General Manager

Greenstar; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Panda is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead a multi-depot operation in Birmingham, overseeing trade waste, skip, RoRo and artic services. The role holds full P&L accountability and drives a commercially focused, safe, compliant operation across depots.

You will spearhead transformation, standardisation, and performance improvement while maintaining exceptional customer service and regulatory compliance. A strong leadership background is essential.

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership experience within transport, logistics or waste management.
• Experience managing multiple depots through layered management structures.
• Strong track record of managing P&Ls and improving revenue, margin and costs.
• Experience leading operational transformation and embedding new ways of working.
• Strong commercial judgement and understanding of sales-delivery relationships.
• Proven experience developing managers and high-performing teams.
• Ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience delivering operational-efficiency and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• High resilience and personal accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-site operations across trade waste, skip, RoRo and artic services.
• Take full ownership of depot-level and combined P&Ls, including revenue growth and margin improvement.
• Develop operational strategies to improve productivity and service delivery.
• Collaborate with Sales to ensure operational capability supports growth.
• Standardise and transform depots into a modern, commercially focused model.
• Maintain high standards of health and safety, transport and waste compliance.
• Lead depot managers and teams to drive performance and accountability.
• Build succession plans and leadership pipelines.
• Ensure compliance with Operator Licence requirements and related legislation.
• Oversee fleet strategy, asset utilisation and budgets.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Deliver KPIs for safety, service, cost, compliance and customer satisfaction.
• Lead planning and mobilisation of new contracts and commercial viability.

Skills

Senior leadership

Multi-site management

P&L management

Transformation leadership

Stakeholder management

Safety compliance

Education

Transport Manager CPC

Full UK driving licence

Waste/Transport industry experience

Job description

About The Role

General Manager

Reports to: Regional General Manager

Location: Birmingham

Contract: Full-time

We are looking for an experienced General Manager to lead a complex, multi-depot operation covering trade waste, skip, RoRo and artic services.

This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for operational performance, commercial delivery, safety, compliance and the individual and combined P&Ls of the depots.

The General Manager will lead the continued transformation of the operation, creating a more consistent, efficient and commercially focused model while maintaining high standards of customer service.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead multi-site operations across trade waste, skip, RoRo and artic services
• Take full ownership of depot-level and combined P&Ls, including revenue growth, cost control and margin improvement
• Develop operational strategies that improve productivity, fleet utilisation and service delivery
• Work closely with Sales to ensure operational capability supports sustainable commercial growth
• Lead the standardisation and transformation of depots into a consistent, modern and commercially focused operating model
• Maintain high standards of health and safety, transport compliance, waste compliance, customer service and site presentation
• Lead, develop and hold depot managers and operational teams accountable for performance
• Build succession plans and develop a strong pipeline of operational leadership talent
• Ensure compliance with Operator Licence requirements, transport legislation, Working Time Directive requirements and other regulatory standards
• Act as, or oversee, the named Transport Manager across relevant Operator Licences
• Manage fleet strategy, asset utilisation and demand planning against agreed budgets
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency and strengthen operational performance
• Deliver against KPIs covering safety, service, cost, compliance and customer satisfaction
• Take ownership of significant operational issues, escalations and service recovery
• Work closely with Sales, Finance, Compliance and Maintenance teams
• Lead the planning and mobilisation of new contracts, ensuring operational readiness and commercial viability
• Support the continued rollout of the Panda operating model across the region

What We’re Looking For

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within transport, logistics or waste management
• Experience managing multiple depots through layered management structures
• A strong track record of managing P&Ls and improving revenue, margin and operational costs
• Experience leading operational transformation and embedding new ways of working
• Strong commercial judgement and an understanding of the relationship between sales and operational delivery
• Proven experience developing managers, improving accountability and building high-performing teams
• The ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced and operationally demanding environment
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills
• Experience delivering significant operational-efficiency and continuous-improvement initiatives
• A high level of resilience, ownership and personal accountability
• Experience across trade waste, skip, RoRo and artic operations would be highly advantageous

Essential Qualifications And Knowledge

• Transport Manager CPC
• Willingness to be named on the company’s Operator Licence where required
• Waste-management or transport-industry experience
• Full UK driving licence
• Strong knowledge of transport legislation, the Working Time Directive and Operator Licence compliance
• Strong understanding of health and safety within a transport or waste-management environment

IOSH, First Aid or ADR-awareness qualifications would be beneficial but are not essential.

About You

About Us

We are Panda. We value waste.

We’re in the business of waste management but that doesn’t just mean collecting bins. Behind every collection is a passionate team of people finding smarter, safer, and more sustainable ways to recycle and repurpose materials that would otherwise go to waste.

Over the past 30 years, Panda has grown into a leading resource recovery business, bringing together almost 3,000 people across multiple brands, united by a shared vision and strong values. While our operations are diverse, our purpose is clear: to protect our people, support our customers, and create positive impact for the communities and environments we serve.

At Panda, people are at the heart of everything we do. We work as one team, combining different skills, experiences, and perspectives to achieve shared goals. We care for each other’s wellbeing, encourage development, and support growth because we know we’re stronger together.

We expect excellence in how we operate. High standards, bold thinking, and continuous improvement drive our passion for innovation. We challenge the ordinary, put safety first, and embrace new ideas while delivering practical, cost-effective solutions that move our business forward.

We own what we do. From day-to-day tasks to major projects, we take pride in our work and responsibility for the outcome. We don’t walk past problems we address them together.

And above all, we act with trust and integrity. Trust is built through open communication, honesty, and accountability. It allows us to move quickly, make confident decisions, and deliver results — knowing our people are empowered to do the right thing.

Our journey depends on talented, committed people who want to make an impact.

Panda is committed to attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate and the people we serve.

(DE&I Policy Statement)