Funeral Director, Funeral Services

Requisition Number: 1358

Terms of Employment: 3 Month Contract Full-time (possibility of extension)

Location: The Simple Alternative Pickering

Employment Address: 1057 Brock Rd, Pickering, ON L1W 3T7

Hours of Work:

37.5-hour work week on a rotating two-week schedule:

• Day Shift: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM or 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
• Afternoon Shift: 1:00PM to 9:30PM

Vacancy: 1

Language: English

Hiring Range: $41.40 - $46.43hourly

About Mount Pleasant Group:

Mount Pleasant Group (MPG) is a not-for-profit organization that has been dedicated to serving families in the Greater Toronto Area since 1826. MPG comprises of two affiliated entities: the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries (MPGC) and Canadian Memorial Services (CMS). Together, they deliver comprehensive death care services with compassion and professionalism. MPGC owns and operates ten cemeteries and four crematoriums across the GTA, while CMS provides funeral services at nine locations, including funeral centres within MPGC cemeteries and standalone facilities known as The Simple Alternative. As a trusted community partner and environmental steward, MPG is committed to innovation, leveraging new trends and advancements in technology while upholding our long-standing values. Our team takes pride in the meaningful work we do every day, helping families navigate life's most challenging moments with care and respect.

Our Vision: A world where dignified, inclusive, innovative and trustworthy death-related planning and care are accessible to everyone.

Our Mission: MPG will serve the diverse clients and communities of yesterday, today and tomorrow with excellence and compassion to meet all their death care needs.

Our Values: Inclusiveness • Transparency • Innovation • Dependability • Compassion

At Mount Pleasant Group, we believe our strength lies in the passion and diversity of our people, and we deeply value the unique skills, perspectives, and experiences each individual brings to our team. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves. By embracing inclusivity, we aim to build a workforce that collaborates meaningfully and reflects the richly diverse communities we are privileged to serve. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including those from underrepresented groups, to apply and join us in advancing our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

About the Position:

The Funeral Director (FD) serves as the primary point of contact with families and estate representatives during times of loss. This role requires exceptional empathy, communication skills, and a commitment to supporting grieving families with sensitivity and respect. The FD guides families through the various decisions and arrangements required for funeral services, ensuring they understand available options and can make informed choices that reflect their cultural, spiritual, and personal preferences.

In addition to arranging and facilitating funeral services, the FD is responsible for coordinating logistics, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and maintaining meticulous records. They play a key role in creating meaningful, personalized tributes that honour the deceased and provide comfort to loved ones. The FD must also uphold the highest standards of care and dignity when preparing and/or handling human remains, ensuring each individual is treated with respect throughout the process.

This position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to contributing to a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for families and visitors. As part of a collaborative team, the FD actively participates in facility maintenance, administrative duties, and ongoing professional development to ensure the highest quality of service to the community.

The successful candidate will be required to:

Funeral Services

• Work closely with families to understand their cultural, spiritual, and personal preferences. Arrange all aspects of the service, including transportation, preparation of the deceased, scheduling, and venue setup, ensuring a respectful and seamless experience.
• Provide compassionate guidance to families during emotionally difficult times. Present available options for services and products, answer questions with sensitivity, and assist in making informed decisions regarding burial, cremation, or alternative forms of disposition.
• Facilitate the completion of pre-need contracts, including trust and insurance agreements. Ensure all documentation is accurate and compliant with legal and regulatory requirements. Process payments and maintain secure records.
• Serve as the main coordination point during services, ensuring all elements, from timing to tone, are handled with professionalism and empathy. Represent the funeral home with dignity and care at all venues.
• Design and produce customized memorial stationery, guest books, obituary, website and keepsakes that reflect the life and legacy of the deceased. Collaborate with families to incorporate meaningful elements such as photos, quotes, or religious symbols.
• Set up and manage audio‑visual equipment for visitations and services, using appropriate tools and safe‑work practices. Assist families in creating and formatting video or audio tributes, ensuring accessibility and smooth playback across various platforms.
• Provide timely updates to the external answering service regarding current and upcoming services, ensuring accurate information is relayed to callers and minimizing disruptions to family care.
• Organize casual team’s schedules and assign staff to services and outreach events. Ensure vehicles are available, clean, and prepared for use, either directly or by coordinating with team members as operational needs require for use in transporting families, guests, or deceased individuals.
• Source and coordinate external vendors for items such as flowers, catering, clergy, or specialty merchandise. Ensure all third-party services meet the standards and expectations of the funeral home and the families served.
• Oversee or perform preparation tasks such as embalming, dressing, casketing, cosmetic application, and hair styling, using approved equipment and safe‑work practices, in accordance with the family’s wishes and cultural or religious practices.
• Provide clear guidance and collaborative support to team members during events. Ensure all staff are informed of their roles and responsibilities, and that services are conducted smoothly and respectfully.
• Drive funeral home vehicles for administrative tasks, service-related transportation, or transfers. This may include transporting family members, staff, or deceased individuals, always with professionalism and care.

Administrative Duties

• Assist families in completing required legal forms, including the Statement of Death, at-need and pre-need funeral service contracts, cremation authorizations, and related waivers. Ensure all documentation is completed accurately and with empathy for the family’s circumstances.
• Secure all necessary legal documents for the disposition of human remains, such as coroner’s certificates, burial permits, cremation applications, and other permissions, in compliance with provincial regulations.
• Confirm the appropriate legal representative is identified and authorized to make funeral and disposition arrangements, ensuring all decisions are made in accordance with applicable laws and family dynamics.
• Enter and manage documentation in the system, including tracking of physical items (e.g., personal effects, cremation-related items), confirming identification of human remains throughout the chain of custody, and recording death certificate details.
• Maintain accurate records by completing Navision entries, generating daily reports, and conducting monthly audits of cremation remains and personal effects.
• Assist in the respectful handling and transfer of cremated remains into urns or other memorial vessels using appropriate tools and respectful handling practices, ensuring accuracy and honoring the wishes of the family.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure that essential supplies, such as caskets, urns, embalming materials, register books, and office supplies, are stocked at appropriate levels to support uninterrupted service delivery.
• Use company-provided software tools to support the arrangement and coordination of funeral services, ensuring efficient and accurate communication and documentation.
• Coordinate the return of deceased individuals to their place of origin, working with international or domestic agencies, consulates, and transportation providers to ensure respectful and compliant handling.
• Prepare and issue invoices for services rendered, ensuring transparency and accuracy. Follow up on outstanding accounts receivable with professionalism and empathy, maintaining positive relationships with families.
• Accept and process various forms of payment, including cash, credit, debit, and electronic transfers, in accordance with company policies and security protocols.

Facilities Management

• Setup visitation rooms for upcoming visitations, funerals, which may include arranging chairs, furniture, floral tributes, and personal memorabilia, using proper equipment and team assistance as needed.
• Support the upkeep of facilities and vehicles, which may include cleaning, seasonal maintenance, and setup tasks, using safe‑work practices or coordinating with team members/external providers depending on operational needs.

Other

• Additional duties, and tasks that fall within the scope of the role as assigned by the Manager and Assistant Manager, Funeral Services.

Qualifications:

• Valid Ontario Funeral Director’s Licence – Class 1 Licence in good standing with BAO
• Annual continuing education credits as required by the BAO
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience directing and arranging in a high volume environment
• Previous experience embalming (applicable only at TSA Toronto, TSA Mississauga, TSA Pickering, and Thornton)
• A valid Ontario Class “G” driver’s licence and clean driving record
• Comfortable working independently on occasion with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrate empathy, patience, and emotional intelligence when supporting grieving families
• Maintain sensitivity to diverse cultural, spiritual, and religious practices related to death and bereavement
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with families, colleagues, and external partners
• Demonstrates discretion, sound judgement, and a commitment to maintaining the privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of families, the deceased, and organizational information, including adherence to policies governing photography, recording, and social media use
• Build trust and rapport through active listening and thoughtful engagement
• Coordinate multiple responsibilities and time-sensitive tasks with care and attention to detail
• Maintain accurate records and ensure timely completion of documentation
• Navigate complex or emotionally charged situations with professionalism and compassion
• Apply sound judgment to support positive outcomes for families, colleagues, and the organization
• Adapt effectively to changing circumstances and unexpected challenges
• Uphold discretion and confidentiality in all aspects of work
• Provide collaborative guidance and support to team members during services and daily operations.
• Contribute to a respectful, inclusive, and cooperative workplace culture
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act (FBCSA) and relevant Ontario regulations
• Understand documentation, licensing, and compliance requirements in funeral service operations
• Utilize digital platforms and funeral home management software throughout the arrangement process, ensuring accurate documentation and real-time recordkeeping
• Demonstrate intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) and Windows-based systems

The Mount Pleasant Group is committed to providing equitable opportunities to all applicants and strives to ensure a barrier-free selection process. If you require accommodation during the recruitment and selection process, please send us an email with your accommodation needs at [email protected], quoting the job requisition ID # and the job title. Any information received related to an accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

Transparency in Our Hiring Process: Mount Pleasant Group’s recruitment process may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the initial screening and matching of applications to job requirements. These tools are designed to support efficiency and consistency in reviewing applications. All hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team, in conjunction with the respective hiring manager. If you have questions regarding this process or require an alternative review method, please contact us.

The deadline for internal applications is November 14th, 2026.

Employees must apply through the Internal Career Centre in ADP.