Cemetery Manager (CA, USA)

Cemetery Manager / Licensed Cemetery Broker

Location: Central California

Compensation: 70-100K base salary plus bonus potential and benefits

We are seeking an experienced, service-oriented Cemetery Manager / Licensed Cemetery Broker to oversee the day-to-day operation, sales activities, staff, property, customer experience, and regulatory compliance of a cemetery located in Central California.

This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership position responsible for ensuring the cemetery is operated with professionalism, compassion, financial discipline, regulatory compliance, and exceptional care for the families and communities it serves.

Responsibilities

• Direct all day-to-day operations of the cemetery
• Oversee opening and closing procedures, interments, inurnments, disinterment when applicable, memorial installations, and related cemetery services.
• Coordinate scheduling of interments and services with families, funeral homes, clergy, vendors, grounds personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure burial locations, property records, maps, deeds, contracts, authorizations, and service documentation are accurate before cemetery work is performed.
• Maintain appropriate procedures for verification of interment rights and locations
• Oversee the appearance, maintenance, preservation, and improvement of cemetery property.
• Conduct regular inspections of cemetery grounds, buildings, roads, irrigation systems, equipment, monuments, mausoleums, niches, fencing, landscaping, and other facilities.
• Identify maintenance and capital improvement needs
• Coordinate outside contractors and vendors performing landscaping, equipment repair, monument work, construction, irrigation, tree maintenance, pest control, and other services.
• Maintain a high standard of presentation throughout the property
• Work and coordinate meetings with an established BOD
• Provide updates & reports to BOD
• Ensure cemetery vehicles, equipment, tools, and facilities are properly maintained
• Establish and enforce appropriate safety procedures for employees, contractors, families, and visitors.
• Serve as the cemetery’s designated California Cemetery Broker
• Supervise the cemetery sales team operating under the broker’s license.
• Ensure cemetery sales personnel maintain all licenses, registrations, and affiliations
• Train & coach sales employees
• Oversee sales of cemetery property and interment services
• Review sales contracts and transaction documentation for accuracy
• Establish sales goals and monitor individual and cemetery-wide performance.
• Review sales pipelines, lead activity, appointments, conversion rates, cancellations, average sales, and other relevant performance indicators.
• Coach team members on relationship-based selling and community engagement
• Ensure cemetery property inventory and availability records are current and accurate.
• Collaborate with ownership on pricing, promotions, property development, sales strategy, and inventory utilization.
• Support both at-need and advance-planning cemetery sales in accordance with applicable law and company policies.
• Directly supervise a small team of 4–6 office employees, grounds supervisor and workers
• Provide clear expectations, priorities, and accountability for each employee.
• Conduct regular team meetings and individual coaching conversations.
• Recruit, interview, onboard, train, and develop employees as needed.
• Prepare employee schedules and ensure appropriate coverage.
• Monitor attendance, productivity, professionalism, quality of work, and customer service.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback and coaching.
• Address performance or conduct issues promptly and professionally.
• Cross-train employees where practical to ensure operational continuity.
• Model professional behavior in all interactions
• Responsible for implementing and updating the employee handbook
• Ensure families receive compassionate, respectful, accurate, and timely service
• Personally assist families with complex, sensitive, or escalated situations.
• Meet with families when management involvement is appropriate to discuss cemetery property, interment options, memorialization, service arrangements, or concerns.
• Resolve complaints and service issues promptly
• Ensure employees communicate clearly and sensitively with individuals experiencing grief
• Maintain appropriate follow-up procedures for family inquiries and unresolved service matters.
• Protect confidential family, financial, employee, and cemetery information.
• Maintain the dignity and integrity expected of an organization entrusted with caring for human remains and memorial property.
• Work with website developers to maintain and update the company website as needed

Required Qualifications

• Active California Cemetery Manager license in good standing.
• Active California Cemetery Broker license in good standing.
• Continued ability to satisfy all California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau requirements associated with both licenses.
• Ability to maintain any bond, registration, background, renewal, or other requirement associated with the Cemetery Broker or Cemetery Manager licenses.
• Demonstrated knowledge of California cemetery operations, cemetery property transactions, interment services, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Prior cemetery management, sales leadership, and funeral/cemetery operations experience
• Prior experience supervising employees and managing day-to-day business operations.
• Experience working directly with families and handling emotionally sensitive situations.
• Ability to read and accurately interpret cemetery maps, contracts, property records, and related documentation.
• Sound judgment and ability to make decisions independently within established policies
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn cemetery management, CRM, accounting, mapping, or other industry software.
• Valid California driver’s license and satisfactory driving record as required for the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible cemetery industry experience.
• 3+ years of management or supervisory experience.
• Experience simultaneously managing cemetery operations and sales functions.
• Experience supervising licensed California Cemetery Salespersons.
• Familiarity with Central California communities and market dynamics.
• Experience working directly with California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau requirements, inspections, audits, or regulatory matters.
• Experience with cemetery property mapping and inventory management.
• Experience managing operating budgets and departmental financial performance.
• Experience with advance-planning or preneed-related cemetery sales