Location
London - multiple locations across Southwark

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£32,907 per annum

About the Role
Do you see yourself providing compassionate, high-quality services to residents at some of the most important moments in their lives? Can you use your experience in bereavement, grounds maintenance, or care-related services to support families with professionalism and respect? If yes, we have the perfect role for you! Our Bereavement Services team is looking for a passionate and dedicated Cemetery Operative to join our amazing team and help make a difference today.

Southwark Bereavement Services manages three cemeteries and one crematorium, delivering respectful and sensitive services for the bereaved. As a Cemetery Operative, you will undertake and lead on a wide variety of burial, exhumation, and grounds maintenance duties. You will play a vital role in preparing graves, maintaining memorial safety, and ensuring the highest standards of health and safety compliance in line with statutory legislation and local regulations.

Key responsibilities include:
- Preparing and excavating graves, verifying plot numbers, installing and removing shoring equipment, and reinstating sites after services
- Carrying out burial and exhumation duties, including reuse of burial sites as part of sustainability programmes
- Maintaining memorial safety through inspections and accurate record keeping
- Operating and carrying out pre-use inspections on heavy plant and machinery (e.g. excavators, dumpers, lorries)
- Delivering landscaping and grounds maintenance including turfing, grass cutting, hedge trimming, and general upkeep
- Supporting funerals and working sensitively with families, funeral directors, ministers, stonemasons, and contractors
- Contributing to public events, annual memorial services, and official visits

You will help ensure our cemeteries remain safe, dignified, and welcoming spaces for residents and visitors.

Experience
Experience within bereavement, care-related, local authority, or similar environment is required. Demonstrated understanding of health and safety requirements and safe working practices is essential.

About you
You are organised, compassionate, and committed to delivering excellent customer service in sensitive environments. You can organise plans and prioritise workloads effectively, be flexible and responsive to the needs of the service, and work independently as well as collaboratively within a team. You identify problems and produce practical, innovative solutions. You communicate clearly and professionally, both orally and in writing, with residents, senior officers, members, and community representatives. You actively promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in service delivery.

Qualifications
Please refer to the detailed job description and person specification for specific qualifications and requirements.