Waste Manager

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Southampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension and benefits

NHS terms of service and annual leave

Discount platform on everyday items

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Waste Manager to lead waste services, ensuring compliance with regulations and driving continuous service improvement across estates operations.

The role oversees an in-house team and external contractors, manages budgets, and chairs cross-functional meetings to enhance patient care and staff safety within the UEL/UHSFT framework.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree level of education or significant equivalent experience.
• Post-graduate diploma or equivalent experience in relevant field.
• Proven experience in managing a successful team, educating, and developing staff.
• Previous experience of working in a Waste and/or NHS environment.
• Proficient with Windows applications (Word/Excel/PowerPoint).
• Strong communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work autonomously with minimal direction and decision making.
• Commitment to health, safety, and staff welfare.

Responsibilities

• Lead and influence the operational delivery of comprehensive Waste Services across UEL and UHSFT.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and environmental regulations governing waste handling and disposal.
• Carry out monthly audit checks across designated areas.
• Manage in-house waste team and external contractors within budgetary limits.
• Produce reports, chair meetings, and drive continuous service improvement.
• Oversee health, safety, training, and HR processes within the department.
• Recruit, induct, and develop staff; manage performance and disciplinary processes.
• Maintain documentation, risk assessments, and liaison with external agencies.

Skills

Team leadership

Waste management

Change management

Communication

Autonomy

Budget management

Health & safety

Education

Relevant degree level

Post-graduate diploma

Tools

Windows

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Overview

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to join our team at UHS Estates Ltd (UEL).

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 Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Main duties of the job

As part of our team, you will lead and influence the operational delivery of comprehensive, high-quality, cost-effective Waste Services in all aspects of the UEL and UHSFT Strategy, relevant policies including Waste Management and procedures, quality issues, staff training, health and safety legislation and internal procedures/service agreements across designated UHSFT sites.

To control and manage all wastes produced and to ensure that all storage, handling, transporting and final disposal complies with statutory and environmental regulations.

To ensure compliance, monthly audit checks are carried out in a number of different areas relating to the above.

Ensure all performance standards are achieved, whilst striving for continuous improvement.

Responsible for the day-to-day management of the Waste Department, functions, equipment, and consumable supplies in accordance with UEL, UHS and legislative procedures.

Manage an in-house team of operational staff and operational relationships with a variety of external contractors.

To produce reports, make recommendations, and work with/lead/chair meetings with clinical and non- clinical representatives regarding initiatives, which contribute to the continuous improvement of services to patients, staff and visitors.

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

In this role, your key responsibilities will include:

• Ensure a quality provision of cost-effective Waste Services is provided.
• Manage the Waste services to achieve an effective high quality, integrated service which is managed within budgetary limits and provides value for money.
• To maintain standards in Waste services impacting on patient care and respond to user requirements.
• Delegated budget holder with responsibility for payroll authorisation selecting and purchasing departmental items up to a designated value (£5,000) (authorisation is required in the way of an approved PO in advance)
• Complete all relevant departmental administration in line with health and safety, infection control, human resources, and waste management regulations and procedures.
• To assist with direct service provision as occasionally required.
• Chair/lead relevant meetings/groups; produce minutes with action plans for all work and activity associated with this role.
• Provide effective management of operational teams within all services areas to ensure good professional standards and compliance with statutory legislation.
• To interpret and manage all operational aspects of the service specification of services under the overall leadership of the Associate Facilities Operations Manager.
• To take on departmental roles for major incidents, clinical governance and health & safety.
• To manage and delegate/maintain the department’s Health Roster and Electronic Staff Record (ESR) systems and other HR information.
• Develop knowledge of requirements and provide relevant information and guidance to new departments requesting the service.
• Develop and improve the relationship with other departments by ensuring quick and effective response to queries and complaints.
• Network with colleagues in other Trusts and National organisations to obtain benchmarking against own departments performance and share best practice initiatives.
• Monitor department’s service provision to customers against agreed objectives and quality levels.
• Appraise staff to identify individual development needs and action them as appropriate with provision of appropriate training.
• Participates in staff recruitment, selection, and induction of new staff, including the preparation of all contractual paperwork relating to starters and leavers.
• Lead with staff performance and disciplinary procedures involving Occupational Health and HR departments as necessary.
• To ensure that all department staff undertake mandatory and non-mandatory training as requested, providing documented evidence of attendance.
• To liaise with the external appointed agency for Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA) and work with our Transport Manager, ensuring legal obligations are met.
• Departmental lead for the Waste department health and safety and moving and handling, attending meetings and personalising documentation to disseminate to colleagues and training as required. To include responsibility for the maintenance of local risk assessments.
• Implement and sustain a process to analyse demand and capacity of the service to plan staff resourcing and service developments.
• Using the collected data and analytical findings work with the relevant departments to propose policy and service changes. Using own initiative/network learning to drive the department forward with efficiency and staff wellbeing. This will involve working closely with all stake holders including the Unions, Environmental management team, Serco and Infection Prevention for proposal and whilst implementing any changes.
• To maintain all data as required by the Environment Agency and other regulating bodies.
• To work with outside Agencies when introducing changes to legislations to existing practices i.e. (POMs) Prescription Only Medicines, Management of Health care Waste & WEEE Regulations.

Person specification

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant degree level of education or significant equivalent level of expertise obtained from previous relevant experience in this field
• Further post-graduate diploma level qualification or relevant equivalent experience in relevant field
• Proven experience in managing a successful team, educating, and developing staff
• Previous experience of working in a Waste and or NHS environment
• Intermediate level experience of Windows applications Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience of Change Management
• Ability to demonstrate effective customer care skills and communicate effectively with all types of staff, clinicians etc
• To be able to work autonomously with minimal input and direction from managers, making own decisions and problem solving in the department
• Self-motivation, communication and relationship skills and ability to lead and motivate others
• Strong negotiation, persuasive, interpersonal and management skills
• Planning and organisational skills

Desirable criteria

• Professional development to include: o General Waste Management qualification o Waste legislation training. o Duty of care legislation training o Hazardous Waste training
• Ability to travel to other NHS locations/ Suppliers/ contractors and off-site meetings
• Contract Management budget experience/training
• Commercial management experience/training
• Relationship Management experience/training
• Logistics Management experience/training
• Management qualification/Relevant facilities related qualifications
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Health and Safety Qualification (NEBOSH, IOSH)
• Planning and organisational skills
• Competent in higher level Spreadsheet knowledge, development, and presentation
• Experience of private sector Waste