Recycling Officer

Pertemps Plymouth; Devon and Torbay; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is seeking a Recycling Officer to assist in launching a Food Waste Collection service in Plymouth. The successful candidate will engage with residents to promote the initiative, attend community events, and ensure effective project delivery. Essential skills include customer service, community engagement experience, and a driving licence. This temporary role offers potential for a permanent position, requiring strong communication and organizational skills to ensure a positive community transition.

Qualifications

• GCSEs in Maths and English or equivalent required.
• Full UK driving licence necessary.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety and risk assessments is essential.

Responsibilities

• Engage residents to promote the new waste collection service.
• Attend community events to promote recycling and environmental awareness.
• Support community clean-ups and environmental events.
• Work with enforcement teams on issues like fly-tipping.
• Act as a first contact for queries and complaints.
• Complete daily site visits and monitor reports.
• Liaise with Councillors and voluntary groups for project development.

Skills

Customer service experience

Community engagement

Problem solving

Organisational skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

GCSEs in Maths and English (A*-C / 9-4) or equivalent

Job description

Recycling Officer – Food Waste Collection

Location: PL4, Plymouth
Contract: Temporary (Dec 2025 - June 2026, subject to departmental needs). Possible temp to perm opportunity.
Hours: 37 per week
Pay Rate: £15.56 per hour

Pertemps are recruiting on behalf of our client for a Recycling Officer to support the rollout of a new Food Waste Collection service.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a high‑profile project due for delivery by Spring 2026. You’ll play a key role in engaging with residents, promoting the benefits of food waste recycling, and helping ensure a smooth transition to the new service. As this is a public‑facing role, confidence, professionalism, and strong communication skills are essential.

Key Duties:

• Resident Engagement: Visiting households to explain the new service, answer questions, resolve issues, and encourage participation.
• Community Outreach: Attending schools, community groups, and events to promote recycling and environmental awareness through talks and workshops.
• Event Planning & Delivery: Supporting community clean‑ups, campaigns, and environmental events, including risk assessments, H&S compliance, and supervising staff/volunteers.
• Enforcement & Compliance: Working with enforcement teams on issues such as fly‑tipping, contamination, and container misuse, ensuring standards are met.
• Customer Service: Acting as a first point of contact for queries and complaints, providing clear information in line with Council policy.
• Monitoring & Reporting: Completing daily site visits, recording findings, reporting issues, and supporting record‑keeping, inventories, and budget monitoring (projects up to £75k).
• Partnership Working: Liaising with Councillors, voluntary groups, and external partners to develop projects that boost recycling participation.
• Education Projects: Creating and delivering initiatives for children and young people to promote recycling and environmental responsibility.
• Operational Support: Assisting operational teams when required, including moving equipment and coordinating service requests.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• GCSEs in Maths and English (A*-C / 9-4) or equivalent.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Experience in customer service, community engagement, and problem solving.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety and risk assessments.
• Strong organisational and interpersonal skills.

Desirable:

• Local authority experience.
• Experience sourcing funding or grants.
• Supervisory experience.
• PACE training.

To apply, click Apply or contact Emily on (phone number removed) for more information.

Please note: Due to high application volumes, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion – but do keep an eye out for future opportunities with Pertemps.