Waste and Sustainability Compliance Lead

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Southampton; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous NHS pension scheme

NHS terms of service and annual leave

Employee benefits platform with disoc_

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT is seeking a Waste and Sustainability Compliance Lead to join the Estates team on a fixed-term basis. The role focuses on healthcare waste compliance, policy development and delivering improvement initiatives across UHS and UEL.

You will translate legislation into practical guidance, lead Waste Auditors, manage audits, investigations and data analysis, and support sustainability projects while collaborating with clinical and non-clinical teams.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification at Level 3 or above in waste management, environmental management, facilities management, compliance or a related subject, OR equivalent knowledge and experience gained through relevant training and work experience

Responsibilities

• Support the Waste Manager in the development, implementation and monitoring of UHS-wide waste management compliance programmes, ensuring activities are delivered within agreed priorities.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of HTM 07-01 and relevant environmental and healthcare waste legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act and waste duty of care requirements.
• Develop and maintain waste management policies, procedures and guidance, and advise clinical/non-clinical teams on regulatory requirements.
• Lead audits across UHS and UEL sites, providing direction to Waste Auditors to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Lead investigations into waste-related incidents and non-conformities, recommending corrective actions and tracking outcomes.
• Analyse waste data, produce reports, and support education and training on waste segregation and sustainability.

Skills

Waste management

Environmental compliance

Audits and investigations

Education

Level 3+ qualification in waste management or related field

Job description

Job Overview

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to join our team at UHS Estates Ltd (UEL). Please refer to the detailed job description below for more information about the role.

Job Title: Waste and Sustainability Compliance Lead

Contract: Fixed Term - 12 Months - Short Term Funding

Main duties of the job: The Waste and Sustainability Compliance Lead is a specialist operational role within the Waste Management Team. The post holder will act as a recognised source of specialist advice on healthcare waste compliance and will be required to translate legislation, national guidance and technical requirements into practical advice for clinical and non-clinical teams. This post reports to the Waste Manager and provides direct line management and operational leadership to the Waste Auditors, while also working closely with clinical and non-clinical teams and the Trust Sustainability Lead. The post holder will support University Hospital Southampton (UHS) to maintain safe, compliant and sustainable waste management arrangements across the organisation, with particular focus on healthcare waste segregation, regulatory compliance, audit, incident investigation, education and data. The post holder will lead defined compliance and improvement activities within agreed Trust frameworks, providing practical advice to departments and supporting the implementation of policies, procedures, corrective actions and waste reduction initiatives. The role requires the ability to interpret relevant legislation and guidance, analyse audit and waste data, identify non-compliance and recommend proportionate actions, while escalating significant or complex matters to the Waste Manager and/or Sustainability Lead. The role requires a high degree of autonomy in organising and prioritising workload while recognising the limits of delegated authority and escalating significant risks or matters requiring management decision.

Working for our organisation

UHS Estates Limited (UEL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). The company is responsible for the design and construction of new buildings, and the ongoing provision of services, including estates maintenance, soft facilities management and the management of equipment, consumables and materials, in support of one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England.

Employee Benefits

• Generous NHS pension scheme
• NHS terms of service and annual leave
• Access to an employee benefits platform offering discounts on groceries, high street shopping, family outings, holidays, and more

Southampton offers an excellent quality of life, located on the south coast with an international airport and direct train links to London. The area boasts the stunning New Forest National Park, beautiful beaches along the Jurassic Coast, and living costs around 20% lower than London. With 14 Ofsted-rated "Outstanding" schools, it's a great place to live and work.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Support the Waste Manager in the development, implementation and monitoring of UHS-wide waste management compliance programmes, ensuring activities are delivered within agreed priorities, policies and procedures.
• Maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of HTM 07-01 and relevant environmental and healthcare waste legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act, waste duty of care requirements, hazardous waste requirements and applicable Waste Regulations.
• Develop, review and maintain waste management policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, guidance and supporting materials, making recommendations to the Waste Manager where changes
• Act as a recognised point of specialist advice for waste compliance, providing clear and practical guidance to clinical and non-clinical teams on regulatory requirements and UHS waste procedures.
• Undertake and support planned and responsive waste compliance audits across UHS and UEL sites, providing operational leadership and direction to the Waste Auditors to identify trends, non-conformities, recurring issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead investigations into waste-related incidents, non-conformities, complaints and audit findings within the scope of the role, gathering evidence, identifying contributing factors and recommending appropriate corrective and preventative actions.
• Maintain appropriate records of incidents, investigations, audit findings, actions and compliance information, ensuring actions are monitored and escalated when required.
• Provide practical support and advice to clinical teams on correct waste segregation, particularly clinical and hazardous waste streams, and work with departments to improve compliance and reduce avoidable waste.
• Identify departmental and UHS and UEL-wide waste education requirements and develop and deliver appropriate education, including team huddles, toolbox talks, presentations, briefings and targeted awareness sessions.
• Collate, validate and analyse waste management and sustainability data from relevant systems, audits and service information, producing accurate information and reports for the Waste Management and Sustainability Teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve waste segregation, recycling, reuse, waste reduction and associated environmental performance, supporting agreed projects and measuring the impact of changes, including cost improvements.
• Work collaboratively with Clinical Sustainability Leads and other stakeholders to support the delivery of waste and sustainability projects, ensuring waste compliance considerations are incorporated into project planning and implementation.
• Provide advice and information to managers and staff on waste compliance issues, adapting communication to the needs of clinical, technical, operational and non-technical audiences.
• Monitor changes in relevant legislation, national guidance and healthcare waste practice, assessing their local implications and escalating recommendations for implementation through the Waste Manager and Sustainability Lead.
• Plan and prioritise own workload, balancing scheduled compliance activity, audits, investigations, education and project work, responding appropriately to changing operational requirements.
• Provide direct line management and day-to-day supervision of the Waste Auditors, including allocating and prioritising work, monitoring performance and delivery, providing support and guidance, identifying development needs and addressing issues in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.
• Responsible for allocating and prioritising work, monitoring performance and ensuring that the Waste Auditors deliver planned audit and compliance activities to the required standards and timescales.
• Contribute to performance reporting and continuous improvement by identifying themes from audit results, incidents, waste data and stakeholder feedback and recommending practical actions.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Relevant qualification at Level 3 or above in waste management, environmental management, facilities management, compliance or a related subject, OR equivalent knowledge and experience gained through relevant training and work experience

Desirable criteria

• Relevant waste/environmental qualification or membership of a professional body such as CIWM

Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant practical experience in waste management, environmental compliance, healthcare support services, facilities management or another regulated operational environment
• Experience of undertaking audits, inspections, compliance checks or quality assurance activity and following up actions
• Experience of investigating incidents, non-conformities, complaints or service failures and producing evidence-based recommendations
• Experience of providing advice, guidance, briefings or training to staff with different levels of knowledge and understanding
• Experience of collecting, checking, analysing and presenting operational, compliance, waste or sustainability data
• Evidence of ability to manage own workload and the workload of others, organise competing priorities and deliver agreed actions to timescale
• Experience of supervising or line managing staff, including allocating work, monitoring performance, providing support and feedback, and supporting staff development

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working within an NHS or healthcare environment
• Experience of healthcare waste auditing, waste compliance or clinical waste segregation
• Experience of using waste management, audit, compliance or sustainability systems and producing management information
• Experience of delivering departmental or Trust-wide awareness campaigns or improvement projects
• Experience of developing or reviewing policies, procedures, SOPs or guidance documents