Cemetery Operative

G6: £31,537 - £34,434 per annum (Plus standby and call out payments) Our Bereavement Service grounds team provides a high quality and sensitive service to a wide range of faiths and cultures across the Walsall District. We are looking for a Cemetery Operative to assist with the delivery of funerals and the grounds maintenance of seven cemeteries across the Borough. The work will mainly involve the excavation and preparation of grave plots, both using machinery and by hand, statutory attendance at funerals and other activities connected with the maintenance of cemeteries and closed church yards, including:

• Undertaking duties across all areas of cemetery management which also includes grave checking and mapping, exhumations, memorial safety checking and regulatory enforcement as well as updating records electronically.
• Carry out a range site maintenance duties including grass cutting, application of weedkillers and pesticides, hedge cutting using a range of machinery and hand tools.
• Support a range of horticultural duties, including shrub bed maintenance, ornamental and elective pruning and seasonal care of flowerbeds and planters.
  
  A current Full UK Driving Licence
• Willingness to work in an outdoors based role, irrelevant of weather conditions with the ability to sustain periods of heavy physical effort.
• Understanding of the importance of health and safety on site and the following of safe working procedures.
• Ability to cover a burial rota covering evenings ( summer season), weekends and Bank Holidays throughout the year on a standby and call out basis.
• The ability to conduct themselves appropriately and deal with members of the public, funeral directors and other stakeholders, often in sensitive situations.
Previous experience of a ground's maintenance role, operating a range of machinery or use of horticultural equipment would be an advantage, as would an NVQ in Amenity Horticulture (or willingness to work towards). Evening work (during summer months) and weekend/bank holiday duties are required on a rota basis. You will be asked to provide a copy of your full driving licence at the interview stage.

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.