RQ1681186 – Cemetery and Crematorium Operations Manager

Job Details

JOB TITLE:                                       Cemetery and Crematorium Operations Manager                                      

DBS CHECK:                                    None

DIRECTORATE:                               Residents Services

DEPARTMENT:                                Bereavement Services

REPORTING STRUCTURE

Reports to:                                        Bereavement Manager

Direct Reports:                                 Up to 20

Indirect Reports:                              0

 

ROLE PURPOSE:

 

Operational management of cemetery and crematorium functions. Providing a safe and legislatively compliant service to support the bereaved, residents and visitors. Effective management of burial and cremation facilities from an operational standpoint to ensuring a high standard is achieved and retained at all times.

 

Job Description

 

1. People Management

 

• Responsible for the direct management of front-line staff and technicians.
• Ensure all team members receive the appropriate level of communication to maintain engagement with the Council’s vision, priorities and activities.
• Set stretching KPI’s for all staff and hold regular monitoring meetings to ensure targets are being met.
• Ensure flexibility operates across the teams to address changing service demands
• Work closely with the bereavement office team to ensure seamless booking and provision of bereavement services
• Ensure that contingent labour is utilised effectively and appropriately. Reprofiling budget expenditure to allow for early interventions in areas such as grass cutting, and winter burial provision

 

2. Customer Management

• Provide a customer centric service across the operational platform. Ensuring that all service users are supported with their enquiries.
• Build strong relationship with both internal and external customers.

 

3. Operational Service Delivery

• Deputise for the Bereavement Manager as and when required.
• Oversee the day-to-day management of all Operational bereavement functions. Including safe provision of burial space, effective and empathetic cremations and the meeting of potential and existing customers
• Responsible for facilitating weekend services, to include all faith requests and building on bereavement service reputation
• Responsible for increasing bereavement income.
• Responsible for ensuring health and safety requirements and all relevant legislation specialist, national or Council guidance is adhered to by the team.
• Contribute to the development of a bereavement strategy for the Council. Including memorial safety, regulations in relation to memorabilia and environmental condiions.
• Keep abreast of all national and regional developments and legislation within the field of Bereavement.
• Manage assets effectively, ensuring all regulations, PUWER, LOLER and HSAW are adhered to.
• Responsible for overseeing the management of data captured and reported relating to bereavement on behalf of the Council, reporting to relevant authorities.
• Oversee the management of staffing resources to ensure appropriate resources are allocated to deliver the service efficiently whilst trying to minimise overtime.
• Develop and manage a commercial focus for the service to increase the customer base and income generation, seeking external funding where appropriate.
• Review the service and its processes on an ongoing basis; sharing any findings and making recommendations for improvement or development.
• Responsible for receiving, analysing, monitoring and communicating performance statistics provided by colleagues including the Quality Manager and Fleet team.
• Follow through management activities to address any performance shortfalls and identify where further improvement can be achieved.

 

4. Service Planning & Development

 

• Ensure accurate weekly service schedules are designed, delivered and reviewed, generating confidence and assurances.
• Ensure clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are in place where appropriate, covering all aspects of service delivery with performance and response levels, together with the escalation process if SLAs are not met.
• Maintain a current service workforce plan including a succession plan for all key roles within own team.
• Manage the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for both cemetery and crematorium grounds. Providing staff with updates, as and when required.

 

 

1. QUALIFICATIONS		ESSENTIAL ü		DESIRABLE ü
Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience				ü
Membership of a relevant professional body.				ü
Relevant qualification or equivalent relevant experience (ICCM)		ü
2. STATUTORY or ROLE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS		ESSENTIAL ü		DESIRABLE ü
Work Flexibly to meet the needs of the service including attending Council meetings and presentations with the public outside working hours.		ü
Hold a current UK Drivers Licence or equivalent and have vehicle available for use at all times. + Ability to tow trailers		ü
Able to fully access buildings/building sites/ rough ground in order to carry out aspects of the role.		ü
3. EXPERIENCE		ESSENTIAL ü		DESIRABLE ü
Experience of managing front line bereavement services, utilising Organisation policies and procedures		ü
Experience of delivering safe Burial space		ü
Experience of Managing bereavement operational function with high demand e.g. during winter periods and pandemic		ü
Experience of challenging silo attitudes to encourage effective relationship building inside and external to an organisation.		ü
Experience of building collaborative relationships that engender a sense of teamwork.		ü
Experience of selecting and procuring equipment and materials relating to bereavement operational function and corporate procurement regulations		ü
Experience of maintaining accurate records ensuring relevant paperwork and data systems are completed with the correct information.		ü
Experience of optimising burial space and crematorium schedules, enabling income generation		ü
Experience of managing a team with stretching targets		ü
4. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS		ESSENTIAL ü		DESIRABLE ü
Extensive knowledge and understanding of bereavement industry legislation, LACO and reuse legislation		ü
Extensive skills in the ability to provide high end burial space for service users		ü
Extensive knowledge of crematorium function and best practice, to inform change and income streams		ü
Understanding of Health and safety linked to bereavement operations		ü
Skilled in income opportunity realisation within bereavement environment, and able to benchmark effectively to inform fee’s and charge setting’s.		ü
Ability to adapt to changing demands to ensure that objectives are met, overcoming problems and making well considered decisions.		ü
Understands the complexities of legacy issues within bereavement and able to identify and implement controls		ü
Knowledge of interpreting and delivering Bereavement instruction and requests effectively		ü
Skilled in the ability to provide ‘end to end’ bereavement operations, and introducing processes to support		ü
Highly numerate and IT literate, able to work effectively with the Microsoft Office suite of applications and bereavement industry specific software		ü
Ability to assess risk and promote risk awareness without being risk averse.		ü
Demonstrates a strong commitment to equality and diversity.		ü
Knowledge of the Councils standing orders and reports.		ü
Extensive knowledge of team building and understanding the impacts of strategy on existing operational services		ü