Job Summary
The Mortuary & Bereavement (M&B) Manager is accountable to the General Manager. The purpose of the M&B Manager is to be the professional lead for Mortuary and Bereavement Services across the Trust and take the lead on ensuring that quality standards and regulatory compliance is met across all Trust sites.
They will work closely with operational teams to ensure the effective delivery of services to patients in accordance with agreed objectives, targets, quality standards, controls and resource constraints. The M&B Manager will be expected to support the General Manager in the delivery of Trust objectives and ensuring national targets are achieved.
The post holder will support the Clinical Director and General Manager with the development and delivery of a strategic vision and ensure service changes meet internal and external expectations and standards.
The post holder will need to understand the business requirements and implement plans for service improvement using modernisation techniques and involve patients to ensure changes to services meet patient’s expectations as well as ensuring the required capacity to meet key clinical performance targets.
Main duties of the job
– Lead and manage mortuary and bereavement services across all Trust sites, ensuring high-quality, compliant and safe practice.Oversee performance, KPIs, audits and readiness for inspections (HTA, CQC), taking action to resolve issues and maintain standards. – Work with clinical and operational teams to ensure effective service delivery, facilities, and support for patient pathways. – Provide professional and technical leadership, guiding staff, managing workforce planning, and overseeing recruitment, development and performance. – Handle complaints, risk management, incidents, and governance processes, ensuring learning and improvement. – Manage budgets, financial planning, income capture and cost-improvement initiatives. – Lead service redesign, change projects and modernisation work in line with Trust strategy. – Liaise with internal teams and external agencies (Coroner, funeral directors, police, other Trusts) on all aspects of care of the deceased.
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant Masters, equivalent professional qualification or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development.
- RSPH Certificate & Diploma of Anatomical Pathology Technology, or RSPH Level 3 and 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology)
Desirable
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules
- Prince 2 qualification or equivalent experience
- Understanding of lean methodology
Previous experience
Essential
- Supervision, training and teaching Healthcare professionals
- Evidence of managing successful project and / or operational performance a
- Operational experience in managing complex services including design, development, implementation and management of change in a multiple stakeholder environment.
- Experience of managing complex budgets from a range of income sources and demonstrable evidence of individual, team, financial, process and change management.
- Extensive experience working as an Anatomical Pathology Technologist.
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of the changing NHS environment, strategy, and policy agendas.
- Experience of working within the Medical Examiner framework.
Skills
Essential
- Practical knowledge of current mortuary & bereavement practices and legislation
- Knowledge of Human Tissue Act
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services.
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services.
- Highly effective people and project management skills.
- Use advanced analytical and judgement skills including understanding and application of complex statistical and numerical data.
- Work flexibly, prioritise workloads and resource them in response to changing demands and requirements.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (written, oral, presentation, facilitation), networking and negotiation skills with a track record in consistently delivering performance targets and writing complex business cases, policies and change.
- Excellent management skills including motivating and coaching staff.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and delegate effectively.
- Ability to find innovative ways of solving or pre-empting problems.
- IT literate, including competency in MS Office programmes and in particular in Excel.
Desirable
- Extensive knowledge of contract management.
- Excellent understanding and track record of successful change and project management.
- Extensive knowledge of operations and / or project management methodologies and techniques.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 07 January 2026
