Assistant Director- Environmental Services & Behaviour Change

Local Government Chronicle; Southampton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hackney Council is recruiting a senior leader to drive environmental operations and behaviour change across a major borough. You will oversee up to 650 frontline staff, a £45.7m budget, and key services including refuse, recycling, street cleansing, and fleet management.

Leading 24/7 operations, you will shape strategy, drive performance, and partner with authorities to deliver high impact, communal sustainability at scale.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in environmental services, public realm, or complex logistics.
• Strong strategic understanding of waste governance, safety frameworks, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Strategic & Operational Leadership for 24/7 environmental operations (street cleansing, waste collection).
• Drive Behaviour Change through data-led resident/business engagement to improve recycling and reduce waste.
• Grow commercial services and lead digital transformation in route planning and customer engagement.
• Direct operations at depots, ensure safety compliance and licence standards.
• Inspire and manage a multi-tier frontline workforce and collaborate with partners.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategic governance

Large frontline workforce

Communication & stakeholder engagement

Job description

Assistant Director- Environmental Services & Behaviour Change

Lead dynamic frontline services, drive environmental sustainability, and make a direct impact on the vibrant communities of Hackney!

About The Role

Are you an ambitious, visionary leader looking to shape the future of urban environmental services? Hackney Council is seeking an exceptional Assistant Director - Environmental Operations and Behaviour Change to lead our high-profile frontline teams and pioneer innovative, community-focused solutions.

In this pivotal senior leadership role (SM2 tier), you will oversee a massive frontline operational engine comprising up to 650 dedicated staff, a gross revenue budget of £45.7m, and high-impact services that touch the daily lives of every resident and business in Hackney. From Refuse & Recycling, Street Cleansing, and Commercial Services to Fleet.

Management and pioneering Behaviour Change campaigns, you will be at the heart of making Hackney a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable borough.

While Hackney is proud to operate a high-performing, in-house service backed by deeply experienced technical Heads of Service, we actively welcome senior leaders from across both directly delivered and outsourced/contracted operational environments. What matters most is your strategic vision, leadership resilience, and ability to drive performance, culture, and service change

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Operational Leadership: Provide overarching direction for 24/7 environmental operations, ensuring exceptional service delivery across street cleansing, waste collection, estate cleansing, and commercial waste.
• Drive Behaviour Change: Execute data-led strategies to engage residents and businesses, driving recycling rates, reducing waste, and fostering long-term environmental responsibility.
• Commercial Growth & Innovation: Expand commercial services to generate revenue, optimize resource management, and lead digital transformation across route planning and customer engagement.
• Asset & Fleet Management: Direct operations at Millfields Depot and Waste Transfer Station, maintaining full compliance with safety, statutory regulations, and Operator's Licence standards.
• People & Partnerships: Inspire a multi-tiered frontline workforce, foster positive union relations, and collaborate with strategic partners like the North London Waste Authority.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven senior leadership experience in environmental services, public realm, or complex logistics, whether gained in an in-house municipal setting, through major client-side contract management, or within the private waste/environmental sector.
• Robust strategic understanding of statutory waste governance, health & safety frameworks, and compliance standards, with the executive capability to hold operational services to the highest standards of safety and delivery
• A track record of managing large frontline workforces, navigating union relations, and leading through change.
• Outstanding communication skills, political acumen, and a passion for embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion into everything you do.

Why Join Us?

Hackney is one of London's most vibrant, diverse, and forward-thinking boroughs. This is a rare opportunity to lead dedicated teams, innovate frontline public services, and champion real environmental change at a transformative scale.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

This Post is subject to a Standard DBS check.

Closing date for applications: 15 November 2026 (22:59). Interview and assessment date: 07 December 2026.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud. In order to achieve this, we are seeking individuals who embody our "PROUD" values: Purpose and Respect, where we foster belonging through active inclusion, kindness, and open dialogue; Ownership, where we champion proactive collaboration and accountability for our shared success; and Unity and Diversity, where we work as one Council to break down silos and champion anti-racist behavior.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

About

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available:

Job Details

Hackney Borough Council

South East, UK

Permanent