Cemetery worker with church service duties and responsibility for work scheduling

Espe-Vantinge-Hillerslev churches and Parish Council are seeking as of December 1, 2026 or as soon as possible afterwards a sexton (37/37) for our three churches and churchyards, vicarage and buildings with the associated grounds. The position also includes work as church caretaker.

Our three small parishes have the churches located at about 5.5 km distance. Each church has an associated churchyard.

The parish council wants the church to be an active and positive partner with the area’s many enthusiasts.

Your main task as sexton and church caretaker will be

• To be responsible for the care of the churchyards and plan and actively participate in all tasks
• To be responsible for cleaning of churches and other buildings under the parish council
• To be responsible for the maintenance of outdoor areas and public rooms in and around Espe parsonage
• To be responsible for use and maintenance of the churchyard’s machinery
• To develop and rethink the three churchyards as holistic plans with respect for what is and was, in cooperation with the parish council
• To lead and allocate the work for all three employees at the churchyards
• To perform church service duties at services and religious ceremonies in Espe, Vantinge and Hillerslev churches
• To enter into agreements with relatives and funeral directors, etc., in respectful dialogue
• To handle the administrative tasks related to churchyard operations

Who are you

• You have experience from a previous sexton position at the Church of Denmark or similar experience
• You have a relevant education
• You have respect and understanding for the rituals, ceremonies and values of the Church of Denmark
• You are good at planning and structuring both your own and others’ working time so the churchyards always appear well-maintained
• You have an empathetic and welcoming demeanor towards the church and the cemetery’s many visitors; you are the church’s outward face when meeting individuals
• You take responsibility for your work and thrive with responsibility for staff
• You thrive with freedom under responsibility
• You are flexible and collaborative in relation to the church’s other staff

What can we offer

• An independent job with a high degree of freedom under responsibility
• A good working community and collaboration with the church’s other employees and the Parish Council
• An engaging job with varied tasks
• Opportunities to participate in relevant courses for personal or professional development
• A team with two sexton assistants
• Collaboration with two priests, an organist and a church singer
• We can offer a mentoring scheme

Who we are

• A parish council with both new and experienced members
• A team of dedicated staff throughout
• Regular parishioners who care about their church
• 1800 parishioners across the three parishes
• Espe has a public school and Hillerslev a primary school
• The parishes include small businesses and agriculture

Working hours

Working hours are based on an annual norm. That means that at times there may be overtime that must be compensated with time off at other times. Service is expected on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, as well as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

There is a duty to render service at other employing authorities in the deanery in accordance with the agreements the parish council has entered into with other employing authorities.

Employment terms

Employment takes place with Espe-Vantinge-Hillerslev Parish Council, located Kirkegade 6, Espe.

The employment is covered by the Central Collective Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and Public Employees’ Organizations (OAO-S) and the Organizational Agreement for church officials with core duties as church caretaker or sexton, entered into between the Ministry of Finance and the Association of Church and Cemetery Employees with an accompanying protocol for sextons.

The agreements can be viewed on the Church of Denmark's Intranet.

Current civil servant employed sextons have the right to preserve their civil servant status upon employment with direct transition. In such a case, the position must be classified.

It is a condition that the mandatory 5-week training for sextons is completed within 2 years after the start of employment.

If the person employed does not have horticultural education, the position will be placed in salary grade 1. The annual salary will be agreed within the range DKK 342,524–421,573 (current kroner).

If the person employed has horticultural education, the position will be placed in salary grade 2. The annual salary will be agreed within the range DKK 350,435–438,260 (current kroner).

There is a on-call commitment to the position. The on-call allowance amounts to DKK 27,247 per year (current kroner).

An agreement on placement in the salary range is concluded between the Parish Council and FAKK.

For further information about the position, please contact Heidi Michlenborg at tel. 3176 6749.

Applications with relevant attachments should be sent by email to [email protected]

The application must be received by the Parish Council no later than Monday, November 9, 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place on Thursday, November 12 after 1:00 PM.