This job posting is open to both internal and external applicants.

Salary range: £68,571 - £72,294 per annum inclusive of London weighting

Contract: Fixed term (7 months) - Maternity Cover

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

Shape the future of burial services in Brent

Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, with communities, ideas and experiences from across the world helping to shape who we are. Working here means joining a council that is focused on fairness, open to new thinking and committed to improving life for local people.

Our values shape how we work and what people can expect from us. We collaborate proactively, lead inclusively, embrace change, are bold and curious, and celebrate and share our success. For people who care about public service and want their work to matter, Brent offers the chance to make a meaningful difference.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Service Manager to lead the delivery and future development of Brent's Bereavement Service.

Reporting to the Head of Registration and Bereavement Services, you will lead operations across the borough's cemeteries, ensuring high standards of service delivery, health and safety, grounds maintenance, memorial safety and customer care. You will oversee a diverse operational team, manage contractors and budgets, and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and best practice.

This role comes at a particularly exciting time for the service. The Council is aiming to develop a new Bereavement Strategy, investing in service improvement and transformation, and implementing a new leadership structure designed to strengthen operational delivery and management capacity. As Cemeteries Manager, you will play a key role in shaping these developments, supporting new Team Leaders, driving performance and helping to influence the future direction of bereavement services in Brent.

In this role, you will:

Lead the day-to-day management of Brent's cemeteries and burial operations
Manage and develop a multi-disciplinary operational team, promoting high performance and continuous improvement
Ensure compliance with legislation, health and safety requirements and industry best practice
Support service transformation, improvement projects and implementation of the council's Bereavement Strategy

This fixed-term maternity cover opportunity offers the chance to make a genuine impact in a highly visible service that supports residents at some of the most difficult times in their lives.

About you

We are looking for someone who:

Has substantial experience managing cemetery, bereavement, grounds maintenance, or other frontline operational services
Has a strong understanding of burial legislation, cemetery management and memorial safety requirements
Can lead, motivate and develop operational teams to delivery high-quality services
Has experience managing budgets, contractors and service performance within a complex organisation
Can drive improvement, challenge existing ways of working and support service transformation
Has excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with residents, elected members, contractors and partner organisations
Understands the importance of providing sensitive, inclusive and culturally responsive services
Is organised, resilient and able to balance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational demands

Why join us?

We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:

27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers’ leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
Learning and development opportunities to support your career
Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

To learn more about our staff benefits, visit Our offer to you.

How to apply:

This position is only open to current employees of Brent Council and temporary agency workers currently working at Brent Council. External candidates are not permitted to apply for internal only roles.

Please note that employees must have successfully completed their probationary period before applying for this vacancy

Closing date: Thursday 22 October 2026 (23:59)

Interested in applying? Click "Apply Now" to begin your application.

You will need to submit a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria in the job description. This is a key part of the selection process, and applications without a supporting statement may not be considered. You may also upload a CV to support your application, but it cannot replace the supporting statement.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you are interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Applications from candidates who have applied for this role in the last 6 months will not be considered.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@brent.gov.uk.

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

Job Description