Head of Waste & Green Spaces

About the role

Are you a passionate leader with a vision for sustainable waste management and green spaces? Hillingdon Council is seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Waste & Green Spaces to lead and deliver high-quality services in waste management, street cleansing, and green spaces operations, ensuring we meet our goals for sustainability, efficiency, and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy: Lead the delivery of an effective waste, street cleansing, and green spaces service that is customer-focused and efficient. Develop and implement long-term strategies to improve the services and increase sustainability, including reducing waste and carbon emissions. Lead and motivate a commercially driven team, ensuring performance targets are met and budget management is in line with expectations. Promote continuous improvement across all areas of service delivery, ensuring the services are responsive to the needs of Hillingdon residents.
• Operational Management: Oversee a wide range of services, including household and commercial waste collection, street cleansing, parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, Ruislip Lido, and more. Manage the Harlington Road Depot and ensure compliance with health and safety, security, and environmental standards. Develop partnerships with external bodies, such as TfL and local authorities, to enhance service delivery and secure funding for major projects.
• Financial & Resource Management: Manage a significant budget and ensure the efficient use of resources. Take a leading role in ensuring the delivery of MTFF savings and the development of future cost-saving strategies. Oversee procurement, contract management, and the financial appraisals of major waste and green space projects.
• Health & Safety & Compliance: Ensure full compliance with all relevant legislation, health and safety standards, and environmental policies. Maintain oversight of all operational and service delivery compliance, from waste collection to the maintenance of green spaces.
• Stakeholder Management: Establish and maintain senior-level relationships with external partners and key stakeholders. Ensure effective communication and collaboration across internal teams and external agencies to ensure service efficiency and community satisfaction.
• Customer Service Excellence: Deliver high-quality customer service to residents and businesses, ensuring prompt resolution of complaints and enquiries. Act as a public ambassador for the council, promoting its best practices and enhancing the reputation of the services.

About You:

The ideal candidate will be:

• An experienced and strategic leader with a proven track record in managing large-scale waste, environmental, or green spaces services, ideally in a local government or public sector context.
• A visionary leader who can drive service improvements, manage budgets effectively, and implement sustainable practices.
• Passionate about sustainability, biodiversity, and reducing the carbon footprint of waste services.
• A strong communicator with the ability to engage and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, contractors, and local authorities.
• Knowledgeable about relevant legislation, such as environmental regulations, waste management policies, and health and safety standards.

What We Offer:

• A supportive and collaborative working environment with opportunities for professional development.
• Hybrid working options to ensure a healthy work-life balance.
• A competitive salary and benefits package.
• The opportunity to make a real difference in the community by leading a service that impacts the daily lives of Hillingdon residents.

If you are an innovative, results-driven leader with a passion for improving waste management and green spaces, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and join us in shaping a sustainable future for Hillingdon.

About us

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide:

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
• Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
• Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
• Vivup Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Vivup Benefits.
• Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly. The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre-employment screening: 3 years of Referencing.

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised. It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.