Cemetery Team Member
| Posting date: | 02 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £28,142 to £33,699 per year |
| Additional salary information: | plus 5% shift allowance |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 December 2025 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | RES0743 |
Summary
We are seeking a Cemetery Team Member to join our passionate team, who takes pride in their work, to ensure we provide a peaceful and dignified resting place for families loved ones. Our cemetery is a place of solace, reflection, and remembrance, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of care and respect.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
You will be based at Henley Road Cemetery & Crematorium Office, All Hallows Road, Reading, RG4 5LP but the role covers all cemeteries under the control of Reading Borough Council.
You will strive to ensure the day-to-day ground’s maintenance is completed to the highest standard. Ensuring all graves are dug and well presented for burial services. Have a polite and courteous manner when dealing with visitor enquiries.
Main duties include:
To perform all duties involved with the digging of graves – mechanical or by hand – dressing of graves and subsequent filling arrangements, leaving the grave tidy and presentable.
To perform the duties involved in grounds maintenance such as strimming, mowing, hedge cutting and topping up of graves, as indicated on service schedules to ensure that the appearance and maintenance of the cemetery grounds are to specified standard.
Carry out equipment is maintenance, repaired, cleaned, and replaced.
To perform the duties involved in the exhumation of graves, as required.
To maintain floral areas and garden areas this will include weeding, planting, leaf collecting and hedge cutting
To undertake relevant activities in support of memorialisation options offered by the service.
To assist with memorial safety checks.
Be a team player by contributing to and actively participating in team meeting and service improvements.
To perform and assist with duties involved with cremation
To carry out Service Attendant duties as and when required
To assist in traffic management for large funerals, as and when required
About you
Key elements of the person spec, including any must haves
You will be expected to work well in a team and outdoors in all weathers. You will have a sense of achievement, be well organised and be able to adopt a practical approach to tasks given.
The ability to work unsupervised and project manage your area of work is essential to deliver results under pressure and within tight deadlines and objectives. Attention to detail to ensure duties are carried out with the accuracy and quality is also required.
You’ll also be asked to work some weekends, evenings and Bank holidays; this will be on a rota basis and be flexible to adjust working hours to meet operational demands if required.
The following will also help you to hit the ground running:
Experience of using a range of grounds based equipment such as strimmer’s, mowers.
Worked within a Cemetery environment or open spaces location
Experience of grave digging would be advantageous (training provided)
Experience of completing basic maintenance on equipment
Experience of dealing with the public face-to-face, as well as dealing with a variety of stakeholder organisations.
Must be of tidy appearance when required to meet members of the public
Hold a full driving licence.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading
Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively
Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential
Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: Thursday 18th December 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
You will be based at Henley Road Cemetery & Crematorium Office, All Hallows Road, Reading, RG4 5LP but the role covers all cemeteries under the control of Reading Borough Council.
You will strive to ensure the day-to-day ground’s maintenance is completed to the highest standard. Ensuring all graves are dug and well presented for burial services. Have a polite and courteous manner when dealing with visitor enquiries.
Main duties include:
To perform all duties involved with the digging of graves – mechanical or by hand – dressing of graves and subsequent filling arrangements, leaving the grave tidy and presentable.
To perform the duties involved in grounds maintenance such as strimming, mowing, hedge cutting and topping up of graves, as indicated on service schedules to ensure that the appearance and maintenance of the cemetery grounds are to specified standard.
Carry out equipment is maintenance, repaired, cleaned, and replaced.
To perform the duties involved in the exhumation of graves, as required.
To maintain floral areas and garden areas this will include weeding, planting, leaf collecting and hedge cutting
To undertake relevant activities in support of memorialisation options offered by the service.
To assist with memorial safety checks.
Be a team player by contributing to and actively participating in team meeting and service improvements.
To perform and assist with duties involved with cremation
To carry out Service Attendant duties as and when required
To assist in traffic management for large funerals, as and when required
About you
Key elements of the person spec, including any must haves
You will be expected to work well in a team and outdoors in all weathers. You will have a sense of achievement, be well organised and be able to adopt a practical approach to tasks given.
The ability to work unsupervised and project manage your area of work is essential to deliver results under pressure and within tight deadlines and objectives. Attention to detail to ensure duties are carried out with the accuracy and quality is also required.
You’ll also be asked to work some weekends, evenings and Bank holidays; this will be on a rota basis and be flexible to adjust working hours to meet operational demands if required.
The following will also help you to hit the ground running:
Experience of using a range of grounds based equipment such as strimmer’s, mowers.
Worked within a Cemetery environment or open spaces location
Experience of grave digging would be advantageous (training provided)
Experience of completing basic maintenance on equipment
Experience of dealing with the public face-to-face, as well as dealing with a variety of stakeholder organisations.
Must be of tidy appearance when required to meet members of the public
Hold a full driving licence.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading
Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively
Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential
Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: Thursday 18th December 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.