Location

Glasgow Road, Glasgow G53 7TH

Benefits

Pulled from the full job description

• Employee mentoring programme
• Bereavement leave
• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking

Role Purpose

This is a full-time salaried position based on 40 hours per week. Due to the nature of the role, additional hours may be required from time to time to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the position

Competitive Salary + Site and Company performance bonus + Benefits

Permanent Role

To provide full operational, commercial and people leadership for The Hurlet Crematorium, widely recognised as Scotland’s best and most awarded crematorium. This is not a standard crematorium management role. It requires an exceptional leader capable of operating at the highest level within the bereavement sector, setting benchmarks for service quality, compliance, professionalism and community engagement.

The post holder reports directly to the National Operations Manager and plays a key role in maintaining and enhancing organisational standards, performance and best practice across the wider business.

Crematorium Management and Operations

• Overall responsibility for managing all aspects of the crematorium, ensuring services are delivered with dignity, compassion and consistency.
• Ensure full compliance with cremation legislation, environmental permitting, health and safety and fire safety requirements.
• Oversee the safe and effective operation of cremators and all ancillary plant and equipment in line with manufacturer guidance and regulatory standards.
• Monitor service quality, operational performance and KPIs, escalating risks, issues and performance matters to the National Operations Manager as required.

Quality Control, Governance and Regulatory Leadership

• Act as the site lead for all quality control standards, ensuring excellence is embedded across every aspect of crematorium operations.
• Oversee, maintain and regularly review the Crematorium Management Plan, ensuring it remains current, robust and fully implemented.
• Ensure full compliance with health and safety requirements and all company policies, embedding a strong culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure an outstanding and consistent quality of service is delivered to funeral director partners, families and all other stakeholders.
• Lead on Scottish Government inspections and SEPA partner relations, including responsibility for annual and monthly reporting, compliance submissions and ongoing liaison.
• Ensure the crematory operates to the organisation’s very high quality control standards, overseeing both day to day operational performance and planned maintenance arrangements.
• Manage and maintain effective working relationships with the cremator partner and supplier, ensuring equipment performance, reliability and compliance.
• Act as the facility lead for professional memberships and inspection partnerships with the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management and the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, ensuring inspection readiness and continuous alignment with sector best practice.

Strategic, Commercial and Financial Management

• Work closely with the Senior Finance Manager and National Operations Manager to deliver agreed financial targets, budgets and performance objectives.
• Manage day to day financial administration including invoicing, payment processing, banking, receipts and debt management.
• Ensure all month end financial reports are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Contribute to financial forecasting, business planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and deliver opportunities to increase cremation volumes, memorial income and community engagement while maintaining the highest service standards.
• Manage monthly budgets costs and expenses alongside the Operations manager and identify savings where appropriate.
• Ensure Aged debtors are kept to a minimum with good communications and escalation processes.
• Compile monthly banking, memorial stock level and energy, gas and solar readings are reported to the finance director.

Office and Administrative Management

• Manage all crematorium communications, including oversight of the crematorium email account and handling enquiries from families and funeral directors.
• Oversee the service booking system, managing bookings both online and by telephone.
• Prepare, check and authorise all statutory cremation documentation and legal paperwork prior to services and cremations.
• Ensure records are accurate, complete and maintained in line with audit, inspection and regulatory requirements.

Health, Safety and Compliance Leadership

• Organise and maintain staff training to ensure compliance with health, safety and fire legislation.
• Carry out and record routine health and safety checks, tests and drills, ensuring remedial actions are implemented where required.
• Act as the site lead for inspections, audits and regulatory engagement, reporting outcomes, risks and actions to the National Operations Manager.

Crematorium Ambassador and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a senior ambassador for The Hurlet Crematorium, building and maintaining strong, ethical and professional relationships with funeral directors and key stakeholders in the community.
• Support business growth through positive engagement, collaboration and exemplary standards of working practice.
• Manage feedback and complaints with sensitivity, professionalism and authority, resolving matters fairly while upholding the dignity, policies and values of the crematorium.
• Oversee and manage with your team any local stakeholder events, alongside important annual and seasonal events such as Mother’s Day, Fathers day, Baby loss  and Christmas services.

Memorial Sales and Development

• Support families with care and sensitivity in selecting appropriate memorial options to commemorate their loved ones.
• Source and manage relationships with external memorial suppliers to ensure best value, quality and specialist expertise.
• Oversee memorial sales, development and aftercare to support sustainable and ethical revenue generation.
• Identify and develop new memorial garden locations, optimising the use of available greenspace while enhancing biodiversity, environmental value and long-term sustainability of the site.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, manage and develop the crematorium team, fostering a culture of professionalism, empathy, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Provide clear leadership through monthly one to one meetings with all direct reports, reviewing performance, wellbeing, training needs and development objectives.
• Lead monthly team meetings to communicate operational updates, reinforce standards, review performance and promote open, constructive dialogue.
• Conduct annual performance reviews, setting clear objectives aligned to organisational goals and identifying development and succession needs.
• Ensure a programme of continual training and professional development for all staff, maintaining high standards of competence, compliance and service delivery.
• Proactively identify training needs to ensure staff remain up to date with legislation, technical competence, bereavement care standards and best practice.
• Train and mentor new team members in bereavement etiquette, funeral service standards, operational procedures and legislative compliance.
• Ensure all staff adhere to health and safety policies, procedures and statutory obligations at all times.
• Manage crematorium technician operations and staffing, ensuring cremators and ancillary equipment are operated safely and in line with manufacturer and regulatory requirements.
• Support performance management and succession planning, escalating workforce matters to the National Operations Manager where appropriate.

About You

• We seek to surround ourselves with people who are bright, articulate, committed and professional. Above all, we value individuals with high emotional intelligence who are caring, understanding and compassionate, and who recognise the responsibility and privilege of working with bereaved families.
• A confident problem solver, able to remain calm under pressure, assess risk, make sound decisions and resolve issues effectively in a highly regulated and sensitive environment. While previous crematorium management experience is advantageous, it is not essential. You will be able to demonstrate strong leadership experience and a transferable skill set suitable to managing a crematorium.
• You will be commercially aware and motivated. Managing a modern, award-winning crematorium requires more than maintaining the status quo. You will bring the drive and ambition to grow catchments, memorial sales and revenue streams while protecting service quality and dignity.
• You will hold, or be working towards, the ICCM Crematorium and Cemetery Diploma, demonstrating a commitment to professional standards, governance and continuous development within the bereavement sector.
• If you are not already cremator technician qualified, you will be willing to undertake professional training, with full support provided through either the ICCM or FBCA Cremator Technician training route.
• You will be a confident and assured communicator, capable of leading calmly on the front line, supporting staff and families, and representing the crematorium professionally with funeral directors, stakeholders and partner organisations.
• You will be IT literate, with confidence using Word, Excel and email. You will also be comfortable learning and operating industry specific booking and diary management systems, alongside a digital music and visual tribute platform, for which full training will be provided.
• You will be flexible and committed, with the ability to undertake occasional travel to other sites for management meetings, training and collaborative working.

Email applications to david.mcnaughton@horizoncremation.co.uk