Bereavement Services Manager
| Posting date: | 24 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £50,001.00 to £110,000.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Grade 10 (SCP 42-46) £53,460 - £57,927 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 23 March 2026 |
| Location: | Sunderland, SR1 3AA |
| Company: | Sunderland City Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 292684 |
Summary
Sunderland City Council is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Bereavement Services Manager to lead the delivery of our caring, professional and high-quality bereavement service.
Our Bereavement Services Team is responsible for the management of ten cemeteries and Sunderland Crematorium, supporting families across the city with dignity, sensitivity and respect. This is a key leadership role within Environmental Services, ensuring that the service remains compliant, customer-focused, and continuously improving.
We are looking to recruit a highly motivated, experienced, and emotionally resilient manager who can provide both strategic direction and strong operational leadership. You will guide the team in delivering exceptional customer care, maintaining high standards across all sites, and developing the service in line with legislation, best practice, and the needs of our communities. Ideally, applicants will hold the ICCM Diploma (or an equivalent qualification), or be willing to work towards this. A Management Degree or related professional qualification (such as NVQ Level 5 or above, CIPD), along with recent evidence of ongoing professional development in bereavement services, would be advantageous and help support effective leadership within this specialist area. Strong business and resource management experience is essential, as is the ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement while supporting the team with empathy and professionalism.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of bereavement services in Sunderland and to lead a team committed to supporting families with compassion at the most difficult times in their lives.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:
David Groark andndash; Head of Local, Bereavement and Winter Maintenance - David.groark@sunderland.gov.uk
Applications should be made on-line at northeastjobs.org.uk/sunderlandcitycouncil. For further assistance contact Customer Enabling Services by email: jobs@sunderland.gov.uk
andnbsp;
Please note that CVs are not accepted.
Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered online with North East Jobs, including your invitation to any online assessment you are required to undertake and your invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please check your email inbox after the closing date for notifications as you may not be notified by any other means. Please remember to check your junk mail items.
andnbsp;
Our Bereavement Services Team is responsible for the management of ten cemeteries and Sunderland Crematorium, supporting families across the city with dignity, sensitivity and respect. This is a key leadership role within Environmental Services, ensuring that the service remains compliant, customer-focused, and continuously improving.
We are looking to recruit a highly motivated, experienced, and emotionally resilient manager who can provide both strategic direction and strong operational leadership. You will guide the team in delivering exceptional customer care, maintaining high standards across all sites, and developing the service in line with legislation, best practice, and the needs of our communities. Ideally, applicants will hold the ICCM Diploma (or an equivalent qualification), or be willing to work towards this. A Management Degree or related professional qualification (such as NVQ Level 5 or above, CIPD), along with recent evidence of ongoing professional development in bereavement services, would be advantageous and help support effective leadership within this specialist area. Strong business and resource management experience is essential, as is the ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement while supporting the team with empathy and professionalism.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of bereavement services in Sunderland and to lead a team committed to supporting families with compassion at the most difficult times in their lives.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:
David Groark andndash; Head of Local, Bereavement and Winter Maintenance - David.groark@sunderland.gov.uk
Applications should be made on-line at northeastjobs.org.uk/sunderlandcitycouncil. For further assistance contact Customer Enabling Services by email: jobs@sunderland.gov.uk
andnbsp;
Please note that CVs are not accepted.
Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered online with North East Jobs, including your invitation to any online assessment you are required to undertake and your invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please check your email inbox after the closing date for notifications as you may not be notified by any other means. Please remember to check your junk mail items.
andnbsp;
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.