Head of Ridham Operations

Countrystyle Recycling; Sittingbourne; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car Allowance

Life Insurance with GP24 access

Wellbeing through EAP

Electric car salary sacrifice

Cycle to work

Company events

GymFlex salary sacrifice

Job summary

Countrystyle Recycling Ltd is seeking a Head of Ridham Operations to take full accountability for daily operations at Ridham, including Ridham Dock. The role requires strong leadership, safety focus, and strategic oversight across budgets, performance, and compliance.

You will lead multiple operational teams, drive improvements, and ensure safe, efficient production while aligning with board directives and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Experience managing waste sites with multiple processes.
• Proven leadership and team-building capabilities.
• Experience reporting to Director-level appointments.
• Understanding of budgetary requirements.

Responsibilities

• Optimise operations at all sites to meet productivity and output targets.
• Lead and mentor teams to improve safety and efficiency.
• Oversee budgets and provide timely data to Finance; manage purchase orders and invoicing.
• Drive operational planning, resource deployment, and cross-team communication.
• Ensure compliance with permits, licences and regulations (SHEQ/ISO).
• Lead projects related to site operations as delegated by the Board.
• Coordinate with Commercial Team on manufacturing and quality targets.
• Manage third-party contractors and adherence to company policies.
• Develop contingency plans for identified risks; maintain health and safety policies.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Staff management

Health and safety knowledge

Communication skills

Time management

Negotiation

Time and motion

Machinery understanding

MS Office

Education

WAMITAB Level 4

IOSH Managing Safely

Tools

Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel)

Job description

Job Title: Head of Ridham Operations

Location: Ridham Dock Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8SR

Salary: Competitive

Job Type: Permanent, Full time

Working Hours: Monday to Friday - 45 hours per week with occasional Saturdays

About Us

Countrystyle is a member of the family-owned Heathcote Holdings Group of resource management companies and as a family run business our people and customers are at the heart of our growth and drive for passion for solution focused service.

About The Role

To have overall responsibility and to be fully accountable for all daily operations of the Company’s Ridham Operations, including Ridham Dock.

Note: In addition to these functions, employees are required to carry out such other duties as may reasonably be required.

Responsibilities

• To optimise all operations at the Sites to ensure alignment with the productivity and output requirements set by the Board and as notified to you by the Managing Director.
• To ensure that all operations carried on from time to time at the Sites are undertaken safely and efficiently by all individual operational teams and to manage their continuous improvement, by:
• a) building leadership capability through coaching and mentoring;
• b)ensuring all team members achieve their own objectives and job description duties and assisting
• Oversee the delivery of all relevant budgets in relation to:
• a) revenues, costs and underlying profitability;
• b) providing timely data to the Finance team; and
• c) generation of purchase orders and invoice authorisation to ensure costs are accurately allocated.
• Lead operational planning to achieve business goals by fostering innovation, prioritising initiatives, and coordinating the evaluation, deployment, management of resources and ensuring excellent internal/external communications.
• Ensure compliance of all operations in accordance with all permits, licences, permissions and regulations; including responsibility for all associated documents e.g. Fire Prevention Plan.
• To lead or assist in key projects relating to operations at the Sites as delegated by the Board.
• Ensure and oversee the efficient production and achievement of all manufacturing and quality targets for all materials at the site. This will require the necessary interaction with the Commercial Team.
• Manage all third parties attending sites including contractors in line with all Company policies/procedures.
• Ensure that the Company's Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) system is complied with in relation to operations to ensure retention of all ISO certification and to meet all testing protocols and specification standards for material manufactured at the Sites.
• To assist with the development, and where relevant, the implementation of contingency plans where risks or threats have been identified.
• Comply with all Health, Safety, HR, Quality and Environmental policies and procedures.
• Ensure that all staff understand and have regard to their duty to take care for their own health and safety and that of others who may affected by their actions at work.
• Ensure that staff co-operate, report unsafe conditions and comply with the Company management systems and safe systems of work as well as colleagues to help everyone meet their legal requirements.
• Ensure that all staff are fully trained, arranging refresher training as required.
• Monitor performance, timekeeping, attendance, holidays, overtime, bonuses and sickness levels of individuals and action as necessary.
• Conduct absence reviews, disciplinary and grievance meetings as required and in line with Company procedures.

Essential

About you:

• Focus Time Recording
• Cascade HR
• Microsoft Office, particularly outlook and Excel
• Previous experience in managing a waste sites with multiple processes
• Experience of team building and leadership
• Understanding of budgetary requirements
• Proven experience in dealing with employee relations issues
• Proven experience of reporting to and liaising with Director level appointments
• COTC - WAMITAB Level 4
• IOSH Managing Safely
• Communications skills both verbal and written
• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Highly Organised
• Ability to prioritise
• Customer focused approach to working
• Commercially driven
• Strong people management skills
• Understanding of time and motion principles
• Ability to identify and improve efficiencies
• Good understanding of machinery

Desirable

• Industry relevant qualification

Benefits

• Car Allowance
• Life Insurance with access to GP24
• Commitment to wellbeing through Employee Assistance Programme
• Electric Car salary sacrifice scheme for eligible employees
• Cycle to work scheme
• Company Events
• GymFlex salary sacrifice

Candidates with experience or relevant job titles of; Waste Operations Manager, Senior Waste Site Manager, Head of Waste & Resource Management, Recycling & Waste Operations Director, Recycling Site Manager, General Manager - Waste & Resource Operations may also be considered for this role