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Funeral Service Crew

Canterbury
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Job ID 1059577 Job category Funeralcare Hours per week 37.5 Closing date 09-10-2025 Salary £24,940 (£12.79 per hour) plus benefits
Funeral Service Crew
£24,940 (£12.79 per hour) plus benefits 
Full time 37.5 hours per week, Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm - as part of this role, you’ll also be part of the on call rota
Canterbury, CT1 1BU

You can apply for this job on your mobile in a few simple steps – no CV required.

You’ll need a full manual UK driver’s licence for this job.

Help families say the perfect goodbye to loved ones as part of our funeral service crew.
You don’t need any previous experience in the funeral industry as we provide full training and ongoing support, plus access to a wide range of benefits including competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme, and discounts on a range of Co-op products and services.

At the Co-op, you’ll be part of something meaningful. Join us today.

What you’ll do

• collect the deceased from a range of locations and scenarios in a professional and empathetic manner
• bear coffins on the day of the funeral and drive funeral vehicles
• maintain the cleanliness of equipment and facilities, including vehicles
• prepare coffins and engrave name plates
• prepare the deceased in our care for viewings and the funeral
• maintain client management applications daily, inputting detailed and timely information to keep records consistently updated
• safely lift, carry and move coffins following safe techniques, using handling aids and equipment and following health and safety guidance to prevent injuries

This role would suit people who have

• a full UK manual driving licence
• the ability to perform the physical aspects of the role (such as manual lifting). Appropriate training and equipment to ensure safe working practices will be provided.
• good IT skills, with the confidence to use a range of technology devices (e.g computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and scanners) and the ability to learn and effectively use new applications and systems.
• the ability to react calmly and compassionately in emotional circumstances, with a sensitive and empathetic approach to customer service
• strong attention to detail and accuracy, making sure regulatory policies and processes are always adhered to

Why Co-op?

You’ll get a fantastic benefits package including:

• 30% off Co-op branded products and 10% off other brands in our food stores all year-round, as well as discounts on other Co-op products and services
• 23 days holidays (pro rata, rising with service)
• a pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• access to our Employee Assistance Programme which offers confidential advice and support on anything you’re struggling with, 24 hours a day
• access to virtual GP and free eye tests
• endless career development opportunities including apprenticeships
• friendly, supportive team and the knowledge that you make a huge difference to your community
• access to Wagestream - a money management app that gives you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. As one of the world’s largest co-operatives, owned by millions of members, community is at the heart of what we do. Since our Co-op was founded in 1844, we’ve had a clear social purpose, and everything we do as a business helps to build a fairer world for our members, customers, colleagues, and communities.

Building an inclusive work environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. We want to build inclusive work environments, where our colleagues have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. We celebrate our differences, and recognise the importance of our teams reflecting the communities they serve.

If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply. If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate. You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process.
You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-wellbeing.

As part of your application you’ll need to complete an online assessment. It will take you around 20 minutes to complete this test.

If you’re successful in your application, we’ll perform some background checks as part of our pre-employment screening process. These will include a DBS (disclosure and barring service) and adverse media checks, and an occupational health questionnaire (to ensure you are fit to perform the role). We’ll also check your social media activity on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Any offer of employment made will be conditional upon the completion of pre-employment screening checks.

We reserve the right to remove a vacancy before the scheduled closing date.
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Benefits

  • Holidays starting from 31 days holiday per year (includes bank holidays)
  • 30% off Co-op branded products in our food stores
  • Pension with up to 10% employer contributions
  • Wagestream – a money management app that gives you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
  • Services to support your physical, mental and financial wellbeing
  • Flexibility – we’ll aim to find a working pattern that fits your life
  • Endless career development opportunities including apprenticeships

Success profile

What makes a successful member of our team? Check out the top traits we're looking for and see if you have the right mix.

  • Forging Relationships
  • Co-operation
  • Teamwork
  • Empathy
  • Compassion
  • Speaking Up

Who we are

At Co-op Funeralcare, we’re proud to support people during their most difficult moments.

This can be emotional work. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. Our Funeralcare colleagues work together to offer care and support to people experiencing grief. Whether you’re a Funeral Arranger, Funeral Director or part of our Funeral Service Crew, you’ll need to be compassionate and dedicated to helping others. Your empathy and sensitivity will not only aid people in their time of need, but also help you to build a deeply fulfilling career.

Our culture

Smiling at work is easy when you see the difference you make. And our funeralcare colleagues take pride in positively impacting our communities

At Co-op you’ll be welcomed and included, cared for inside and outside of work, and empowered by supportive leaders.

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We’re all in this together and at Co-op, we always look out for each other.

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We’ll do all we can to help you create a great work/life balance.

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If you experience abuse or harassment in the workplace, we’ll support you.

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Your manager won’t solve all your problems, but they’ll understand and empower you.

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Find out about our roles

A career with Co-op Funeralcare could take you in a number of different directions, including management, embalming or a role in our support functions. You could even progress into another Co-op business area like Retail, Legal Services or Insurance.

Our Funeral Service Crew help with the funeral and care for the deceased. You’ll work closely with your team to provide a seamless, sensitive service. And you don’t need experience – just a full UK driver’s licence. We’ll give you all the support you need to help build your career with Co-op Funeralcare.

Our Funeral Arrangers are the first point of contact for clients. They get to know clients’ needs and help them plan their funeral. You’ll need empathy and great customer service skills because your clients will look to you for help, support and advice. We’ll teach you everything else you need to do the job through our training and support.

As a Funeral Director, you’ll spend most of your time with families, supporting them through the funeral arrangements. You’ll manage your own time and build strong, trusting relationships. We’ll give you all the support and training you need to develop your team and deliver a thoughtful service that works for our clients, and our business. Here, you’ll discover job satisfaction you never thought possible.

These are management roles. Our Care Logistics Managers focus on the co-ordination of funerals and the line management of operational teams, making sure all resources are in the right place at the right time. Funeral Services Managers look after multiple branches, making sure funeral services are consistently delivered to the highest possible standards.

Becoming an Embalmer isn’t a common career choice, but it is an incredibly rewarding one. Embalmers help preserve and restore deceased people, creating a peaceful and lasting image for their family and friends. It’s a highly skilled and technical role, for which you need an official BIE qualification. If don’t hold this qualification, you can enrol on our embalmer apprenticeship.

Our apprenticeships are open to everyone. As a Level 2 Funeral Team Member, you’ll develop your funeral arranging skills, learning how to deliver them with care and compassion. At Level 3, you can learn how to become a funeral director. Or you can become an embalmer with our Level 5 Embalmer programme, or progress to managerial roles with our degree apprenticeships. There are all kinds of ways you can progress in this role. Find out more on our apprentice hub.

Our application process

Every application process at Co-op is unique, but you’ll always experience 4 key stages.

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Applying for a job

You can apply for a job with us quickly and easily on your laptop or phone. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before or if you have little experience — it’s all about matching our values and bringing your passion, motivation and capabilities to your new role.

You don't need a CV to apply for a Funeralcare role at Co-op. We think that empathy and compassion are more important than experience and qualifications.

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Online assessment

As part of your application you’ll need to complete an online assessment which will measure how well your behaviours, values and motivations match up to this role. It will take around 20 minutes to complete.

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Interview

If you pass your online assessment and short phone call, you’ll be asked to come to one of our Funeralcare homes for an interview.

We’ll send you an email for you to choose a date and time for your interview online – but if you can’t make it, don’t worry, you can provide the Hiring Manager times of when’s best for you. Before your interview, we’ll send you a really helpful guide on how best to prepare, so nothing on the day should surprise you, and most importantly what proof you need to bring to prove your right to work in the UK.

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Your decision

If you’re successful at your interview, you’ll receive a phone call from the hiring manager you met to talk about your job offer. If you accept, we’ll then send your offer online via an email. Before anything can be processed, we'll need you to accept this offer online. There will then be a round of pre-employment screening, including background checks. Once all confirmed, this will start your journey into our Co-op.

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Build your CV, practice interview techniques and psychometric tests, or take quizzes on ability, motivation, personality and resilience. It’s all designed to help you develop your skills and build your career.

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