Funeral Service Operative - Casual Hours

We have an exciting opportunity to join our funeralcare team as a Casual Funeral Service Operative. This role will require a full, clean UK driving license for both manual and automatic vehicles.

Working for us on a casual basis (bank working) from time to time and when the need arises, through booked shifts Monday-Friday and via out-of-hours on an on-call rota basis - based at our Portsmouth Support Centre.

We are seeking an individual who is extremely passionate about building relationships, helping people, and delivering great service for the bereaved. Previous experience within the funeral industry is not required as at Southern Co-op we’ll support you in your career development and provide full training.

What we’re looking for

As a Casual Funeral Service Operative you’ll be delivering the best end of life care, support, and experience to the deceased and their families at their time of need. As an integral part of our Funeral Operations team, you’ll take responsibility for the deceased whilst they’re in our care. You’ll assist in the smooth delivery of funerals, from collection, transportation, and preparation of the deceased, through to driving our vehicles and acting as a conductor or bearer at Funeral Services. This is a physically and emotionally demanding role, that also calls for an empathetic and compassionate approach with an ability to remain resilient under pressure.

Your day-to-day tasks will include 

• Collecting the deceased and taking them to rest at one of our funeral homes. In some cases, this may involve challenging locations and circumstances
• Helping to dress and prepare the deceased, including preparing for viewing and placing the deceased into the coffin or casket
• Driving our vehicles with pride and care and ensuring all our vehicles are in a pristine condition for each funeral
• Acting as a bearer on all types of funerals and removals
• Supporting our local communities, building strong relationships, whilst acting as a trusted ambassador for our funeral care services
• This role will involve manual handling

Key skills required

• Great communication & listening skills
• Can demonstrate resilience and work under pressure
• High level of understanding, empathy, and compassion
• Flexibility to support our on-call service, you’ll need to be available in the evenings, at weekends, and overnight, plus be flexible to occasionally cover for holidays, sickness, and busy periods.

Company Benefits

At Southern Co-op we offer a lot more than just a job. As we are completely owned by our 200,000+ members, we put people first. Become part of the family with Southern Co-op, who are proud to serve local communities and put people first.

We can offer you:

• 20% discount in stores 
• Healthcare cash plan
• Share incentive plan
• NEST pension
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Opportunities to develop your skills through apprenticeships and our own in-house training & development programmes

Referral Scheme

Refer a successful candidate and both parties will be rewarded with a £50 voucher.
The referee will need to provide the referrers name, colleague number and store location when submitting an application.