Operations Manager

Overview

As an Operational Manager, you will lead the Infrastructure Team within Bereavement Services, shaping how burial, cremation, grounds care, and related infrastructure are delivered across multiple sites. You will partner with local communities, funeral directors, and stakeholders to drive service improvements, sustainability, and asset management. The role combines people leadership with budget, fleet, and contract oversight to sustain dignified services and green spaces. This is a chance to influence public service delivery with broad impact.

Pay / Benefits

• up to 26 days’ annual leave
• buy up to two extra weeks’ leave
• up to 3 days’ volunteering leave
• 35-hour work week for full-time roles
• UK’s largest local government pension scheme
• enhanced parental and carers leave

Responsibilities

• Lead frontline operational teams and set a positive work culture
• Deliver high-quality burial, cremation, and grounds maintenance across multiple sites
• Manage budgets, resources, vehicles, machinery and contracts
• Ensure compliance with health and safety legislation and best practices
• Engage stakeholders including funeral directors, faith groups, councillors, contractors and communities
• Drive service improvements, sustainability initiatives, and infrastructure investments

Key requirements

• Experience managing frontline operational teams
• Experience in a local government or public sector environment
• Strong knowledge of health and safety management and safe systems of work
• Experience managing budgets, resources and service performance
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and partnership working skills
• Ability to motivate teams and deliver continuous improvement
• NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent health and safety qualification, or willingness to obtain one

• stakeholder engagement
• team motivation
• continuous improvement
• health and safety management
• budget and resource management
• contract and fleet management

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