Funeral Director

SUMMARY: The funeral director is responsible for coordinating final disposition arrangements of the deceased in a professional, compassionate manner consistent with the wishes of the family, the standards of Cedar Memorial and related legal requirements. They will provide sensitive, effective personal service to bereaved family members and friends of the deceased. This position will effectively coordinate the work of other funeral home staff in carrying out these arrangements in a manner that exceeds the expectations of the families served.

Duties/Responsibilities: These duties may be changed or added to at any time. Include but are not limited to the following:

• Collects information during the initial death call from the family of the deceased and works in conjunction with fellow Associates to bring the deceased into the care of Cedar Memorial or Iowa Cremation.
• Meets with immediate family members or designated representative to provide emotional support and to determine their wishes concerning the care and disposition of the deceased. 
• Assists family members in making funeral arrangements, attending first viewings and funeral services of the deceased and satisfying preparation for final disposition.
• Works alongside fellow funeral directors to embalm, dress, casket, apply cosmetics or cremate the deceased.
• Coordinates and schedules the work of other funeral home staff for burial or cremation arrangements in a positive and caring manner. Also schedules staff to work funerals a minimum of 24 hours in advance. The funeral director must provide service beyond expectations.
• Secures needed authorizations for final disposition of the deceased and secures information for legal documents. The funeral director oversees the filing of death certificates, social security and military forms and other legal documents, writes the obituary, and assists with the selection of memorial items like register books and service folders.
• Facilitates all arrangements for the visitation, funeral and burial services with sensitivity to the family and officiant’s requirements including needed staffing, setting up the flowers and memorial items and taking care of any special family request. 
• When not serving families, the funeral director will work on special projects such as process improvements, cleaning equipment or visitation rooms, as well as other duties as assigned by the manager.
• Assists Family Service Counselors in educating families that inquire about prearrangements, ensuring required price lists are provided.
• Follows up with families after the funeral service and is responsible in seeking that each family served makes timely payments on any outstanding account.
• Keeps up to date with all state and federal rules and regulations concerning the funeral profession and maintains the highest professional standards within the industry.
• Works in conjunction with Community Relations to educate the public about death, dying, grief and bereavement.
• Assists staff in a positive and productive manner that enhances customer service.
• Develops and maintains the necessary skills and knowledge as a licensed funeral director by pursuing continuing education and professional skills through attendance at industry seminars and other training opportunities.  
• Works with all staff in a positive, cooperative manner and assists them as needed in order to provide the best possible service and results to families.
• Follows safety policies and procedures.   
• Assists with Companions for Life tasks as needed.

 Required Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to provide evidence of graduation from a fully accredited College of Mortuary Science and previous successful experience as an embalmer and/or assistant funeral director.  
• Two or more years of full-time experience as a licensed funeral director is preferred.  
• Must be licensed or license eligible in the State of Iowa.  
• Must possess a valid Iowa driver’s license and have a safe driving record.  
• Must have positive customer service skills including empathy and sensitivity toward others and the ability to work effectively with a variety of people under stressful situations. 
• Must be self-motivated and be able to work with limited supervision. 
• Must possess the desire to exceed family expectations. 
• Must have strong professional knowledge as a funeral director and strong professional skills in embalming, cosmetics and restoration procedures.
• Must be computer literate and familiar with funeral home industry software and record keeping procedures. Familiarity with MIS Pro software a plus.
• Must maintain a professional, neat, well-groomed appearance at all times.  
• Must be a cooperative team-oriented individual with consistent follow through and dependability.
• Above-average judgment needed to deal with confidential information.
• Able to handle a variety of regulatory and family service functions. 
• Must be able to effectively communicate with others, both verbally and in writing.
• Attention to detail also needed for this position.  

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift 100+ pounds with proper lifting techniques frequently. Position requires ability to move human remains and caskets.  
• Must have above average personal stamina and ability to work for prolonged periods of time doing a variety of tasks. 
• Stooping
• Reaching
• Walking
• Keyboarding
• Hearing
• Standing
• Talking
• Repetitive Motions
• Driving
• Work is performed both indoors and outdoors and is subject to normal seasonal weather conditions.