General Manager Operations - E-Waste, Recycling & Resource Recovery

Logistics Executive Group; Sydney; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Logistics Executive Group is partnering with an established Australian environmental and resource recovery business to appoint a General Manager – Operations E-Waste in Sydney. The role focuses on safety, performance, cost control and compliance, with responsibility for the site’s day-to-day operations.

You will oversee production, processing, warehousing and logistics, build a high-performing team and drive continuous improvement across the operation to meet customer commitments and financial

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership experience in recycling, E-Waste management, resource recovery, manufacturing, industrial processing, or logistics.
• Experience managing a complex, high-volume facility with responsibility for people, plant, productivity and financial performance.
• Strong knowledge of WHS, environmental compliance, risk management and operational governance in an industrial environment.
• Experience leading sizeable teams through frontline managers and supervisors.
• Commercially astute with strong financial understanding and managing operating budgets and capital expenditure.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Sydney operations, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient day-to-day performance.
• Develop and execute the operational plan aligned with business objectives, customer requirements and commercial targets.
• Lead site performance across production, processing, warehousing, logistics, maintenance and resource recovery activities.
• Establish and manage operational KPIs covering safety, throughput, productivity, recovery rates, quality, downtime, labour utilisation and cost.
• Maintain a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with WHS, environmental, regulatory and operational requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase plant efficiency, throughput, asset utilisation and operational reliability.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement practical solutions to improve workflow, capacity and service performance.
• Lead preventative maintenance, plant reliability and asset management to maximise availability and minimise downtime.
• Manage budgets, labour requirements and site expenditure with accountability for delivering financial and productivity outcomes.
• Work with commercial and customer teams to align capacity with commitments and forecast volumes.
• Coordinate inbound/outbound material flows, transport and logistics to support facility utilisation.
• Maintain inventory, chain-of-custody and reporting disciplines.
• Build and develop a high-performing operational team with clear accountability and succession planning.
• Coach frontline leaders to strengthen management capability across operations.
• Partner with senior leadership to deliver broader organisational objectives.
• Support expansion, capital projects, new technology implementation and process optimisation.
• Foster a culture of accountability, discipline and continuous improvement with hands-on leadership.

Skills

Senior operational leadership

E-Waste management

Resource recovery

Lean / continuous improvement

Budget & financial management

WHS & environmental compliance

Team leadership

Education

Engineering / Operations Management / Supply Chain or related degree

Job description

Our client is an established Australian environmental and resource recovery business operating within the rapidly growing circular economy sector. With sophisticated processing capabilities and an integrated approach spanning collection, logistics, asset recovery and recycling, the organisation is focused on delivering safe, sustainable and commercially effective resource recovery solutions.

They are seeking a commercially astute, hands-on General Manager – Operations E-Waste to take leadership of its Sydney operations with responsibility for driving safety, operational performance, productivity, cost control, compliance and continuous improvement across the site based on Sydney.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Sydney operations, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient day-to-day performance.
• Develop and execute the operational plan in alignment with broader business objectives, customer requirements and commercial targets.
• Lead site performance across production, processing, warehousing, logistics, maintenance and resource recovery activities.
• Establish and manage operational KPIs covering safety, throughput, productivity, recovery rates, quality, downtime, labour utilisation and cost.
• Maintain a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all relevant WHS, environmental, regulatory and operational requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase plant efficiency, throughput, asset utilisation and operational reliability.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement practical solutions to improve workflow, capacity and service performance.
• Lead preventative maintenance, plant reliability and asset management practices to maximise equipment availability and minimise unplanned downtime.
• Manage operational budgets, labour requirements and site expenditure, with accountability for delivering agreed financial and productivity outcomes.
• Work closely with commercial and customer-facing teams to ensure operational capacity is aligned with customer commitments and forecast volumes.
• Coordinate inbound and outbound material flows, transport and logistics requirements to support efficient facility utilisation.
• Maintain appropriate inventory, material control, chain-of-custody and operational reporting disciplines.
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing operational team, establishing clear accountability, performance standards and succession capability.
• Coach and develop frontline leaders and supervisors to strengthen management capability throughout the operation.
• Partner with senior leadership across commercial, finance, people, technology and compliance functions to deliver broader organisational objectives.
• Support operational expansion, capital projects, new technology implementation and process optimisation initiatives.
• Develop a culture of accountability, operational discipline and continuous improvement while maintaining a practical, hands-on presence across the operation.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within recycling, E-Waste management, resource recovery, manufacturing, industrial processing, logistics or a comparable operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing a complex, high-volume operational facility with responsibility for people, plant, productivity and financial performance.
• Strong understanding of production planning, plant operations, maintenance, warehousing and logistics.
• Proven capability in improving operational productivity, cost efficiency, throughput and asset utilisation.
• Strong knowledge of WHS, environmental compliance, risk management and operational governance within an industrial environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading sizeable operational teams through frontline managers and supervisors.
• Commercially astute, with strong financial understanding and experience managing operating budgets, labour costs and capital expenditure.
• Experience establishing and managing operational KPIs and using performance data to drive measurable improvement.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean, continuous improvement or operational excellence methodologies would be highly regarded.
• Experience within recycling, circular economy, environmental services or resource recovery would be advantageous, although strong candidates from adjacent industrial sectors will be considered.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business or a related discipline are desirable.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to operate effectively from the operational floor through to senior executive level.
• A pragmatic, accountable and solutions-focused leadership style, with the ability to balance immediate operational requirements with longer-term business improvement.