Varying start finish time daily depending on workload/travel (Usually between 3am – 6am start)

1 week on call every 4 – 8 weeks on average – On call rota includes weekend / bank holidays.

On call: £20 standby payment. £38 for a call out then after 2 hours paid at time + ½.

Regular overtime – Time + ½

Travel throughout the UK

Have you always wanted to use your transferable skills in a role where what you do can truly make a difference every day?

Would you enjoy working as a part of a close-knit team with a sense of camaraderie not found in a generic job?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

Due to continued growth, we have vacancies for Funeral Operatives to join our friendly team based at our Distinct Cremations Head Office in Cannock, Staffordshire with travel throughout the UK.

Like many of our employees, you might not have considered this line of work before, however with industry training provided and on-going career development, you will find it one of the most varied and rewarding opportunities you could ever imagine.

The role

Our Operations team manage a fleet of private ambulances and are responsible for collecting the deceased and bringing them our on-site mortuary to be cared for with respect and dignity.

This is a multi-skilled role encompassing both customer facing and operational activities.

A typical day could involve:

• An early start – usually between 3am – 6am.
• Driving the private ambulance to take the deceased on their ‘final journey’ to one of our network of 40 crematoriums (this could be anywhere in the country).
• Collection of the deceased from various locations nationwide and in a variety of different circumstances.
• Collection from residences, care home, hospitals so you could be communicating directly and empathetically with the family or with healthcare professionals.
• Care of the deceased once they are in our care at our on-site mortuary in Cannock – washing and preparation before carefully placing into a coffin, always demonstrating the highest level of care and respect. 
• Collecting the ashes from our network of crematoria and then hand delivering them back to a family.
• Assisting in the day to day running of the Cannock care centre including cleaning and other duties as needed.

We provide our services 24 hours, 365 days a year (including all public holidays) so flexibility will be required as you will take part in our standby and call out rota where you can earn additional payments.

This role requires flexibility and pulling together as one team to support each other and provide the exceptional care and service that we are known for.

About you

• An early bird! Typical start of your day could be between 3am – 6am.
• Confident driver – you will be driving long distances all over the country every day.
• Full training will be provided however if you have any previous experience working in the funeral / bereavement sector as a Funeral Operative / Crematorium Assistant / Funeral Assistant or similar then you will certainly have transferable skills.
• You will be required to drive a private ambulance so a full, clean UK driving licence is essential. 
• You will need to pass a DBS (criminal record) check to be considered for this role.
• You will need to be able bodied as there will be manual handling involved in this role.
• Emotionally resilient and organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Happy to work on a call out rota.
• Professional, respectful and can provide exceptional care as standard, making sure we always treat the deceased in our care with dignity and sensitivity.
• We are looking for someone who is a real team player with natural compassion and the desire to make a difference every day.
• Comfortable communicator able to speak to people in a caring and understanding manner.
• Organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Willingness to go above and beyond to deliver the highest standards of care and service to our clients.

About Distinct Cremations and Westerleigh Group

Distinct Cremations is proud to be an FCA accredited, specialist provider of direct cremation services and we are part of the Westerleigh Group.  We offer direct cremation services for people wishing to choose a simple, affordable, fuss-free funeral. We pride ourselves on offering exceptional, high-quality care and excellent service to all our customers. 

Westerleigh Group has been building and managing Crematoria for 30 years and care for 60,000 cremations and burials every year. We are the largest independent operator of crematoria in the UK, employing more than 450 empathetic and dedicated individuals and we are growing.

We play an active part in the local communities that we serve and in 2022 our sites raised over £400,000 to support local charitable causes and projects.

What We Offer

If you would like to join the Distinct Cremations team, you can be sure of a warm welcome, ongoing training and development and a sense of pride by truly make a difference every day to the families that we serve. 

In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for the following benefits:

• 32 days holiday (includes bank holidays which may be required to work if scheduled in/not booked as holiday)
• Ongoing learning & Development
• Pension scheme
• Life Assurance
• Access to a wide range of retail discounts and wellbeing support
• Uniform provided
• Headspace: Mindfulness App
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Free Cremation: Immediate family
• Bereavement Leave
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay
• Employee Assistance / Occupational health support Program
• Recognition scheme: Above & Beyond vouchers
• Snack boxes / fruit boxes on site
• Free Flu jab
• Free parking

What next? Start a career with significance by applying today.

We reserve the right to close the application window sooner if a significant number of applications are received.

If you’re not contacted, please assume you have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, feedback is not always possible due to the volume of applications we receive.