Head of Operational Standards

Job Summary

As Head of Operational Standards, you'll own how we care for the people who have died and how every funeral is delivered, across every Dignity funeral home and care centre. This is a new role. For the first time, it brings our specialists in care of the deceased, process and procedures, change and adoption, and logistics and delivery together into one team. You'll lead that team and make it work as one. The role at a glance: Reports to the Director of Funeral Operations

Responsibilities

• leads a small team of experienced specialists national scope across our funeral homes and care centres,
• Lead and develop your team of specialists, building a team where everyone can cover each other's work
• Oversee our national care of the deceased standards, including embalming and identification, and support growing our care standards into a complete guide for every branch
• Turn regulation into practical guidance, covering CMA requirements, FCA Consumer Duty and Scottish regulation, as the rest of the UK moves towards regulation too
• Coach our Heads of Region and Cluster Managers directly, out in the field, so standards stick in daily practice
• Make sure new systems and processes really embed, and represent operational standards as we redesign how our network works
• Turn recurring complaints into fixed processes, keep us audit- and inspection-ready, and work with partners including the NAFD

Requirements

• Substantial experience in UK funeral operations, with strong hands-on knowledge of care of the deceased and end-to-end funeral delivery
• Experience leading a standards, compliance or quality function at national level
• A track record of turning national policy into consistent branch-level practice
• Experience coaching field-based managers where they work, not just running classroom training
• A strong grasp of the regulations that affect funeral operations, including CMA and Scottish regulation
• Clear writing that turns complex requirements into plain, practical guidance
• A full UK driving licence, and flexibility to travel regularly and join our out-of-hours escalation rota

Most of all, you'll be the conscience of our operation. You'll hold yourself and others to high standards, speak up when something isn't right, and always put honesty and openness with families first, while knowing when to be pragmatic and find common ground. Experience in another regulated, care-led sector such as healthcare, or of working with industry bodies, would be a bonus. You'll find full details in the job description.

Why Dignity

Dignity is one of the UK's leading funeral providers, and other funeral directors look to us to see what good looks like. The standards you set won't just guide our own branches. They'll help define good funeral care across the country. When someone dies, families need to know they can rely on us completely. Your job is to make sure the standards behind that are clear, practical and followed every day, and to move us from fixing problems as they arise to closing gaps before they reach a family., Why Dignity Funeral Directors, part of Life Services Group Death is part of life, and being there for families when it matters is what we do. Do work that means something, in a business changing an industry for the better. Dignity Funeral Directors is part of Life Services Group, alongside The Crematorium and Memorial Group (CMG), Simplicity Cremations, Dignity Legal Services and Farewill. Our vision is to be the UK's leading end-of-life company, helping one in three people across the UK to plan for and deal with death, and we're proud to be named in the FT 500 Best UK Employers 2026, and a top 50 employer. Meaningful purpose. We're there for families at or planning for the hardest moments of their lives. We set high standards for ourselves and aim to lead the industry. Grow with us. Be part of a group with learning, apprenticeships and leadership routes across our brands, creating more opportunities for a fulfilling career. Shape the future. We're changing so we can be the UK's number one end-of-life provider. You'll have a say in that change. And you'll see what it delivers, for families and for the bottom line., Dignity Funeral Directors is part of Life Services Group, which includes FCA-regulated activities. Some roles may be subject to relevant training, screening, conduct and regulatory requirements. We'll confirm this during the recruitment process.

Benefits

• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• £6,000 car allowance for travel across our sites
• Annual bonus of up to 10%
• Private medical cover for your family
• Pension with contributions matched up to 4%
• Life assurance of four times your salary
• My Staff Shop discounts at high street and online retailers
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, occupational health and confidential counselling
• Leadership development and long-term career progression across Life Services Group
• Free on-site parking at most locations

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