Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week

Contract Type:  Full-Time, Permanent

Additional Payments: Essential Car Allowance

Closing Date: 15 April 2026

Closing time: 11.59pm 

Interview Method: Face to Face 

Legal Right to Work: Applicants must have existing right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. 

This role is subject to - 

2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history. 
 
Essential Car Documentation- This post is a designated Essential Car User. Therefore, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work. You will receive the Essential Car User Allowance. 
 
Driving Licence – The successful candidate should hold a full clean driving licence as you will be required to drive a vehicle adhering to council regulations. 

Bereavement Services deliver in the region of 3,000 burial and cremation services each year in the Councils five cemeteries and one crematorium.  The Infrastructure Assistant Manager role sits within the Infrastructure Team which provides cemetery management and delivery of the burial service and grounds maintenance function for five cemeteries within Bereavement Services.  This is an exciting opportunity to join a successful, award winning team.

You’ll contribute to service improvements and high quality customer care providing a compassionate service for bereaved families.  

The Infrastructure teams are divided into two areas:  North (Blackley Cemetery and Crematorium), Philips Park, Gorton and Manchester General Cemeteries) and South (Southern Cemetery) with currently two Assistant Manager covering North and one covering South. 

This role offers the chance to lead and support a team of Cemetery Workers, helping to deliver safe, high‑quality burial services and maintain our cemetery grounds to an excellent standard. You’ll coordinate daily tasks, support health & safety, ensure compliance with policies and procedures. You will also work closely with the customer care team.

The role also includes supporting the Crematorium team and daily operation, working collaboratively to ensure smooth, respectful and efficient delivery of both burial and cremation services.

You’ll contribute to service improvements, support the Infrastructure Operations Manager, as well as the Customer Services Operations Manager, to help ensure our cemeteries and crematorium remain well‑managed, compassionate spaces for Manchester’s communities.

The role holder will provide high quality, customer focused, flexible and timely operational support to improve the quality of the local environment, generating awareness of local services, engaging and empowering community members to access services and encouraging involvement in activities that promote positive action. 

The role holder will work collaboratively with other neighbourhood focused services to ensure that Council services and partner agencies are working to the highest standards to provide a quality environment for all Manchester residents. 

The role holder will contribute to ensuring the service is of award standards and support applications such as Green Flag, Briton in Bloom etc. As well as working with various friends groups to support community engagement.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring managers, Andrew Wood (andrew.wood@manchester.gov.uk) or Liam Keary (liam.keary@manchester.gov.uk) to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.


 Essential requirements for the role:  

The role holder will lead, coordinate and supervise the whole team of Customer Care Officers across the two sites, and undertake line management responsibility.  They will oversee the day to day workload of the team and assign work and resources as required.  They will arrange relevant training and development of team members to ensure that staff are equipped to carry out their work to the highest standards.  They will undertake About You discussions, attendance management and other necessary management tasks.

The post holder will be expected to proactively look for opportunities and ideas for improvements and change, and implement these to enhance the service delivery and streamline working processes.
The Customer Care team is required to work alongside the Infrastructure teams across all cemeteries and the crematorium, to coordinate and communicate tasks ensuring smooth and efficient delivery of the service.  Strong team work and communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work proactively and use initiative and quick thinking to resolve problems.   

The experience below would be beneficial but is not essential:  

Desirable requirements that would be useful in this role:   

Previous experience/understanding of Bereavement Services.

Delivery of high quality customer services.

Previous management experience.

Knowledge of various IT applications, such as word, excel etc

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. 

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone. 

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

  • We take time to listen and understand
  • We work together and trust each other
  • We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
  • We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
  • We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer 

  • Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks. 
  • A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum. 
  • Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events. 
  • Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more. 
  • Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process. 
  • A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life. 
  • Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits. 

 

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council 

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people. 

Support During the Process

  • Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
  • Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone. 

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme 

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

  • Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
  • Current or former care leavers
  • Have a disability or long-term condition

 When You Join Us 

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

  • A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
  • Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
  • A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

 

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email jobs@manchester.gov.uk. 

What we will need from you if you're successful 

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.  

Pre-Employment Checks 

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve. 

Other relevant information 

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role. 

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.
 
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. 
 
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Location

, , Manchester, , United Kingdom

Job ID

7782