Funeral Branch Manager in Otley

Location: Goods Funeral Services, Harrogate.

Job Type: Full time, 38.33 Hours per week

Salary: £34,342.15 per annum

We are looking for a compassionate, capable and commercially aware individual to join our team as Funeral Branch Manager in Harrogate. Internally, this role carries the contractual title of Senior Funeral Director, reflecting its seniority and responsibility within our funerals business. This is a leadership role for someone who combines empathy with operational strength. You’ll guide families through some of the most important moments of their lives while leading your team to deliver consistently high standards, regulatory excellence and sustainable branch performance.

Why This Role Matters

Every branch is built on trust, trust from families, colleagues and the wider community. As Funeral Branch Manager, you are the standard-setter. Around 70% of your time will be spent delivering and overseeing funeral services. The remaining time will focus on leading people, maintaining operational control, managing compliance and ensuring the branch performs both commercially and professionally.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading and developing your team
• Maintaining high service and care standards
• Ensuring regulatory compliance and audit readiness
• Supporting at-need performance and funeral plan conversations
• Building a strong, visible local presence

Your Impact

Lead and Support Funeral Services

• Deliver complex funeral arrangements with professionalism and empathy
• Guide families clearly through options and next steps
• Run pre-funeral briefings and oversee service delivery
• Observe arrangements and funerals to uphold care standards

Manage and Develop the Team

• Lead recruitment, onboarding and ongoing 1:1 performance conversations
• Manage rotas, holiday and sickness cover
• Ensure regulatory training and compliance standards are met
• Embed accountability, professionalism and ownership
• Support succession planning and development

Drive Operational Excellence

• Oversee branch standards and high-quality care of the deceased
• Maintain accurate records and legal documentation
• Ensure inspection readiness and regulatory compliance
• Monitor costs including overtime and hire cars
• Identify service improvements and implement change

Build Local Presence

• Lead local marketing activity
• Develop relationships with care homes, celebrants and community groups
• Represent the branch at memorials and events
• Promote services in a supportive, consultative way

What We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from candidates with:

• Experience leading and developing teams in service-led environments
• A strong track record of maintaining standards and compliance
• Confidence operating within regulated or policy-driven environments
• Commercial awareness and comfort working with targets and cost control
• Strong organisational and documentation skills
• Calm decision-making in emotionally sensitive situations
• A full UK driving licence
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and on-call

Funeral sector experience is desirable but not essential. We are open to candidates from other regulated, service-focused industries where high standards, community engagement and people leadership are central.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive induction and structured development
• Opportunity to complete professional qualifications via our apprenticeship programme
• Bonus potential
• Life assurance cover
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 30–33 days holiday (including Bank Holidays)
• Contributory pension scheme

If you are ready to lead with empathy, set clear standards and build a branch that families trust, we would love to hear from you.

What are the next steps?

If this sounds like the right role for you and you’re ready to bring care and professionalism to an essential service, click the ‘apply’ button. A member of our Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps.

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

Please note that this role is subject to meeting regulatory requirements. As an FCA-regulated organisation, we are committed to upholding the highest standards, which we achieve by employing individuals with the appropriate skills, experience, and integrity to protect both the company and our clients. If you are considered for a role, you will be asked to provide your permission for us to conduct the relevant checks and assessments that will be carried out during the recruitment and onboarding process. The nature of the checks will depend on whether the role is subject to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

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 as early as possible.