Recycling Centre Operations Manager

Recycling Centre Operations Manager

Permanent

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£47,753 to £56,179 per annum

Location:

Chelmsford

Working Style:
Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 4th February 2026 (23:59)

Essex is committed to ensuring it is a place where business can flourish, communities are supported to be more resilient, collective environmental impact is minimised and strong partnerships between the public, private and voluntary sector are secured to drive joint outcomes.

Reporting to the Head of Service, the Operations Manager is responsible for the operational management of 21 Recycling Centres for Household Waste (RCHW) operating 7-days per week throughout the county.

Embedding the provision of a 'safe service' across all the council's waste operations in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act etc 1974 and subsequent legislation in accordance with all statutory requirements and industry practice is a key requirement of this role.

Summary of accountabilities:

Leadership and people management:

• Line Manager of the 4 Area Managers, but accountable for clear and robust leadership of all RCHW staff to ensure they are clear of their direction, motivated and that productivity is maximised.
• Create and reinforce a strong, responsive and flexible culture, role modelling behaviours leading to and delivering customer focussed and responsive services. Drive change using business knowledge and expertise to lead teams to deliver services to the appropriate standard and to continuously seek innovative and efficient ways of working to meet customer expectations.

Operational management:

• Responsible for managing a 'safe service' across all the council's RCHWs in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and subsequent legislation in accordance with all statutory requirements, industry practice and ECC H&S policies.
• Responsible for ensuring waste activities undertaken by, or commissioned by the council, are conducted in an appropriate and environmentally responsible manner and compliant with all relevant waste legislation.
• Responsible for ensuring service resilience during peak periods, adverse weather, weekends and Bank Holidays to maintain continuity in service delivery.

Financial management:

• Responsible for the financial management of the RCHW service ensuring financial resilience and full accountability for all related spend.

• Strong financial control is necessary for this role due to the large budget and overall spend on residual waste.

Change management:

• Lead and deliver complex operational change and improvement programmes alongside business-as-usual service delivery.
• Accountable for all the maintenance, repair and infrastructure planning on all 21 RCHWs ensuring that all has been planned within the financial budget restraints of the year and accountable for developing a maintenance schedule for the future work on the sites.

The experience you will bring

• Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelors) or equivalent by experience, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional areas, ideally with a Certificate of Technical Competence - CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 4 High Risk Operator Competence for Managing Transfer of Hazardous Waste in accordance with The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
• Significant experience of managing health and safety in an operational waste management environment to IOSH and/or NEBOSH standard.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, and knowledge in relevant professional area with Membership of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.
• Extensive knowledge and experience of working in waste management (ideally within both the public and private sectors) involving waste related operational experience aimed at delivering excellent customer service and value for money.
• Excellent communication skills in all media, coupled with a persuasive, enthusiastic and encouraging manner and an ability to develop and maintain constructive and effective professional relationships.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the…