Mortuary & Bereavement Services Manager

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in London seeks a Mortuary & Bereavement Manager to oversee mortuary services across multiple sites. This role involves managing compliance with regulations, leading service redesign, and handling budgets, as well as overseeing performance metrics and KPIs. The ideal candidate has a relevant Masters degree and significant experience in operational management, with excellent project management and interpersonal skills. Competitive salary and benefits offered.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in managing successful projects and operational performance.
• Supervision and training of healthcare professionals.
• Operational experience in managing complex services with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage mortuary and bereavement services across Trust sites.
• Oversee performance, KPIs, audits, and readiness for inspections.
• Manage budgets, financial planning, and cost improvement initiatives.

Skills

Practical knowledge of current mortuary & bereavement practices and legislation

Highly effective people and project management skills

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

IT literate with competency in Excel

Ability to find innovative solutions to problems

Education

Relevant Masters or equivalent professional qualification

RSPH Certificate & Diploma of Anatomical Pathology Technology

Job description

Job Summary

The Mortuary & Bereavement (M&B) Manager is accountable to the General Manager and leads mortuary and bereavement services across Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The role ensures quality standards, regulatory compliance, and effective delivery of services in line with national targets.

Responsibilities

The M&B Manager leads and manages mortuary and bereavement services across all Trust sites, oversees performance, KPIs, audits, and readiness for inspections (HTA, CQC). The role works with clinical and operational teams to support service delivery, facilities, and patient pathways. The manager provides professional and technical leadership, manages workforce planning, recruitment, and performance. The manager handles complaints, risk management, incidents, and governance processes, manages budgets, financial planning, and cost improvement initiatives. The role leads service redesign, change projects, modernisation work in line with Trust strategy, and liaises with internal teams and external agencies on all aspects of care of the deceased.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Qualifications

• Relevant Masters, equivalent professional qualification or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development.
• RSPH Certificate & Diploma of Anatomical Pathology Technology, or RSPH Level 3 and 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology).
• Completed e-learning MEO core training modules (desirable).
• Prince 2 qualification or equivalent experience (desirable).
• Understanding of lean methodology (desirable).

Previous Experience

• Supervision, training and teaching of Healthcare professionals.
• Evidence of managing successful projects and operational performance.
• Operational experience in managing complex services including design, development, implementation and management of change in multiple stakeholder environments.
• Experience of managing complex budgets from a range of income sources and demonstrable evidence of individual, team, financial, process and change management.
• Extensive experience working as an Anatomical Pathology Technologist.
• Knowledge and understanding of the changing NHS environment, strategy, and policy agendas (desirable).
• Experience of working within the Medical Examiner framework (desirable).

Skills

• Practical knowledge of current mortuary & bereavement practices and legislation.
• Knowledge of Human Tissue Act.
• Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system.
• Highly effective people and project management skills.
• Use advanced analytical and judgement skills including understanding and application of complex statistical and numerical data.
• Work flexibly, prioritise workloads and resource them in response to changing demands and requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (written, oral, presentation, facilitation), networking and negotiation skills with a track record in consistently delivering performance targets and writing complex business cases, policies and change.
• Excellent management skills including motivating and coaching staff.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and delegate effectively.
• Ability to find innovative ways of solving or pre‑empting problems.
• IT literate, including competency in MS Office programmes and in particular in Excel.
• Extensive knowledge of contract management (desirable).
• Excellent understanding and track record of successful change and project management (desirable).
• Extensive knowledge of operations and / or project management methodologies and techniques (desirable).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check to confirm no previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer Details

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
St Thomas' Hospital
Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7EH