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Dignity; Suffolk (VA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 25 days leave

Life assurance 2x salary

Pension 4% match

Employee assistance program

MyStaffShop discounts

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Dignity is seeking a Funeral Service Specialist (Level One) at our Ipswich branch. You will be the first point of contact for families, delivering comfort and managing funeral arrangements with care and professionalism.

You will coordinate ceremonies, liaise with ministers and florists, and lead chapel visits when needed, while supporting plan sales and local outreach in the community.

Qualifications

• Empathy and compassion when supporting grieving families.
• Experience in customer service, care, or admin is beneficial.
• Strong communication, organisational, and paperwork skills.
• Proficient IT skills, including MS Office and Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Support families with empathy, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Arrange funerals that meet family wishes and legal requirements.
• Oversee day-to-day branch operations, including administration and presentation.
• Liaise with suppliers such as ministers, celebrants, and florists.
• Lead chapel visits and assist with ceremonial duties when required.
• Promote funeral plans and contribute to plan sales within the branch.
• Represent the branch in the local community and support outreach initiatives.
• Train in Funeral Conducting to assist with peak-time ceremonies.

Job description

Job Type: Full-time, permanent

Salary: £26,708.34 per annum

We’re looking for an empathetic and well-organised individual to join our team at Michael Smy Funeral Directors as a Funeral Service Specialist (Level One). You’ll be the first-person families speak to, offering reassurance and support while ensuring every detail is handled with care and professionalism.

Based at our branch in Ipswich, you’ll take pride in the day‑to‑day running of the branch, supporting families, ensuring high standards, and building trusted local relationships. To become the arranger of choice in your community, you’ll also be trained to provide guidance on Funeral Plans and support with ceremonial duties when required.

Why This Role Matters

Being a Funeral Service Specialist means playing a central part in one of life’s most significant moments. You’re often the first person a grieving family turns to, and your presence can shape how they remember the most difficult of days.

Your Impact and Responsibilities

This role calls for empathy, confidence, and attention to detail. It’s about guiding people through funeral arrangements with care, introducing them to the support we can offer, and ensuring every detail is taken care of. You will be a steady, professional hand when people need it most.

As a Funeral Services Specialist (Level One), you will:

• Supporting families with empathy, professionalism, and attention to detail
• Arrange funerals that meet family wishes, cultural practices, and legal requirements – arranging funerals with clarity, compassion and precision, offering all relevant products
• Oversee day‑to‑day branch operations, including administration and presentation
• Liaise with suppliers such as ministers, celebrants, and florists
• Lead chapel visits, as required, supporting the families with their requests
• Take accountability for raising awareness of funeral plans and contributing to plan sales within the branch
• Represent the branch in the local community and contribute to outreach
• Train in Funeral Conducting to assist with ceremonial duties during peak times
• Uphold Dignity’s standards of professionalism, care, and service

Skills and Knowledge

We’re looking for someone with/is:

• Compassion, calmness, and empathy in emotionally sensitive situations.
• Experience in customer service, care, or admin (beneficial - complete training is provided).
• Communication, organisation, and administrative skills – confident with legal paperwork.
• PC Literate – Able to use a range of IT systems, including Microsoft Office, Outlook and internal databases (training provided).
• Confident working independently, with branch-level responsibility.
• Comfortable in settings where the deceased may be resting, including chapel visits.
• Willingness to work flexibly (including weekends/on-call if needed).
• A Full UK Driving Licence (desirable, not essential) - Ability to travel to client homes and local branches is important.

What you can expect from us

We believe in rewarding our colleagues with a strong, supportive benefits package that helps you feel secure, valued and able to grow.

Time to recharge

• Up to 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with service) plus bank holidays, giving you the time you need to rest and reset.

A little extra reward

• Opportunity to earn a yearly bonus of up to £300–£500 in recognition of your contribution.

Planning for your future

• 4% matched pension to help you build long‑term financial security.

Peace of mind

• Life assurance cover at 2x your salary to support your loved ones.

Everyday savings and perks

• Access to MyStaffShop, our employee rewards platform, offering savings across high street and online retailers, alongside eyecare support, flu jab reimbursement and lifestyle discounts.

Support when you need it

• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, occupational health services and confidential counselling.

Learn and grow with us

• Ongoing training and development, including internal learning pathways and apprenticeship opportunities.

Making work easier

• Free on‑site parking available at most of our locations.

Why Dignity

Dignity exists to help every family in Britain navigate the hardest moments of life with simplicity, dignity, kindness and exceptional care. Every day, our funeral teams across the country help families say goodbye to the people they love. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and it matters.

Dignity is changing for the better. We’re investing in better training, better support and better tools for our funeral teams, so you can focus on what matters most: being there for families when they need us.

You’ll be part of a close‑knit team who look out for each other and take real pride in their work. No two days are the same, and the work you do is noticed and valued.

If you want a job that is genuinely meaningful, helping families across Britain through one of the hardest times in their lives, this is a good place to build a career.

FCA Statement

Dignity is part of a group that includes FCA‑regulated activities, and some roles may be subject to relevant training, screening, conduct, and regulatory requirements. This will be confirmed as part of the recruitment process.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We know that diverse teams make better decisions, build better products, and create a more inclusive and 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.

We reserve the right, depending on the number of applications received, to close or extend the closing dates for positions. Therefore, we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.