Founding plant director

Founding Plant Director

Location - Ellesmere Port, Protos Park, Cheshire, United Kingdom

£90,000 - £120,000 per annum + comprehensive Benefits & Performance Incentives

In exclusive partnership with Trek Recruitment

About Enviroo

Enviroo is a UK‑based recycling pioneer driving innovation in sustainable manufacturing. Our mission is to accelerate the circular economy by transforming used plastic bottles into high‑quality, food‑grade recycled PET (rPET). We are developing our first state‑of‑the‑art recycling facility in Ellesmere Port that will set new national standards for efficiency, environmental performance, and product excellence processing 30,000 tonnes pa.

With more UK sites planned for the future, this is a pivotal moment to join Enviroo as the Founding Plant Director of our first facility. You will be part of the core leadership team helping to build, commission, and scale a plant from the ground up. Through advanced technology, strong environmental governance, and operational excellence, we are delivering the reliable, sustainable materials that leading brands need to meet their net‑zero and circularity goals. At Enviroo, a better bottle starts here, powered by people who take pride in doing things the right way, every day.

Why Join Enviroo

This is more than a plant management role — it is a one‑of‑a‑kind opportunity to shape Britain's sustainability future.

• Help lead one of the UK's most ambitious and leading circular economy manufacturing projects as the Founding Plant Director
• Join at build stage and shape the facility, operational culture, and talent strategy of the entire organisation from day one
• Create measurable environmental impact and help deliver critical national infrastructure supporting net‑zero targets
• Shape the talent and culture of a growing organisation — exploring innovative ways to attract, hire, develop, and retain exceptional people

The Role

As the Founding Plant Director, you will take full accountability for the operational performance of Enviroo's flagship recycling facility, overseeing every stage from material intake to high‑quality rPET output. Your leadership will ensure the plant operates safely, efficiently, and in full alignment with our ambitious environmental, sustainability, and commercial objectives.

This is a hands‑on, strategic “build‑and‑scale” leadership position that blends technical ability and knowledge with a deep commitment to ESG principles. You will recruit and inspire a high‑performing team, drive continuous improvement, optimise resources, and deliver against stretching KPIs — all while contributing directly to reducing plastic waste and accelerating the UK's transition to a circular economy.

Reporting to the CEO & CTO (with dotted line to CCO for ESG compliance), you will build and lead the core operational leadership team including the Engineering Manager, Quality Manager, and Shift Managers and be the lead in having the site fully operational producing food‑grade recycled PET (rPET) by December 2026.

This will be no ordinary site. It will be a place where everyone feels they belong, has purposeful employment, and thrives in a culture built on Enviroo's values of excellence, integrity, innovation, and sustainability. You will have the opportunity to create an environment where people are proud to work and motivated to deliver their best every day.

Key Performance Areas

• Safety: Zero‑harm culture, LTI/MTI/FAI rates, near‑miss reporting, safety conversations
• Environment: Full EA compliance, CAR scores, environmental incidents, audit performance
• Quality: Food‑grade rPET standards, Right First Time (RFT) %, customer complaints, audit scores
• Production: Yield %, output tonnage, downtime %, planned maintenance adherence
• Cost to Produce (per tonne): Total conversion cost, energy, R&M, labour cost optimisation

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure full compliance with all safety, environmental, and quality legislation while building a culture of accountability and best‑in‑class performance
• Lead all operational activities across the rPET recycling facility — from sorting and washing to extrusion and decontamination — ensuring efficient, safe, and reliable production
• Build and empower a high‑performing, values‑driven team that embodies Enviroo's commitment to excellence and continuous improvement
• Drive continuous improvement in efficiency, yield, quality, and cost‑to‑produce through disciplined operations management and structured problem‑solving
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to align plant operations with company ESG and net‑zero objectives
• Manage budgets and resources responsibly, ensuring operational efficiency, cost control, and long‑term asset reliability
• Represent Enviroo externally, building strong relationships with partners, regulators, and the local community

Essential Experience & Attributes

• Strong, demonstrable commitment to Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) with a deep understanding of legislative and regulatory compliance
• Proven experience managing operations within recycling, waste management, or manufacturing environments — ideally large‑scale continuous processing
• Experience leading complex continuous‑process manufacturing operations, with the appetite and aptitude to master polymer recycling technology (existing knowledge of post‑consumer plastics or polymer processing is a strong plus)
• Commercially and analytically minded — able to interpret operational data, set ambitious KPIs, and translate insights into measurable improvements
• Genuine passion for sustainability, the circular economy, and delivering positive environmental outcomes

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Degree‑level qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Chemical, Environmental or related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in commissioning or scaling up new production facilities (ideally recycling, packaging or process manufacturing)
• Knowledge of ISO standards (9001, 14001, 45001) and integrated management systems
• Familiarity with ESG reporting frameworks and sustainability performance metrics
• Continuous improvement expertise (Lean, Six Sigma, TPM or equivalent)
• Strong stakeholder management skills — confident representing the business to partners, regulators and community stakeholders

We welcome applications from exceptional operational leaders in adjacent sectors — including chemical processing, FMCG, food & beverage manufacturing, advanced packaging, polymers, paper & pulp, and energy‑from‑waste — who are ready to bring their expertise into a high‑impact sustainability role.

The Package

Base Salary: £90,000 - £120,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

Performance Bonus: Annual bonus linked to site KPIs and company performance

Pension & Benefits: Generous pension scheme, private medical insurance, life assurance, and wellness support

Long‑term Incentives: Equity participation / LTIP available for the right candidate, recognising the founding nature of the role and aligning your success with the long‑term growth of the business.

Autonomy & Impact: Significant strategic influence and visible leadership in a purpose‑driven, high‑growth business

Relocation Support: A comprehensive relocation package is available

Holiday: 25 days plus 8‑day bank holidays

Car / Car Allowance

Working Pattern: Full‑time, site‑based at Ellesmere Port - reflecting the hands‑on nature of building, commissioning and leading the plant

How to Apply

Enviroo has appointed Trek Recruitment as its exclusive recruitment partner for this critical founding leadership appointment.

To apply, please press the “Apply now” button on this page or for a confidential discussion about this exceptional opportunity, please contact Trek Recruitment Ltd directly.

We are looking for visionary operational leaders who share our passion for sustainability, operational excellence, and building something that truly matters for Britain's future.