Cemetery Chargehand

This is a Full Time Permanent Position. Bereavement Services is seeking to appoint a Cemetery Chargehand to oversee the effective delivery of cemetery services. This is a vital role in maintaining respectful, safe, and well-managed facilities for the community.

Applicants must hold a full UK driving licence and demonstrate significant experience or transferable skills in supervising, leading, and motivating a team. They should have proven ability in operating and maintaining plant and equipment, a sound knowledge of construction work practices, and health and safety. Strong organisational and communication skills, together with the ability to respond flexibly to operational needs and meet deadlines, are essential.

A key aspect of the role will be ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation, applying extensive knowledge and experience to create a safe working environment for staff and visitors alike. In addition to operational duties, the Cemetery Chargehand will be expected to investigate and resolve complaints in a professional and timely manner, ensuring that outcomes are communicated clearly and sensitively. The role also requires the management and monitoring of Service Level Agreements, ensuring that agreed standards are consistently achieved and that services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled and committed individual to contribute to the smooth running of cemetery services, to support grieving families with dignity and compassion, and to make a meaningful difference to the wellbeing of the wider community.

ROLE AND PURPOSE

• To supervise a team of Cemetery and Crematorium Support Officers on a day to day basis to ensure all tasks are completed to provide an efficient and professional Bereavement service to customers and stakeholders.
• To train and support Cemetery and Crematorium Support staff to enable them to carry out their roles effectively.
• Ensuring operations take place in a timely co-ordinated manner, adhering to service procedures and priorities.
• Following Health and Safety principles and ensuring safe systems of working practices are maintained at all times, also working in strict accordance with the Local Authority Cemeteries Order (LACO) 1977.
• Carrying out equipment, plant and machinery checks to ensure it is safe to use and undertaking associated supervisory and administrative tasks relating to Fleet and machinery.
• Carrying out operational investigations in order to identify route cause or culpability and relaying information back to responding officers.
• Preparing management information including reports and burial / interment data.
• Grave administration including grave checking and choosing new graves.
• Overseeing and supervising the operations team ensuring it meets its Statutory requirements e.g. taking the lead role in the exhumation of human remains.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Act as a role model and to motivate the Cemetery Operations team. Amending working procedures and training staff accordingly and monitoring compliance when necessary.
• Taking the responsibility to ensure Health and Safety relating to cemetery operations i.e. carrying out vehicle checks, fuel audits, arranging regular maintenance of plant, machinery and fleet, checking documentation and entitlements and ensuring the requirements and principles are known and understood amongst the team.
• Working to deliver operational service priorities, needs and values and ensuring staff work to provide an excellent responsive service that meets customers’ needs and expectations.
• Allocating new graves and memorial sites including the completion of all necessary paperwork and documentation, checking excavated graves for safety, readiness and per written instructions, investigating feedback and relaying appropriate information to the responding officer.
• Take direction in working towards cemetery improvements including plans for new interment sites to ensure service priorities are met, including liaising with contractors and attending relevant meetings.
• To plan in advance and allocate sufficient staffing resources on a daily / weekly basis to meet all operational service demands.
• To liaise effectively with other sections of the Council to ensure operations take place in a timely, cost efficient and effective manner.
• Work in a co-ordinated manner with all sections of Bereavement Services to ensure Cemetery Operations meets the needs and expectations of the customers and stakeholders.
• Provide a supervisory presence at the exhumation of human remains. This may involve working at unsociable hours i.e. early morning.
• Meeting with families to discuss and agree upon grave and interment locations and helping to maximise service income generation opportunities.
• Ensuring all incidents are reported and are comprehensively recorded on the corporate system.
• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation places responsibilities for health and safety on Hull City Council, as your employer and you as an employee of the Council.