Receptionist

Confidential; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Peasgood & Skeates in Cambridge is seeking an experienced Receptionist to join our flagship Cambridge office. You will be the first point of contact for bereaved families, delivering a warm, welcoming and compassionate experience.

This role blends front-of-house duties with administrative tasks—managing appointments, handling enquiries, supporting Funeral Directors, liaising with external contacts, and maintaining accurate paperwork.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a front-of-house or receptionist role (mandatory).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Warm, professional and empathetic telephone manner.
• High emotional intelligence for distressed or grieving individuals.
• Strong organisational/administrative skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to stay calm while managing multiple priorities.
• Discretion, integrity and professionalism.
• Smart and professional appearance and manner.
• Flexible, helpful approach and commitment to service.

Responsibilities

• Welcoming bereaved families, visitors and the public with warmth and discretion.
• Handling telephone enquiries sensitively, including calls after a death.
• Managing appointments, viewings and chapel of rest arrangements.
• Coordinating diaries and information between families, Funeral Directors and third parties.
• Liaising with clergy, celebrants, crematoria, cemeteries, doctors, coroners, florists and other suppliers.
• Preparing and maintaining funeral paperwork and records.
• Handling payments, invoices and account queries.
• Managing incoming/outgoing post, email and general correspondence.
• Ensuring reception, meeting rooms and public areas are maintained to a high standard.
• Providing wider administrative support as required.
• Handling highly sensitive information with confidentiality and GDPR.
• Supporting local community activities and fundraising.

Skills

Front-of-house

Communication

Empathetic telephone manner

Emotional intelligence

Organisational skills

IT skills

Discretion

Professional appearance

Flexible mindset

Funeral industry experience

Local area knowledge

Driving licence

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Receptionist

Location: Cambridge, CB5 8 PA
Salary: Competitive, DOE
Contract: Full-time, Permanent- Monday to Friday (with participation in the weekend rota required)

About Peasgood & Skeates

Peasgood & Skeates is a long-established, family-owned independent funeral directors with a proud history of serving families and communities across Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and the surrounding areas.

We understand that losing someone you care about is one of the most difficult experiences in life. Our role is to provide families with care, compassion and professionalism at every stage, and our people are at the heart of delivering that service.

We are now looking for an experienced Receptionist to join our flagship Cambridge office.

About the Role

As our Receptionist, you will be the first person a bereaved family meets and will play a vital role in creating a warm, welcoming and supportive experience.

This is much more than a traditional reception role. You'll combine front-of-house responsibilities with a varied administrative workload, coordinating appointments, handling enquiries, supporting Funeral Directors and liaising with a range of external contacts.

You’ll need genuine warmth and emotional intelligence, alongside the ability to remain calm, organised and professional when dealing with sensitive situations and competing priorities.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Welcoming bereaved families, visitors and members of the public with warmth, dignity and discretion.
• Handling telephone enquiries sensitively, including initial calls following a death.
• Managing appointments, viewings and chapel of rest arrangements.
• Coordinating diaries and information between families, Funeral Directors and third parties.
• Liaising with clergy, celebrants, crematoria, cemeteries, doctors, coroners, florists and other suppliers.
• Preparing, completing and maintaining funeral paperwork and records accurately.
• Handling payments, invoices and account queries.
• Managing incoming and outgoing post, email and general correspondence.
• Ensuring reception, meeting rooms and public areas are maintained to an excellent standard.
• Providing wider administrative and branch support as required.
• Handling highly sensitive information with absolute confidentiality and in line with GDPR and company procedures.
• Supporting local community activities, events and fundraising where required.

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

• Proven experience in a front-of-house or receptionist role this is mandatory.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A warm, professional and empathetic telephone manner.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to respond appropriately to people who may be distressed or grieving.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to remain calm and composed while managing multiple priorities.
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft Office, with the confidence to learn new systems.
• Absolute discretion, integrity and professionalism.
• A smart and professional appearance and manner.
• A flexible, helpful approach and genuine commitment to providing excellent service.

Desirable:

• Previous or current experience within the funeral industry.
• Knowledge of Cambridge and the surrounding area.
• Experience dealing with funeral-related organisations or third parties.
• Experience in another client-facing role involving sensitive or emotionally challenging situations.
• Full UK driving licence.

A Role That Makes a Difference

This is a rewarding opportunity to become an important part of a team supporting families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. The role can be emotionally demanding, and you may occasionally come into contact with the deceased, so we ask applicants to consider this carefully.

In return, you’ll join a well-established family business with a strong reputation for care, professionalism and service, where the contribution you make to families and the local community genuinely matters.

If you're an experienced receptionist who combines professionalism with compassion, discretion and genuine warmth, we'd love to hear from you.