Head of Waste and Green Spaces

Our client is currently looking to recruit an Interim Head of Waste & Green Spaces on an initial contract basis.

London - Hybrid

£650 per day inside IR35

Our client is seeking a dynamic and experienced Interim Head of Waste & Green Spaces to lead one of the borough’s most high-profile public-facing services. If you’re a strategic thinker with a strong track record in environmental operations, people leadership, and customer service excellence — this is a rare opportunity to make a borough-wide impact.

Reporting to the Director of Environment, this is a high-responsibility interim leadership role that manages critical services including waste collection, street cleansing, parks and open spaces, cemeteries, recycling centres, and the borough’s green assets, including Ruislip Lido and golf courses.

Your Role and Impact

As Interim Head of Service, you will lead over 500 staff (direct and agency) and manage a £29m+ budget. You’ll be responsible for ensuring safe, compliant, innovative and efficient delivery across all services, balancing environmental priorities with operational excellence.

You’ll play a key part in shaping long-term strategies that support biodiversity, decarbonisation, and sustainable resource use, and lead cross-departmental projects with partners across the borough and beyond — from education to housing and enforcement to planning. This is an exciting challenge for someone who can confidently navigate complex operational systems, champion continuous improvement, and serve as an ambassador for Hillingdon at a regional and national level.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage frontline operations across waste management, green spaces, street cleansing, and related services.
• Oversee strategic use of major operational hubs.
• Ensure health & safety, legislative, and environmental compliance across all services.
• Drive innovation and sustainability, aligning services with the clients environmental targets and the Environmental Bill.
• Manage budgets of up to £29 million and deliver key savings within the MTFF framework.
• Represent the borough in regional and national forums; influence policy and promote best practice.
• Collaborate with partners across services such as Housing, Planning, Enforcement, and Public Health.
• Lead a highly visible team culture with a focus on performance, customer service and engagement with residents and elected members.

About You

You are a proven leader in environmental services, waste management, or grounds maintenance, with substantial experience managing large teams and delivering complex frontline operations. You’re as comfortable overseeing strategy and performance targets as you are responding to real-world service issues on the ground.

Essential:

• Extensive experience in senior operational roles within public realm/environmental services.
• Demonstrated success in leading large teams and managing multi-million-pound budgets.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation (waste, health & safety, environmental compliance).
• Strong cross-sector partnership and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and public engagement abilities.

Desirable:

• Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM).
• Public speaking experience at a national or industry level.
• A current UK driving licence and the ability to access all outdoor and green space sites.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an established organisation with potential for long term contract extensions.