Operations Director - Municipal (6-Month Secondment)

Biffa Waste Services; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A major waste management company is seeking an experienced Operations Director for a 6-month secondment to lead their Municipal Division. This leadership role involves managing operational performance, client satisfaction, and team development. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of waste management, exceptional communication skills, and proven senior leadership experience in complex operational environments. This is a unique opportunity to influence the future direction of the Municipal Division.

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership experience in complex operational environments.
• The ability to communicate effectively across all stakeholder groups.
• Strong understanding of waste management and public sector outsourcing.

Responsibilities

• Lead all operational, financial, customer, and SHEQ performance.
• Shape and deliver divisional strategy.
• Support and influence business development and tenders.

Skills

Senior leadership experience

Effective communication

Commercial and financial acumen

Operational consistency

Team development

Job description

Operations Director – Municipal (6-Month Secondment)

Location: Flexible

We’re looking for an experienced, commercially driven Operations Director for a 6-month secondment to lead our UK Municipal Division. The division comprises 3,000+ employees, a fleet of 1,500 vehicles, and the delivery of waste collection and street cleansing services to over 25 local authorities across 30+ sites, including collections, street cleansing operations and HWRCs.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for service delivery, operational excellence, client satisfaction, financial performance, and the development and engagement of teams across multiple regions.

What you’ll do:

• Lead all operational, financial, customer and SHEQ performance across the Municipal Division
• Shape and deliver divisional strategy, driving consistency and innovation
• Work closely with Fleet, SHEQ, Operational Excellence, Business Development and Finance to optimise delivery
• Support and influence business development, tenders and new opportunities
• Drive a strong leadership culture and develop high-performing teams
• Build excellent relationships with clients and stakeholders
• Lead on reporting, forecasting and operational planning

What you’ll bring:

• Proven senior leadership experience in complex operational environments
• The ability to communicate effectively across all stakeholder groups and influence culture and engagement proactively
• Strong understanding of waste management, environmental services or public sector outsourcing
• Excellent commercial and financial acumen
• A track record of driving operational consistency, innovation and people performance
• Ability to influence at Board level and engage confidently with clients
• A role-model approach to our values: Teamwork, Fairness, Respect (#TFR)

This is a unique opportunity to step into a senior leadership role where you’ll shape performance, drive improvement and influence the future direction of our Municipal Division.

Interviews will be held on 12th & 13th January