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Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
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Mortuary and Bereavement Service Manager
Accepting applications until: 09-Jul-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 09-Jul-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- Oxford Road Campus
- Address
- Oxford Road
- Town
- Manchester
- Postcode
- M13 9WL
- Major / Minor Region
- Manchester
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 per annum / pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 8a)
Specialty
- Main area
- Anatomical Pathology
Job overview
We are seeking to appoint a Level 4 Diploma qualified Anatomical Pathology Technician with significant experience of working in busy and complex mortuary environments to become our Mortuary Services Manager to lead the Trust Mortuary, Medical Examiner and Bereavement Services.
MFT has one of the largest Mortuary Services in the country with both Adult and Paediatric postmortem departments on the Oxford Road Campus together with body stores across our Wythenshawe, Trafford and North Manchester sites.
Medical Examiner and Adult Bereavement services are based on the Oxford Road Campus, Wythenshawe Hospital, Trafford General Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital sites.
Whilst based on the Oxford Road Campus, duties will be undertaken across all of our sites.
Advert
The post holder will be responsible for the day to day operational running of the mortuaries, medical examiner and adult bereavement services across all sites at the Manchester University Foundation NHS Trust.
As the lead for theses services the post holder will work autonomously, liaising with all members of the multi-disciplinary team involved in care of the deceased including the Senior Executive Team. The post holder is responsible for all aspects of after death care and will ensure that services promote dignified care of the deceased at all times. The post holder will maintain standards according to relevant legislation, HTA and ISO guidance.
The post holder will provide specialized training for relevant staff in after death care and post-mortem assistance. as well as be the professional lead for the service acting as a role model and mentor to junior staff, ensuring that professional standards are maintained. The post holder will encourage close team working and foster cross site working links to ensure consistency in procedures and practice and develop a robust contingency and business continuity plan. In conjunction with the Cellular Pathology Quadrumivirate, Lead Medical Examiner and the Adult and Paediatric Mortuary Clinical Leads; the post holder will represent the MFT Mortuary, Medical Examiner and Adult Bereavement services across Greater Manchester including mass fatality planning.
Working for our organisation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe - what better place to shape and develop your leadership career.
We deliver care to over 1 million patients & users each year through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. Our 30,000 plus strong workforce is central to our success and innovation.
You will play a pivotal part in supporting our operational excellence and strategic ambitions. You’ll work collaboratively with clinical and non-clinical teams, driving improvements that enhance patient experience, staff wellbeing, and service efficiency across the Trust.
MFT offers a dynamic, inclusive environment where your leadership, ideas, and expertise are valued. You’ll have access to professional development, digital tools and opportunities to contribute to transformational projects that shape the future of healthcare delivery.
We are committed to supporting your growth and wellbeing, recognising the vital role you play in our organisation’s success.
Join us and help shape the future of our Trust—make a real difference to our teams, our services, and our communities, and fundamentally, our patients.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading.
Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’
To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place. This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are — what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.
To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Supporting Documents’ section and once opened, you can where either scan QR code or click on the link provided.
Closing vacancy listings early
We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- RSPH Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology (Level 4 equivalent)
Desirable criteria
- Leadership/ management qualification
- Health & safety qualification
- Certificate in ocular enucleation from a recognised eye bank
Personal attributes
Essential criteria
- Able to work across all sites of the Manchester University Foundation Trust as required including MRI, RMCH, Trafford, Wythenshawe and North Manchester General Hospital.
- Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of professionals including the Coroner, medical and nursing staff, police officers, funeral directors etc
- Able to communicate effectively with members of the public via telephone and face to face
- Able to prioritise workload and to adapt effectively to changing priorities
- Ability to work alone and as part of a team
- Demonstrates a sensitive approach to role and an ability to be caring and compassionate, dealing with the recently bereaved and the care after death
- Good organisational skills
- Act as a role model of professionalism leading by example, displaying high levels of leadership and professionalism and inspire others to learn and develop
- Reliable, self-motivated and conscientious approach to work
- Able to remain calm and objective and work well under pressure
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- In-depth knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of post mortem examination, evisceration, tissue retrieval, and tissue and body reconstruction
- Demonstrable specialist technical knowledge of high risk and forensic post mortem examination
- Knowledge of retrieval of heart valves/ skin/ bone and tendons/blood vessels/ corneas for tissue banking.
- A working knowledge of last offices protocols at ward level
- A working knowledge of the full structure of end of life care pathways including the work of bereavement services
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of current legislation relating to forensic post mortems, Coroner’s post mortems, death registration and statutory duties.
- A working knowledge and ability to fill in all relevant paperwork with regards to the deceased person, including out of England forms
- A thorough understanding of HTA legislation
- A thorough understanding of infection control within the mortuary environment
- A thorough understanding of Health & Safety legislation
- A thorough understanding of funeral customs and practices associated with different religious, non religious and cultural traditions
- Knowledge of the Modernising Scientific Careers pathway for Anatomical Pathology Technicians
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of reconstruction of the body of a deceased person that has undergone significant trauma or decomposition
- Demonstrable specialist technical knowledge of paediatric post-mortem examination, including the particular skills of preparation of the body, evisceration, tissue removal, reconstruction and storage
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive post APT Diploma experience in a mortuary environment equivalent to a Senior APT or Mortuary Manager level of responsibility
- Extensive experience of specialised evisceration techniques and high risk and bariatric post mortem examinations
- Able to remove the following structures from the deceased during post mortem examination: middle ear, femoral head/femur, spinal cord, eyes
- Extensive leadership and management experience with an ability to lead a team and manage staff through a range of HR processes
- Able to effectively deliver teaching to a wide range of professionals
- Experience of leading a mortuary service through an ISO/ HTA accreditation visit
- Proven experience of contribution to quality management and clinical governance processes including audit
- Experience of delivering a service within financial constraints
Desirable criteria
- Experience of paediatric and peri-natal post-mortem examination
- Experience of major incident planning and/or mass fatalities
- Experience of duty of candour
- Experience in leading a high-level incident investigation and managing complaints
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- John Hayes
- Job title
- Cellular Pathology General Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0161 276 6138
- Additional information
Dr Chitra Sethuraman, Cellular Pathology Clinical Director
Dr Gauri Batra, Medical Examiner and Paediatric Mortuary Clinical Lead
Dr Amani Brown, Adult Mortuary Clinical Lead
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