Crematorium & Cemetery Manager in Ilford

Working flexibly, 5 days per week which will include regular weekends, evenings and early mornings on a rota basis. 40 hours per week. Our core operating hours are between 6am and 10pm daily, so the ability to work flexibly across 5 days of the week will be required.

£52,000 - £60,000 per annum + Company performance bonus + Benefits. Permanent role at Forest Park Cemetery & Crematorium.

Have you always wanted to use your transferable leadership skills in a role where what you do can truly make a difference every day? Would you enjoy leading a close-knit team with a sense of camaraderie not found in a generic job? If so, we would love to hear from you!

We are one of the largest independent operators of crematoria in the UK, supported by almost 500 empathetic and dedicated individuals and we are growing. Like many of our employees, you might not have considered our industry before; however, with ongoing growth and passionate collaborative colleagues, you will find it one of the most varied and rewarding opportunities you could ever imagine.

The role involves leading one of our sites, providing a crucial service to the local communities that we serve. You will have full ownership of the site's management, including day-to-day operations, performance and P&L. Alongside developing your team and shaping a culture that reflects our values, you'll help maintain our reputation for quality and exceptional care and build strong relationships with families and Funeral Directors who rely on our expertise when it matters most.

Your ideas and creativity will also help shape the individuality of your site. Some of our Crematorium Managers have implemented bee hives, wildflower meadows, animal habitats, regular quiz nights and coffee mornings to name but a few! We combine strong commercial awareness with a deeply caring approach, ensuring every decision supports both the future sustainability of our services and that families are at the heart of everything we do.

When you join us, it's an opportunity to be a part of something truly meaningful and significant.

• Lead the site team to deliver best in class service to the bereaved and funeral director partners.
• Manage site team in all aspects of day-to-day activity including monitoring performance in relation to KPIs and budget, ongoing development, and recruitment.
• Collaborative working and communication with all support functions.
• Role model for our vision, values and leadership behaviours.
• Deliver the highest standards of quality in compliance and services, ensuring all services adhere to Westerleigh standards, policy and relevant legislation.
• Maintenance and development of cemetery, liaising with grave diggers and grounds teams to ensure burials are carried out to the highest standard (for sites with cemetery).
• Contribute to innovation and improved practice for site and within the wider division and across cemetery operations.
• Monitor customer feedback.
• Deliver the highest standards of health and safety.
• Responsibility for the commercial performance of your site.
• Drive improvements in volume through active pursuit of new opportunities and building relationships both in and out of normal catchment area.
• Optimise the efficient use of site staff, facilities equipment, supplies, consumables and support services.
• Contribute to annual pricing and budgeting activities and manage the processes for the site.
• Develop and nurture relationships with external stakeholders and customers including Funeral Directors and local community individuals/groups to develop new/additional business and promote the Westerleigh and site brand.
• Ensure facilities, buildings, cemetery and grounds are maintained and are fit for purpose.
• Work with Facilities to ensure routine and CAPEX site projects are implemented.
• Promote and support the Westerleigh Group memorial strategy.
• Competency in all aspects of technical expectations regarding crematory & Cemetery (if applicable) operations including the compliance and legal obligations.
• Support the team with their duties when required: Chapel Welcoming families & Funeral Directors and ensuring things run smoothly.
• Involved in the end to end cremation process and ashes management. You’ll need to be able bodied as there will be manual handling involved in this process.
• This role requires flexibility and pulling together as one team to support each other and provide the exceptional care and service that we are known for.

• An experienced Business Manager and leader of people who loves to develop people and continue learning new things.
• Must have commercial acumen and experience of working with financials including managing site P&L.
• Bereavement sector experience e.g. Funeral Director / Crematorium Manager / Site Manager or similar would be beneficial but not essential.
• Strong people management skills & experience of business management from any industry.
• A real team player with natural compassion and the desire to make a difference every day.
• Confident communicator able to speak to people in a caring and empathetic manner.
• Ability to build strong relationships with customers and the local community, marketing your site to raise awareness of what we do.
• Some occasional travel will be required for training, and you will undertake extensive training at your site but also at some of our other local sites with experienced Site Managers.
• Good IT skills and comfortable with Word / Excel and emails.

If you would like to join the Westerleigh team, you can be sure of a warm welcome, ongoing training and development and a sense of pride by truly making a difference every day to the families that we serve. No two days are the same and many of our Managers have developed their careers within the business.

The values we champion are Safety First, Exceptional Care, Uniquely Personal and One Team.

In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for the following benefits:

• Company performance bonus
• 33 days holiday (Includes 8 days bank holiday)
• Life Assurance
• A choice between 7% employer pension contribution or 5% contribution + private healthcare cover (Bupa)
• Access to a wide range of retail discounts and wellbeing support
• Ongoing learning & development
• Employee Assistance / Occupational health support Program
• Mindfulness App
• Mental Health First Ambassadors
• The benefit we hope you'll never need: Free Cremation benefit for Immediate family
• Bereavement Leave
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay
• Recognition scheme
• Free Flu jab
• Smart uniform and PPE provided
• Free parking

What next? Start a career with significance by applying today. We generally advertise vacancies for a minimum of 1 week before reviewing applications. We reserve the right to close the application window sooner if a significant number of applications are received. If you're not contacted, please assume you have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, feedback is not always possible due to the volume of applications we receive.