Cemetery & Grounds Team Leader (Interim)

Job Description

Job Category : Commercial
Location : 1 Derriford Business Park, Plymouth City Council
Hours Per Week : 37.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:30
Salary: £20.00

To supervise and lead a team across numerous sites. This will involve work
planning in the short term and future, the planning and coordination of burials
and cremations, developing a grounds maintenance plan and other grounds
maintenance/activities. Providing assurance to the Bereavement Service
management team that health, safety and wellbeing procedures are being
followed.

Role outcomes
 Day to day management across
four cemeteries and two
crematoria and five closed
churchyards. (30%)
 Responsible for aspects of Health
and Safety in the work place
including undertaking Risk
Assessment and ensuring they
are up to date and staff comply.
Looking for continually
improvements to reduce risks
with existing health and safety
issues. (30%)
 Seek opportunities to generate
income (10%)
 Maintain collaborative working
relationships with internal and
external partners to promote
working together e.g. Street
Services, Councillors, Funeral
Directors, Clergy, Celebrants
and the Ministry of Justice. (10%

Management of operational staff: to include performance management,
training, recruitment and allocation of work resources and equipment.
This will include people management responsibilities e.g. managing
attendance, annual performance reviews, and regular review discussions.
(15%)
 Motivate the team to deliver excellent, efficient customer service. (5%)
 Responsible for aspects of Health and Safety in the workplace including
undertaking Risk Assessments and their annual review. Knowledge of
Codes of Practice in the service area, ensuring that a safe working
environment is maintained at all times by implementing and monitoring in
accordance with corporate Health and Safety guidelines and promoting a
positive Health and Safety at work attitude throughout the service area
for both our staff, customers and general public. (15%)
 Responsible for maintaining up to date knowledge of the latest policy,
statutory rules and regulations for service delivery. Ensure that the
Bereavement Service management team are kept appraised of
developments. (10%)

Essential
qualifications/
knowledge

 Good Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation and practice
 Knowledge of using associated machinery (excavating and grave digging
and grounds maintenance equipment)

Either 2 GCSE’s Grade A-C in English and Maths OR Literacy and
numeracy commensurate with the grading of the post.
 Full driving license
 Working knowledge of the relevant legislation and codes of practice
relating to Burial and Cremation.

Experience of grave digging and burial
 ICCM (Institute of Cemetery and Crematoria Management) Cemetery
Qualification.
 Qualified to use mechanical excavators
 Capable of operating all grounds maintenance equipment used in the
service
 IOSH qualification or working towards it.
Essential
experience
 Manage workload and resource conflict to ensure adequate cover at all
times
 Experience of working with the public in a service or in situations of a
similar sensitive nature, as the post holder will have contact with
bereaved people/families, be present at burials and work with human
remains.
 Experience of work planning of own and a team across various sites to
ensure resources are in place to deliver service needs.
 Proven track record of driving through change and improving working
practices
Desirable
 Working within a Local Authority
experience
Essential skills  The ability and experience of working autonomously to develop
implement and review operational changes and service improvements to
drive service efficiencies, improved performance and meet corporate
objectives.
 Day to day supervision and task management of staff
 Planning skills to ensure resources are allocated to optimise the smooth
and effective running of the service, to plan and make recommendations
for operational changes which require the ability to problem solve and be
practical when identifying solutions to ensure planned delivery of work.
 Ability to manage, adapt and prioritise own workload and that of their
staff, when priorities and pressures are changed often within short
timescales.
 Ability to interpret relevant legislation for the service and apply same to
the operational service.
 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential to deal
with staff, customers, internal and external agencies and these situations
can sometimes be sensitive.
 Experience of budgetary controls to support financial spend in the team.

Driving skills required to drive all vehicles and plant associated with the
service.
 Effective IT skills including Microsoft Office, Excel and PowerPoint
 Be change ready, with an eye on the horizon to anticipate opportunities
and challenges and able to adapt and flex as necessary.