Technical Improvement Lead

Ambitions Personnel; Whittlesey; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading waste management company in Whittlesey is seeking a Technical Improvement Lead to optimize metal recovery and enhance plant performance. The ideal candidate will have a background in process engineering, strong analytical skills, and experience with Lean methodologies. This role offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to make impactful improvements in sustainability and efficiency.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package

Opportunity to work with market-leading recovery technology

Qualifications

• Experience in technical/process improvement, ideally in waste processing or recycling.
• Knowledge of material recovery technologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement projects to enhance metal recovery.
• Analyse operational data and produce actionable reports.
• Collaborate on technical troubleshooting to improve efficiency.

Skills

Process improvement

Analytical skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Lean/Six Sigma methodologies

Tools

Advanced Excel

Job description

Technical Improvement Lead – Waste Processing / Recycling
Whittlesey, Peterborough | Permanent, Full-time

We’re working with a leading player in the waste-to-resource sector who are looking to appoint a Technical Improvement Lead to join their high-performing operations team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a process engineering or continuous improvement background to make a tangible impact on efficiency, recovery rates, and plant performance.

The Company
Our client operates one of the UK’s most advanced incinerator bottom ash (IBA) treatment facilities. Handling up to 250,000 tonnes of material per year, the site recovers valuable metals for reuse, with the balance going into the aggregates market. Safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement are at the core of their operation.

The Role
The Technical Improvement Lead will work closely with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to identify performance gaps, analyse data, and implement technical improvements across the plant. This is a hands-on, problem-solving role for someone who enjoys using data to drive change and seeing measurable results on the shop floor.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead continuous improvement projects to optimise metal recovery and plant throughput.

Analyse operational data, identify trends, and produce actionable reports (advanced Excel skills essential).

Collaborate on technical troubleshooting to improve equipment reliability and efficiency.

Manage improvement initiatives from concept to completion, including process trials and equipment upgrades.

Develop and track KPIs on recovery efficiency, downtime, and yield.

Provide training and guidance to teams on new processes and improvements.

About You:

Experience in technical/process improvement (waste processing or recycling advantageous).

Knowledge of eddy current separation and material recovery from IBA or similar streams.

Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to work across all levels of the business.

Experience of Lean, Six Sigma, or other CI methodologies desirable.

What’s On Offer:

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Opportunity to work with market-leading recovery technology.

A role where your improvements directly impact performance and sustainability.

Apply today by sending your CV to [e-mail] quoting Technical Improvement Lead – Ref: JPTIL08/25.

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