Operational Support Assistants

We are recruiting two Operational Support Assistants to join our team at Hackworth Road Depot, Peterlee. These roles will provide essential administrative support to the Refuse & Recycling Department, covering all aspects of domestic and trade waste services.

These roles will provide essential administrative support to the Refuse & Recycling Department, covering all aspects of domestic and trade waste services.

The posts have been created to support the rollout of our new food waste collection service, which will be introduced to all properties across County Durham in Summer 2026. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering a major environmental initiative.

• Provide high-quality administrative support for refuse and recycling operations.
• Handle customer enquiries and service requests promptly and professionally.
• Assist with cash receipting and preparing income for banking.
• Support the development of lean systems and electronic filing processes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure smooth service delivery.
• Rotate duties to provide cover during absences and peak periods.

For further details about the posts please contact Natalie Ellison n or Ann Harper

You will have at least five GCSEs (Grades A–C) or equivalent. You will have previous experience working in an office environment and be confident working as part of a team. Strong ICT skills are essential, along with the ability to prioritise your workload effectively to meet deadlines. Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach are also key requirements for this role.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

Interviews will be held week commencing 26th January 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website.

We welcome applications from disabled people and those who are or consider themselves to be neurodivergent.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on , or via email Recrui

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from don Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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