Waste Prevention Team Leader

Overview

This is an exciting behaviour change opportunity across Neighbourhood Service Waste Management Services. Services include all kerbside collection and street scene, waste management (recycling centres, disposal etc.) and enforcement (littering and fly tipping).

This position is being advertised for Buckinghamshire Council internal and agency employees only.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

The role sits within the Strategic Waste Management and Enforcement team.  We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team The team are friendly, approachable and enjoy working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to offer proactive, innovative and customer-focussed solutions.

Working within Neighbourhood Services means there are plenty of opportunities for learning and development, in both a formal and informal capacity.  The wider environment is dynamic and supportive, and we invest in ‘growing our own’, so there are excellent opportunities for career progression. 

We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

 

About the role

This is a permanent post as the previous postholder has taken up a progression opportunity within the team. 

You will be working closely with the Service Director, Head of Strategic Waste Management & Enforcement, with the Heads of Waste Collection Services and their teams, and internal/external experts in multi-disciplined teams. The role will involve high-profile decisions through organisation governances meeting the Councils vision, values, and strategic objectives.

We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

This is a diverse role covering a range of overarching programmes, projects and activities related to behaviour change, customer first, prevention and service promotions across Neighbourhood Service - waste management services.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

The ideal candidate will need to be an enthusiastic, self-motivated and highly organised person.

You will need to have strong communication skills and be able to engage with stakeholders at all levels in a proactive, politically sensitive manner. You will need to be customer focused and anticipate customer changes to plan and deliver high service standards. 

You will need to be able to demonstrate initiative, be able to work under pressure to deliver against milestones and will need to have exceptional prioritisation and people skills. 

• You will be able to lead, negotiate and make decisions to take forward communication plans, activities and projects with stakeholders.
• You will lead and manage a small team.
• You will matrix manage projects, activities, outreach work across internal teams and external supplier as part of waste contracts.
• You will lead research, consultations, monitoring, analyses trends and dissemination of good practice to inform strategic decision making within the council.
• You will manage budgets related to waste reduction and behaviour change projects.

• You will be able to lead, negotiate and make decisions to take forward communication plans, activities and projects with stakeholders.
• You will lead and manage a small team.
• You will matrix manage projects, activities, outreach work across internal teams and external supplier as part of waste contracts.
• You will lead research, consultations, monitoring, analyses trends and dissemination of good practice to inform strategic decision making within the council.
• You will manage budgets related to waste reduction and behaviour change projects.

Other information

Please see the attached job summary for further information on this role and person specification.

As a team we encourage hybrid working with two days in the office. The Neighbourhood Service waste teams are based across the county – Aylesbury and High Wycombe. Travel may also be required to various waste sites across the county which include depots, recycling centres and the Energy from Waste facility.

Number of positions available: 1

Closing date: Friday 6 June 2025 

Interview date: Monday 16 June 2025 

Interview-type / process: MS TEAMS

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Gurbaksh Badhan Head of Strategic Waste Management and Enforcement, 01296 387678 email: [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• licensing, cemeteries and crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/