Job Description
Operations Manager – Waste Services (Interim / Service Recovery)
Location
Office-based, 5 days per week
Duration
3 months initial contract (likely extension)
Rate
Flexible – please state your day rate
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to take immediate, hands-on responsibility for stabilising and improving Waste Services within a local authority setting.
This is a frontline, operational role, not a purely strategic or advisory position. You will be embedded within the service, working closely with managers, supervisors, and crews to restore performance, improve standards, and ensure reliable day-to-day delivery.
Key Responsibilities
* Take direct control of day-to-day waste service operations
* Identify service failures, inefficiencies, and performance issues, and implement immediate practical solutions
* Provide visible, hands-on leadership to frontline teams, supervisors, and managers
* Improve route efficiency, workflows, and operational processes
* Ensure compliance with health & safety, statutory requirements, and council standards
* Monitor service performance, KPIs, and outputs, reporting regularly to senior leadership
* Support resource planning, task allocation, and prioritisation across the service
* Act as a key escalation point, resolving operational issues quickly and effectively
What We’re Looking For
* Proven experience managing waste, refuse, recycling, or environmental services operations
* Strong track record of improving or stabilising underperforming services
* Experience working in a local authority or contractor environment (e.g. waste services providers such as Biffa, Veolia, SUEZ, Amey)
* Hands-on leadership style, comfortable working directly within depot and frontline operations
* Strong understanding of fleet, routes, depots, and service delivery
* Ability to lead teams, solve problems quickly, and drive measurable improvement
* Excellent organisational and stakeholder management skills
What Success Looks Like
* Service performance stabilised with clear, measurable improvements
* Operational control and structure re-established
* Backlogs reduced and key service failures resolved
* Teams working consistently to defined processes and standards
* Practical recommendations implemented for longer-term sustainability
Additional Information
* This is a high-impact interim assignment requiring immediate on-site presence
* You will work under the direction of senior leadership but will be expected to take ownership of operational decisions
* Ideal for candidates who thrive in fast-paced, turnaround environments