Apprentice Funeral Service Operative

Location: Oliver and James Funeral Directors, Abingdon

Job Type: 38.33 Hours per week

Salary: £25,333.06 per annum plus on-call payments

We're looking for a compassionate and reliable individual to join our team as an Apprentice Funeral Service Operative. This role offers the opportunity to support families during one of life's most sensitive moments, playing a key part in delivering respectful and meaningful services that genuinely make a difference.

Why This Role Matters

At Dignity, we believe that every farewell should be handled with compassion, dignity, and care. Your role will ensure that families feel supported, respected, and reassured throughout the entire way.

Your Impact and Responsibilities

Being an Apprentice Funeral Service Operative means playing a central part in one of life's most significant moments. You're often the first person a grieving family meets, and your presence can shape how they remember the most difficult of days. This role calls for empathy, confidence, and attention to detail. You are entrusted with the role of taking care of our deceased and ensuring our families' wishes can be met. You conduct yourself with respect and dignity, understanding the privilege it is to undertake the work you do.

• Provide dignified and professional care for the deceased
• Support Funeral Directors in delivering seamless service and ceremonial work
• Drive and operate specialist vehicles (including hearses, limousines and private ambulances)
• Maintain high standards of presentation for vehicles and facilities, and ensuring they are well-maintained
• Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota (including nights/weekends) to support families - providing out-of-hours support, including dignified collection and transfer of the deceased into care.
• Bring the deceased into our care from the place of death - including private homes, hospitals, hospices, or public spaces - under varying circumstances
• Prepare the deceased (washing, dressing, presentation) in accordance with family, religious, or cultural wishes
• Support with chapel visits and interactions with families in a calm and respectful manner
• Carry out all duties involving the deceased with the utmost care and professionalism

Skills and Knowledge

We're looking for someone who demonstrates:

• Empathy, professionalism, and composure under pressure
• A respectful, caring approach when supporting both colleagues and families
• Physical capability for manual handling tasks, including lifting and carrying
• Comfort working in direct contact with the deceased in a variety of conditions
• Reliability, flexibility, and ability to work outside standard hours when needed
• Pride in presenting themselves in a professional and dignified manner
• A Full UK Driving Licence (essential)

No previous funeral experience is necessary - complete training, uniform, and support will be provided.

What We Offer

• Professional development: A comprehensive induction plan and the opportunity to complete in-house development programmes to set you up for success or to pursue a qualification through our apprenticeship programme.
• Bonus Potential: Unlock the possibility of earning additional bonuses, rewarding your hard work and achievements.
• Life Assurance Cover: Enjoy peace of mind with our life assurance cover, securing your family's future.
• Health & Wellbeing Programme: Benefit from an employee assistance programme that supports your health and wellbeing.
• Holiday Allowance: Start with a generous leave entitlement of 30-33 days per year, inclusive of Bank Holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Plan for the future with our contributory pension scheme, helping you save for a secure retirement.

Apprenticeship Training (Funeral Team Member - Operative Level 2)

As part of this role, you will work towards achieving the Funeral Team Member - Operative Level 2 Apprenticeship, a nationally recognised qualification designed to build the skills, knowledge, and professional behaviours required to support families and care for the deceased.

Key details about your apprenticeship:

• Duration: 12 months
• Training Provider: Connect2Care - our trusted partner who will deliver the formal learning element of your apprenticeship
• Learning Time: You will receive dedicated, protected time during your working week to complete your apprenticeship tasks, learning modules, and assessments
• Delivery: A blend of online learning, workplace development, practical skills, and one-to-one support from your assigned tutor
• Outcome: Funeral Team Member Level 2 qualification and the skills, confidence, and experience to progress within the funeral profession
• Eligibility: You must not already hold a similar or higher qualification in this field. You must have the right to work in the UK and meet apprenticeship funding requirements (we will guide you through this)

This apprenticeship is designed to support individuals new to the funeral profession and provides a structured, supportive pathway into a long-term career with Dignity.

What are the next steps?

To join us in this role, hit the 'apply' button to submit your application, and a member of our Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch!

About Us

We are Dignity, one of the UK's oldest and most trusted funeral providers, with over 200 years of history, 570 branches, and 46 crematoria across the country. From launching the UK's first funeral plan to helping shape modern regulation, we have led the way in supporting families with care, compassion, and professionalism. We are now building the UK's leading end-of-life company.

As part of the Dignity Group, we also operate Farewill, the country's most prominent will writer and one of the UK's top probate providers, giving families support not just at the funeral, but before and after as well. Today, we are over 4,000 people across the UK, all driven by the same goal: to care for families with compassion and make the UK a world leader in end-of-life care.

Here to help, whenever you need.

FCA Statement

The FCA regulates us so that some roles may be subject to background checks.

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.

Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate, and no fees will be payable. 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 early.