At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and scale a high-growth circular economy business with a focus on sustainability.
- Company: Ambitious, founder-led company dedicated to innovation in the circular economy.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, company car, pension, and private healthcare.
- Other info: Join a fast-paced team and shape the future of the circular economy.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving growth and sustainability in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in building and scaling businesses with a passion for sustainability.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 150000 £ per year.
£120,000–£150,000 Base Salary (DOE)
Significant Annual Performance Bonus
Long-Term Incentive Opportunity
Company Car / Car Allowance
Pension & Private Healthcare
Executive Benefits
Location: Reading - Hybrid to Reading Office
Have you built and scaled a business, business unit or division, hiring the team, creating the structure and developing the capability required to support significant growth? 55 Exec Search has been exclusively retained to appoint a Managing Director for an ambitious, founder-led business operating within the circular economy and sustainability space. The founders have built a successful business with strong foundations, loyal customers, recurring revenues and a differentiated proposition. They are now looking for an exceptional leader to take what they have created and build the next chapter.
We are looking for a builder. Someone who has built a business, division or business unit; hired and developed the team around them; created the structure required for growth; and then successfully scaled revenue, profitability and organisational capability. You do not need to come directly from the waste management / circular economy industry. More important is your track record of building, growing and scaling a business, combined with a genuine interest in sustainability, innovation and the circular economy.
The Opportunity
This is not a role for someone looking to maintain the status quo. Working closely with the founders and Board, you will take full responsibility for the day-to-day leadership of the business and its next stage of growth. You will be responsible for:
- Building the organisational structure and leadership capability required to scale.
- Recruiting, developing and leading a high-performing team.
- Delivering sustainable revenue and EBITDA growth.
- Professionalising systems, processes, KPIs and management information without losing the entrepreneurial culture that has driven the business to date.
- Developing new markets, services and strategic growth opportunities.
- Strengthening relationships with major national and multi-site customers.
- Driving innovation through technology, data and smarter ways of working.
- Identifying and integrating strategic acquisitions where appropriate.
- Working alongside the founders and Board to build significant long-term enterprise value.
The ambition is substantial: to scale nationally and establish the business as one of the UK's leading circular economy partners.
The Person
We are particularly interested in speaking with entrepreneurial leaders who can demonstrate that they have:
- Built a business, business unit or division and taken genuine ownership for its success.
- Successfully grown and scaled an organisation through a sustained period of commercial expansion.
- Personally hired, developed and led the team required to support significant growth.
- Held broad, end-to-end leadership responsibility across a business rather than operating solely within one functional discipline.
- Owned financial performance and demonstrated an ability to improve profitability.
- Built the people, processes and infrastructure required to support sustainable growth.
- Worked successfully within an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment where leaders are expected to be hands-on.
- Operated comfortably alongside founders, shareholders and/or a Board.
- Created a high-performance culture while developing future leaders.
Previous experience in waste management, resource management, recycling, environmental services, or the circular economy would be highly relevant, but not essential. We are open to exceptional leaders from other sectors who can demonstrate experience building and scaling businesses and who have a genuine interest in sustainability and the transition to a circular economy.
What We're Not Looking For
This appointment requires broad, end-to-end business leadership. Candidates whose experience has remained predominantly within a single functional discipline, whether sales, service delivery/operations or finance, are unlikely to have the breadth required for this particular opportunity. Equally, we're not looking for someone who has simply inherited a large, mature organisation and maintained its performance. We want to speak with leaders who can demonstrate what they have personally built, how they built it and the measurable growth that followed.
Why This Opportunity?
The business operates at the intersection of commercial performance, resource management, sustainability and the circular economy. It helps organisations reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, increase recycling and accelerate their transition towards a circular economy through a combination of resource management, environmental intelligence, data, reporting and circular innovation. The founders have reached an important point in the company's evolution. They are looking for an experienced leader who can assume full day-to-day responsibility and build the organisation well beyond its current scale.
For the successful candidate, this is an opportunity to apply everything you have learned from building and scaling businesses to an organisation with significant growth potential and a clear environmental purpose. This is an opportunity to build, not maintain.
Confidential Executive Search
This appointment is being managed exclusively by 55 Exec Search. Further information regarding the organisation and its growth strategy will be shared with candidates whose experience closely aligns with the requirements following an initial confidential discussion. If you have genuinely built and scaled a business or business unit, assembled the team around you and can demonstrate the growth that followed, we'd like to hear from you. You don't need to have built your career in waste management. You do need to be a builder.
Managing Director | High-Growth Circular Economy Business in Slough employer: 55 Exec Search
Join an award-winning Cyber Security consultancy as a Resource Coordinator, where you'll thrive in a collaborative and supportive culture that values initiative and proactive problem-solving. With a competitive salary of £35,000 and hybrid working options, this role offers genuine opportunities for career progression while working closely with senior leadership and gaining exposure to diverse operational activities. Be part of a rapidly growing team that prioritises employee development and fosters a positive work environment in either London or Gloucester.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Managing Director | High-Growth Circular Economy Business in Slough
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We think you need these skills to ace Managing Director | High-Growth Circular Economy Business in Slough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to 55 Exec Search.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of 55 Exec Search. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!
Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at 55 Exec Search
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with 55 Exec Search, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.
✨Brush Up on Management Theories
Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at 55 Exec Search, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.
✨Craft Your Vision for the Company
Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for 55 Exec Search could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.
✨Emphasise Team Dynamics and Culture
In corporate leadership, team dynamics and organisational culture are everything. Be ready to discuss how you've fostered a positive work environment in previous roles. Bring up examples of how you've managed diverse teams effectively—this will resonate well at 55 Exec Search as they’re likely seeking a candidate who can enhance their workplace culture.
