement services)
• Transformation and service improvement
• Senior‑level stakeholder influence
• Empathy‑led, customer‑focused leadership

Closing date & interview details

Closing date: 1 February 2026 at 23:59
Interview date & location: 9th February 2026 at Brent Civic Centre

Informal discussion contact

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tracie McGrath.

Why join us?

In addition to a competitive package, you’ll join a collaborative leadership community, with the scope to shape a nationally significant service and the freedom to innovate responsibly for residents.

Benefits package

We know people achieve their best when they feed valued. At Brent, you’ll benefit from:

• Up to 33 days annual leave (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays
• Excellent pension with generous employer contributions (LGPS)
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family‑friendly policies for parent, guardians, and carers
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial support such as education sessions, childcare deposit loans, and season ticket loans
• Travel perks including Zipcar access, affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme, and great onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure, and entertainment

Additional Information

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

We positively encourage all applicants to self‑identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section in the application.

We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances.

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

As a disability confident employer, Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including “non‑visible” disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us.