Funeral Assistant

Why Work for Honquest Family Funeral Homes?

Service

• At every level, our dedicated team members display a strong work ethic and commitment to our core values, respect for the family, the profession, and the individual.
• Work with leading experts in the funeral and cemetery profession.

Benefits

• Financial assistant programs encouraging employees through education and development in industry related subjects.
• Robust Health and Welfare Plans, and savings account options, designed to support your personal needs, enhance well-being and help navigate life’s challenges.
• Rich 401k and Roth Retirement Plan options available for both Full Time and Part Time employees along with a Company Match.
• Variety of Vacation, Personal Days and Sick Days based on your role emphasizing the importance of physical and emotional replenishment for our team.
• Employee Discounts on services, merchandise, and property to help our team members in their time of need.

Culture

• We value honesty, courage, integrity, ethical behavior and the development of personal growth.
• We are rooted in the communities to provide a personal touch to every family we serve.
• We believe in the value of funeral and cemetery service, drawing on decades of experience to create the best experience for our families.

Compensation

• Eligible for base pay of $16.00 - $18.00 per hour, based on experience.

Summary/Objective

This role serves as a compassionate and professional representative of the funeral home, supporting families and guests throughout visitation, funeral, memorial, and reception services. The Funeral Ambassador is responsible for creating a welcoming environment, ensuring facilities are prepared for services, and assisting with guest needs to deliver an exceptional experience during a family's time of loss.

Essential Functions

• Welcomes, greets, and assists client families, guests, clergy, and vendors upon arrival.
• Directs visitors to service locations, guest registers, reception areas, and restrooms.
• Distributes memorial materials, service programs, and other items as needed.
• Provides courteous assistance and answer questions during visitations, memorial services, and receptions.
• Anticipates and responds to the needs of families and guests with professionalism and compassion.
• Prepares chapels, visitation rooms, reception areas, and public spaces before scheduled services.
• Ensures guest areas remain clean, organized, stocked, and presentable throughout services.
• Receives, arranges, and places floral tributes and memorial displays.
• Sets up and maintain refreshment stations and reception areas.
• Assists with post-service cleanup and restoration of facilities.
• Delivers exceptional customer service that reflects the organization's standards and values.
• Serves as a positive ambassador of the funeral home within the community.
• Supports a respectful and dignified environment for families experiencing loss.
• Collaborates effectively with funeral directors and other staff members to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Responds to first-call removals and decedent transfers from residences, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, medical examiner offices, and other locations.
• Safely and respectfully transfers deceased individuals into the care of the funeral home.
• Operates removal vehicles in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
• Maintains proper chain-of-custody documentation and identification procedures.
• Assists with receiving and transferring deceased individuals between funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, airports, and care centers.
• Participates in an on-call rotation to provide after-hours, weekend, and holiday removal services.
• Maintains confidentiality and professionalism when interacting with families, caregivers, healthcare personnel, and public safety officials.
• Assists licensed embalmers and funeral directors with preparation room operations as permitted by state and local regulations.
• Assists with dressing, casketing, cosmetology setup, and positioning of deceased individuals.
• Prepares visitation rooms and chapels for viewings and services.
• Maintains preparation room cleanliness, sanitation, and organization.
• Cleans and disinfects equipment, vehicles, stretchers, and workspaces.
• Stocks preparation room supplies and reports inventory shortages.
• Assists with receiving caskets, urns, vaults, and other merchandise.
• Assists during funerals, memorial services, visitations, graveside services, and receptions.
• Coordinates and stages vehicles for funeral processions.
• Escorts families and guests as needed.
• Assists with floral placements, memorial displays, guest materials, and service setup.
• Supports the funeral director in maintaining the dignity and flow of services.
• Assists with chapel preparation and post-service breakdown.
• Directs vehicle traffic and coordinate parking during visitations, funeral services, memorial events, and receptions.
• Safely assists guests entering and exiting parking areas.
• Monitors parking flow to maximize available space and maintain safe conditions.
• Assists funeral directors, facility staff, churches, cemeteries, and event personnel with parking logistics and processions.
• Provides valet parking services for family members and guests.
• Safely operates client and company vehicles in accordance with all traffic laws and company policies.
• Maintains accountability for vehicle keys and personal property while vehicles are in the organization's care.
• Retrieves vehicles promptly and courteously while delivering exceptional customer service.
• Assists with organizing and staging vehicles for funeral processions.
• Provides families and attendees with procession instructions and route information.
• Leads or escorts funeral processions when assigned and authorized.
• Help maintain procession integrity and safety throughout the event.
• Assists with special events and community outreach activities as assigned.
• Completes other duties and projects as assigned.

Competencies

• Customer Service Orientation.
• Communication Proficiency.
• Teamwork Orientation.
• Social Perceptiveness.
• Time Management.

Required Education, Experience, Certifications and Licensure

• No prior experience required.
• Ability to meet company vehicle insurance requirements.
• Valid state issued driver’s license in good standing and acceptable driving record.

Preferred Education, Experience, Certifications and Licensure

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Previous experience in funeral service, healthcare, transportation, customer service, hospitality, mortuary operations, emergency services, or related fields preferred.
• Experience driving large vehicles, vans, or professional transportation vehicles is desirable.
• Experience working directly with the public in a professional setting is a plus.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Able to read, write and speak English fluently. Bilingual is a plus.
• Maintains a professional appearance and conduct at all times.
• Attend and perform work in a professional and courteous manner in accordance with the employer’s requirements.
• Demonstrated willingness to participate in growing market share through personal community involvement.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.
• Ability to empathize with client families and their guests and demonstrate tact and patience in emotionally charged situations.
• Ability to actively respond to the requests of the client families and their guests.
• Tactful and professional when dealing with complaints or dissatisfaction with services or merchandise.
• Maintains a positive attitude and working environment through organization and communication.
• Ability to simultaneously handle multiple projects, prioritizes tasks, and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to work independently with little or no supervision.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• The duties associated with this position are generally performed in an indoor office setting; however, some duties may be performed outdoors.
• Outdoor duties may require exposure to natural elements such as inclement weather, extreme temperatures, uneven ground, dust, gas, and/or fumes.
• Equipment used to perform the essential function of this position includes, but is not limited to; computer, fax, copier, multi-line phone system, AV system, coffeemaker, vacuum, casket carts/church trucks, personal or company owned vehicle.
• Employees in this role are regularly required to climb, sit, stand, bend, kneel, and frequently lift up to 25 pounds.
• Performance of this position’s duties may also require reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• Employees may be exposed to chemicals and/or blood borne pathogens. Exposure risk is considered: Low
• Overtime is sometimes necessary or required.

Travel

• This position does not require travel.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.