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- Tasks: Lead vital services at significant life moments, ensuring empathy and high standards.
- Company: Brent Council, a diverse and dynamic borough in London.
- Benefits: Generous salary, up to 33 days leave, flexible working, and excellent pension.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in registration and bereavement services while shaping community trust.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in sensitive services with strong commercial acumen.
- Other info: Join a collaborative leadership community with opportunities for innovation and growth.
The predicted salary is between 90865 - 111270 £ per year.
Salary range: £90,865 - £111,270 p.a. inc. London weighting, plus fantastic benefits!
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Civic centre and other locations from time to time
Leading high-profile statutory services at life's most pivotal moments.
About Brent: Brent is one of London's most diverse, dynamic boroughs. Our ambition is to be a national centre of excellence in Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services — combining impeccable statutory compliance with outstanding customer experience.
The Role: This is leadership where purpose, complexity and public impact meet. Brent Council is seeking an exceptional senior leader to head one of its most sensitive, high-profile and strategically significant service portfolios. As Head of Service - Registration & Bereavement Services, you will provide strategic leadership across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services, including cemeteries, while holding the statutory role of Superintendent Registrar. You will operate at the intersection of public service, regulation, community trust and commercial acumen, shaping services that touch residents at the most important moments of their lives. This is a role for a leader who can set national standards, lead with empathy, manage political scrutiny, and grow sustainable income.
The Opportunity:
- Build a Centre of Excellence with national credibility. You will lead services that are subject to government oversight, media interest and political scrutiny — with the opportunity to position Brent as a national leader in registration, nationality and bereavement services.
- Lead scale, complexity and transformation. You will oversee a c. £7m portfolio, a workforce of 49 staff, and services operating seven days a week, balancing statutory compliance, service resilience, customer experience and financial sustainability.
- Shape income growth — responsibly and sensitively. This is a key income-generating portfolio. You will be expected to develop new business areas, maximise existing income streams, and deliver stretch targets — while maintaining dignity, trust and community confidence.
- Be trusted at the highest levels. You will work closely with government departments, coroners, regulators, elected Members, MPs, partner authorities and community leaders, representing Brent with authority and credibility.
- Champion compassionate, high-quality customer service. You will ensure pivotal life events are handled with empathy, care and dignity, setting service standards that reflect the importance of these moments for Brent residents.
What you'll lead:
- Provide strategic vision and set service standards across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Bereavement Services.
- Lead statutory functions as Superintendent Registrar and Designated Individual under the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), acting as Proper Officer for the Registration Service.
- Oversee the Shared Mortuary Service, ensuring seamless reception, storage, viewing and release of the deceased, with robust identification safeguards throughout.
- Lead Brent's emergency planning for mass fatalities, serving as Resilience Mortuary Manager within the London Resilience framework.
- Drive transformation, digital improvement and customer‐centred service models, embedding environmental sustainability in support of Brent's 2030 carbon‐neutral ambition.
- Manage budgets, workforce planning and performance, delivering efficiencies and income growth while safeguarding vulnerable residents.
- Build trusted relationships with elected Members, MPs, government departments, partner councils, charities and community groups, acting as an ambassador for Brent.
Your impact at a glance:
- Multi million portfolio: overall budget responsibility c. £7m, balancing pay, non pay and income lines across Registration & Nationality, Mortuary and Cemeteries.
- A sizeable, skilled workforce: leadership of 49 staff across services, ensuring resilience, wellbeing and high performance.
- Life event delivery at volume: 3,800 plus birth registrations; 2,600 registered deaths; 600 plus burials annually; 2,300 plus British citizenship certificates and 2,500 plus ceremonies; c.2,600 annual body movements through the Shared Mortuary Service covering 1 million residents.
About you: You are a senior leader with a proven track record of leading complex, sensitive and politically high‐profile registration and bereavement services. You bring deep professional knowledge of registration, nationality, mortuary and bereavement functions, combining strong commercial acumen with empathy and rigorous governance. You influence confidently at all levels, inspire high performance, and are driven to deliver excellent resident experiences at scale, recognising that births, deaths, marriages and citizenship represent some of the most significant and impactful life events Brent residents will experience.
Join us and lead services that matter, delivering impact where it counts most!
Ready to Apply: To apply, please include your CV and a supporting statement clearly demonstrating how you meet the six assessment areas below:
- Strategic leadership in high‐profile, sensitive services
- Commercial acumen and income generation
- Statutory and regulatory expertise (registration, nationality, mortuary and bereavement services)
- Transformation and service improvement
- Senior‐level stakeholder influence
- Empathy‐led, customer‐focused leadership
Closing date & interview details:
- Closing date: 1 February 2026 at 23:59
- Interview date & location: 9th February 2026 at Brent Civic Centre
Informal discussion contact: For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tracie McGrath.
Why join us? In addition to a competitive package, you'll join a collaborative leadership community, with the scope to shape a nationally significant service and the freedom to innovate responsibly for residents.
Benefits package: We know people achieve their best when they feel valued. At Brent, you'll benefit from:
- Up to 33 days annual leave (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays
- Excellent pension with generous employer contributions (LGPS)
- Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
- Supportive family‐friendly policies for parents, guardians, and carers
- Health and wellbeing support, including access to eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Financial support such as education sessions, childcare deposit loans, and season ticket loans
- Travel perks including Zipcar access, affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme, and great onsite facilities
- Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career
- Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure, and entertainment
Additional Information: Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourages applications from all sections of the community. We positively encourage all applicants to self‐identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section in the application. We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances. Brent has a positive approach to flexible working. As a disability confident employer, Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including "non‐visible" disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us.
Head of Service - Registration and Bereavement in London employer: Borough of Brent
Contact Detail:
Borough of Brent Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Service - Registration and Bereavement in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with Brent Council's community. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Brent's services and think about how your experience aligns with their mission. Be ready to discuss how you can lead with empathy and drive transformation.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership style! During interviews, share examples of how you've successfully managed sensitive situations and built trust with stakeholders. This is key for a role like Head of Service.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role and the amazing benefits we offer.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Service - Registration and Bereavement in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to highlight your experience in leading sensitive services. Use keywords from the job description to show how you meet the requirements.
Craft a Compelling Supporting Statement: Your supporting statement is your chance to shine! Clearly demonstrate how you meet the six assessment areas outlined in the job description, using specific examples from your past experiences.
Showcase Your Leadership Style: As a senior leader, it’s important to convey your leadership style. Share how you’ve influenced teams and stakeholders in previous roles, especially in high-pressure situations.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we love seeing applications come directly from our site!
How to prepare for a job interview at Borough of Brent
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the registration and bereavement services landscape. Familiarise yourself with Brent's current practices, challenges, and opportunities. This will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're genuinely interested in leading these vital services.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to discuss your leadership approach, especially in sensitive situations. Think about examples where you've led teams through complex challenges while maintaining empathy and high performance. This is crucial for a role that requires managing a sizeable workforce and delivering impactful services.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Be ready to talk about how you've built relationships with various stakeholders in previous roles. Highlight your experience working with government departments, community leaders, and other partners. This will show that you can represent Brent with authority and credibility, which is key for this position.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Acumen
Since income generation is a significant part of this role, prepare to discuss your strategies for developing new business areas and maximising existing income streams. Share specific examples of how you've successfully balanced financial sustainability with compassionate service delivery in the past.
