Funeral Service Operative Apprentice in Surrey

We're looking for a compassionate and reliable individual to join our team at our Frederick W Paine - Portsmouth Road branch in Surbiton as a Funeral Service Operative (Level One). 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.

Your role will ensure that families feel supported, respected, and reassured throughout the entire way. Being a Funeral Service Operative means playing a central part in one of life's most significant moments.

Shift Patterns

This role is based on a rotating shift pattern across our London centres, which includes:

• 4:00 AM - 2:00 PM
• 2:00 PM - 00.00 AM

Flexibility is essential, as the role will involve out-of-hours support.

As a Funeral Services Operative (Level One), you will:

• 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, ensuring they are well-maintained
• Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota (including nights/weekends) to support families
• 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

• Holds a Full UK Driving Licence (Essential).
• Has a respectful, caring approach when supporting both colleagues and families.
• Is physically capable of manual handling tasks, including lifting and carrying.
• Is reliable, flexible, and able to work outside standard hours when needed.
• PC Literate - Able to use a range of IT systems, including Microsoft Office, Outlook and internal databases (training provided).
• No previous funeral experience is necessary; complete training, uniform, and support will be provided.

What you can expect from us

• Up to 25 days' annual leave (increasing with service) plus bank holidays.
• Opportunity to earn a yearly bonus of up to £300-£500.
• 4% matched pension.
• Life assurance cover at 2x your salary.
• Access to MyStaffShop, our employee rewards platform.
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Ongoing training and development, including internal learning pathways and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Free on-site parking available at most of our locations.

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!

Why Dignity

Dignity exists to help every family in Britain navigate the hardest moments of life with simplicity, dignity, kindness and exceptional care. Every day, our funeral teams across the country help families say goodbye to the people they love. We're investing in better training, better support and better tools for our funeral teams, so you can focus on what matters most: being there for families when they need us.

If you want a job that is genuinely meaningful, helping families across Britain through one of the hardest times in their lives, this is a good place to build a career.

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.