Gooding Funeral Directors – Leeds, West Yorkshire
Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £29,000–£35,000 per year, depending on experience
Additional pay: paid on-call, call-out payments and overtime
Gooding Funeral Directors is entering a new chapter under new management, and we are looking for a calm, organised and hands-on person to lead the day-to-day running of our Leeds branch.
This is a varied role for someone who understands that funeral service is both practical and deeply personal. You will be the main full-time person in the branch, supported by our Client Services Manager, Operations Manager, casual funeral staff, drivers, bearers and mortuary support when required.
We are looking for someone who can arrange funerals, conduct funerals, manage the office, support families with compassion, and assist with hospital, care home and home collections when needed.
Gooding Funeral Directors supports families from many backgrounds across Leeds and Yorkshire, with particular experience serving Caribbean, Sikh, Hindu and South Asian families. Cultural sensitivity, patience, discretion and respect are essential.
What you’ll be doing
You will be responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the branch, including:
Managing the office, diary, calls, paperwork, appointments and family enquiries.
Arranging funerals from first contact through to the day of the service.
Meeting families with compassion, professionalism and attention to detail.
Booking crematoria, cemeteries, ministers, celebrants, faith leaders, vehicles, flowers, orders of service and other suppliers.
Conducting funerals and ensuring each service runs with dignity and care.
Coordinating casual drivers, bearers, mortuary staff and external suppliers.
Attending hospital, hospice, care home and home collections when required.
Handling deceased persons with dignity, care and respect.
Carrying out manual-handling duties safely, with training, equipment and team support.
Maintaining accurate records, estimates, invoices and compliance paperwork.
Building trusted relationships with local communities, churches, gurdwaras, mandirs, care homes and hospitals.
Reporting to the Client Services Manager and Operations Manager.
What we’re looking for
We are looking for someone who is:
Calm, compassionate and emotionally mature.
Highly organised and able to manage several funerals and families at once.
Confident speaking with bereaved families in person and by phone.
Comfortable working in a small, hands-on branch environment.
Able to conduct themselves professionally in homes, hospitals, places of worship, crematoria and cemeteries.
Willing and able to assist with removals and collections, including respectful handling of deceased persons.
Able to carry out safe manual-handling duties as part of a team.
Flexible around funeral times, occasional evenings, weekends and paid out-of-hours call-outs.
A good communicator with strong admin and IT skills.
A full UK driving licence holder.
Experience we would like
Funeral arranging, funeral directing, funeral service operative, mortuary, bereavement, care, ambulance, healthcare or similar experience would be highly valuable.
Direct experience arranging or conducting funerals would be a strong advantage.
Knowledge of Caribbean, Sikh, Hindu or South Asian funeral customs would be welcomed, but is not essential. What matters most is respect, willingness to learn, and the ability to serve every family with dignity.
What we offer
Salary of £29,000–£35,000 depending on experience.
Paid on-call and call-out payments.
Overtime where agreed.
A respected local funeral brand with strong community links.
Support from an experienced management team.
Training and development, including funeral service qualifications where appropriate.
Company phone, uniform and PPE.
A varied, meaningful role where no two days are the same.
The opportunity to help shape the future of Gooding Funeral Directors in Leeds.
How to apply
Please apply with your CV and a short note explaining your experience with funeral service, bereavement care, branch operations, removals, community work or similar.
We are looking to appoint quickly, so early applications are encouraged.
Gooding Funeral Directors is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and will consider reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
Pay: £29,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
