Manager in Cannock

Salary: Competitive Salary + Site and Company performance bonus + Benefits

Hours: Full-time salaried position based on 40 hours per week. Due to the nature of the role, additional hours may be required from time to time.

Contract: Permanent Role

Benefits: Employee mentoring programme, 4 x life cover, bereavement leave, company pension, health & wellbeing programme and on-site parking.

Role Purpose: Horizon Cremation Ltd is seeking an exceptional Manager to provide full operational, commercial and people leadership for Cannock Chase Crematorium. This is not a standard crematorium management role. It requires an outstanding leader capable of operating at the highest level within the bereavement sector, setting benchmarks for service quality, compliance, professionalism and community engagement. The post holder will report directly to the National Operations Manager and will play a key role in maintaining and enhancing organisational standards, performance and best practice across the wider business.

Crematorium Management and Operations

• Ensuring full compliance with cremation legislation, environmental permitting, health and safety and fire safety requirements.
• Overseeing the safe and effective operation of cremators and all ancillary plant and equipment in line with manufacturer guidance and regulatory standards.
• Monitoring service quality, operational performance and KPIs, escalating risks, issues and performance matters to the National Operations Manager as required.
• Acting as the site lead for quality control standards and ensuring excellence is embedded across every aspect of crematorium operations.
• Overseeing, maintaining and regularly reviewing the Crematorium Management Plan.
• Leading on inspections and EHO partner relations, including annual and monthly reporting, compliance submissions and ongoing liaison.
• Managing relationships with cremator partners and suppliers, ensuring equipment performance, reliability and compliance.
• Acting as the facility lead for professional memberships and inspection partnerships with the ICCM and FBCA.

Strategic, Commercial and Financial Management

• Managing day-to-day financial administration including invoicing, payment processing, banking, receipts and debt management.
• Ensuring month-end financial reports are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Contributing to financial forecasting, business planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identifying and delivering opportunities to increase cremation volumes, memorial income and community engagement while maintaining the highest service standards.
• Managing monthly budgets, costs and expenses alongside the Operations Manager and identifying savings where appropriate.
• Ensuring aged debtors are kept to a minimum through good communication and escalation processes.
• Compiling monthly banking, memorial stock level, energy, gas and solar readings for reporting to the Finance Director.

Office and Administrative Management

• Managing all crematorium communications, including oversight of the crematorium email account and enquiries from families and funeral directors.
• Overseeing the service booking system, managing bookings both online and by telephone.
• Preparing, checking and authorising statutory cremation documentation and legal paperwork prior to services and cremations.
• Ensuring records are accurate, complete and maintained in line with audit, inspection and regulatory requirements.

Health, Safety and Compliance Leadership

• Organising and maintaining staff training to ensure compliance with health, safety and fire legislation.
• Carrying out and recording routine health and safety checks, tests and drills, ensuring remedial actions are implemented where required.
• Acting as the site lead for inspections, audits and regulatory engagement, reporting outcomes, risks and actions to the National Operations Manager.

Crematorium Ambassador and Stakeholder Engagement

• Acting as a senior ambassador for Cannock Chase Crematorium, building and maintaining strong, ethical and professional relationships with funeral directors and key stakeholders in the community.
• Supporting business growth through positive engagement, collaboration and exemplary standards of working practice.
• Managing feedback and complaints with sensitivity, professionalism and authority, resolving matters fairly while upholding the dignity, policies and values of the crematorium.
• Overseeing local stakeholder events, alongside important annual and seasonal events such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Baby Loss and Christmas services.

Memorial Sales and Development

• Supporting families with care and sensitivity in selecting appropriate memorial options to commemorate their loved ones.
• Sourcing and managing relationships with external memorial suppliers to ensure best value, quality and specialist expertise.
• Overseeing memorial sales, development and aftercare to support sustainable and ethical revenue generation.
• Identifying and developing new memorial garden locations, optimising available greenspace while enhancing biodiversity, environmental value and long‑term sustainability of the site.

Team Leadership and Development

• Leading, managing and developing the crematorium team, fostering a culture of professionalism, empathy, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Providing clear leadership through monthly one‑to‑one meetings with direct reports.
• Leading monthly team meetings to communicate operational updates, reinforce standards and review performance.
• Conducting annual performance reviews and setting clear objectives aligned to organisational goals.
• Ensuring a programme of continual training and professional development for all staff.
• Identifying training needs to ensure staff remain up to date with legislation, technical competence, bereavement care standards and best practice.
• Training and mentoring new team members in bereavement etiquette, funeral service standards, operational procedures and legislative compliance.
• Ensuring staff adhere to health and safety policies, procedures and statutory obligations at all times.
• Managing crematorium technician operations and staffing, ensuring cremators and ancillary equipment are operated safely and in line with manufacturer and regulatory requirements.
• Supporting performance management and succession planning, escalating workforce matters to the National Operations Manager where appropriate.

About You

We seek to surround ourselves with people who are bright, articulate, committed and professional. Above all, we value individuals with high emotional intelligence who are caring, understanding and compassionate, and who recognise the responsibility and privilege of working with bereaved families. Our ideal candidate will:

• Be a confident problem solver, able to remain calm under pressure, assess risk, make sound decisions and resolve issues effectively in a highly regulated and sensitive environment.
• Demonstrate strong leadership experience and a transferable skill set suitable to managing a crematorium. Previous crematorium management experience is advantageous, but not essential.
• Be commercially aware and motivated, with the drive and ambition to grow catchments, memorial sales and revenue streams while protecting service quality and dignity.
• Hold, or be willing to work towards, the ICCM Crematorium and Cemetery Diploma.
• Be willing to undertake professional cremator technician training if not already qualified, with full support provided through either the ICCM or FBCA Cremator Technician training route.
• Be a confident and assured communicator, capable of leading calmly on the front line, supporting staff and families, and representing the crematorium professionally.
• Be IT literate, with confidence using Word, Excel and email.
• Be comfortable learning and operating industry‑specific booking and diary management systems, alongside a digital music and visual tribute platform.
• Be flexible and committed, with the ability to undertake occasional travel to other sites for management meetings, training and collaborative working.

Norton Road Heath Hayes Cannock Staffordshire WS12 3HJ