Lead Engineer - Recycling & Circular Manufacturing

Altro; Letchworth; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical cover

25 days holiday

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Volunteer day

Free eye tests

Free parking

Learning and development

Job summary

Altro is seeking a Lead Engineer - Recycling & Circular Manufacturing to shape how materials are recovered, recycled and reused across our product portfolio. The role blends engineering excellence with strategic sustainability, guiding major investments and partnerships.

You will lead the technical roadmap for recycling and circular manufacturing, collaborating with manufacturing, product development, sustainability and procurement to maximise value from waste streams and end-of-life materials.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related engineering discipline.
• Experience with recycling technologies and material recovery processes.
• Experience in developing technical roadmaps and investment cases.
• Strong collaboration with manufacturing, sustainability, procurement and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Altro's technical roadmap for recycling and circular manufacturing.
• Identify opportunities to recover and reuse materials from waste streams across products.
• Lead feasibility studies, proof-of-concept projects and external recycling trials.
• Assess recycling technologies, equipment and processing routes for viability.
• Define recycled material specifications, usage limits and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, product development, sustainability, procurement and engineering teams.
• Build partnerships with recyclers, equipment suppliers, universities and research organisations.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations on investment opportunities, feasibility, risks and value.
• Support development of future recycling infrastructure and capability.

Skills

Recycling technologies

Materials engineering

Process development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Chemical Engineering

Materials Science

Manufacturing Engineering

Process Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Recycling Technology

Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Altro are looking for a Lead Engineer - Recycling & Circular Manufacturing to play a pivotal role in shaping how materials are recovered, recycled and reused across our product portfolio.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced engineer who is passionate about sustainability, recycling technologies and the circular economy to make a real impact on both our business and the environment.

This is much more than a recycling role.

You'll be responsible for developing Altro's future recycling and circular manufacturing capability, identifying practical ways to recover value from production waste, process scrap, returned materials and potentially end-of-life products. You'll assess emerging recycling technologies, work with external partners and research organisations, and lead technical studies that influence major investment and sustainability decisions.

The successful candidate will become the technical expert for recycling and circular manufacturing within the business, helping to define the strategies, technologies and partnerships that support our long-term sustainability goals.

This exciting new role is a permanent, hybrid working position (3 days a week in our Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire head office) with regular travel globally (estimated to be once every 6 weeks or so).

Please note, you must have right to work in the UK to be considered for this opportunity.

So, what will you be doing?

• Developing and maintaining Altro's technical roadmap for recycling and circular manufacturing.
• Identifying opportunities to recover, process and reuse materials from waste streams across our flooring and walling products.
• Leading feasibility studies, proof-of-concept projects and external recycling trials.
• Assessing recycling technologies, equipment and processing routes to determine technical and commercial viability.
• Defining recycled material specifications, usage limits and quality requirements.
• Working closely with manufacturing, product development, sustainability, procurement and engineering teams.
• Building partnerships with recyclers, equipment suppliers, universities and research organisations.
• Providing evidence-based recommendations on investment opportunities, technical feasibility, risks and business value.
• Supporting the development of future recycling infrastructure, processes and equipment capability.

What experience and skills are we looking for?

We're seeking an experienced engineer who can combine technical expertise with strategic thinking and a genuine passion for sustainability.

You'll likely have a degree, or equivalent experience, in:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Process Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Recycling Technology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Or a related engineering discipline.

You'll also bring experience in several of the following areas:

• Recycling technologies and material recovery processes
• Manufacturing or process engineering
• Materials engineering
• Waste management and resource recovery
• Process development and optimisation
• Sustainability or circular economy initiatives
• Technical feasibility studies
• Supplier assessment and technology evaluation
• Developing technical roadmaps
• Building investment recommendations and business cases
• Leading cross-functional technical projects.

As well as an exciting opportunity and competitive salary, what do we have to offer?

• Private medical cover via our supplier BUPA
• Starting holiday entitlement of 25 days, with the option to buy more
• Defined contribution pension scheme
• Life assurance from day one
• Occupational Sick Pay and onsite Occupational Health Service
• Confidential 24-hour life management and personal support service for you and your family
• Enhanced family-friendly benefits, including Maternity, Paternity, and Shared Parental Leave
• Free eye tests for all employees
• A paid day off each year for volunteering
• Free car parking at all our sites
• Long service awards
• Learning and Development support, regardless of your career stage
• Various social events, including the company Christmas party
• Retirement advice and support

So who are Altro?

A leading European manufacturer and supplier of premium flooring and wall cladding systems for Healthcare, construction and transport. We have been going strong since 1919. Family owned and run, we share family values; we care about you, each other and what we do.

Everyone is welcome at Altro for who they are, no matter what their background is or how they identify. We appreciate that everyone is different and with that diverse uniqueness we can all thrive. “We don’t want you to just work here. We want you to belong here.”