South Wales Hub Operations Lead in Cambridge

Role type: Full-time, permanent

Location: Based in South Wales (Port Talbot, Cardiff) area, with on-site visits around our South Wales-based suppliers and trips to HQ in Cambridge.

About Reclinker: Reclinker is a fast-growing climate-tech startup transforming cement recycling. We are preparing to launch our first product to market and are entering a critical phase of rapid scale-up in both production capacity and commercial traction.

This role is centred on the set-up, build and run safe, reliable, and efficient operations at our South Wales Hub as we scale from early commercial production to full industrial output. This role turns process innovation into day-to-day operational reality – working closely with our strategic suppliers to deliver our ambitious production scale up plan. This will involve ensuring operations are run safely, product and process quality standards are met, cost and production targets are reached, and smooth materials flows secure delivery to schedule. The role will oversee production across four key supplier owned sites, so both strong production operations knowledge and great supplier relationship building skills will be key to success in this role.

As the local Hub leader for our operations in South Wales, you will be responsible for building and line managing the local team here – starting with our Logistics Manager, Ops/Quality Control Lab Technician, and Concrete Waste Sourcing Lead. You’ll work closely with our Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations team to scale up production capacity, with oversight from our Chief Operations Officer (Poppy Brewer).

Key objectives:

• Working with our steelmaking partner, get the Cardiff electric arc furnace (EAF) operation scaled up and prove it can run reliably, targeting ambitious production growth goals to reach:
• Partial capacity vs the total steelmaking plant capacity by the end of 2026
• Full scale capacity by the end of 2027
• Oversee the successful deployment, scale up and running of our new pilot milling plant (when online) with our partners:
• Commissioning and pilot production in H2 2026
• Scale up upstream concrete feedstock recycling production operations to support our first product operations.

Success in this role means designing and developing our operations to run safely, consistently, and predictably – and continuing to improve them over time.

Responsibilities:

Production set up and scale up:

• Deliver early production, scale up, and stabilisation of pilot / early commercial assets across production, working closely with our key partners.
• Work with our R&D and engineering teams to get new kit set up and commissioned.
• Work ‘on the ground’ with our suppliers on priorities, challenges, and troubleshooting issues that might arise.

Production oversight and delivery:

• Deliver stable, repeatable production on a commercial scale, i.e.:
• Plan and schedule production in line with top level business planning
• Run production operations and manage production costs with our suppliers
• Drive continuous quality improvement
• Support product and process certification.
• Build simple, robust systems for safety, maintenance, quality, cost, carbon, and performance tracking
• Drive continuous improvement across throughput, yield, uptime, and product cost/carbon per tonne cement as the operation grows.
• Set up operational processes to manage product and process variability, applying a lean six sigma mindset.
• Run production data capture and reporting.
• Work with partners to ensure predictive maintenance plans are in place and followed, minimising down time of equipment.
• Support partners on reactive maintenance/ troubleshooting as required to enable a quick return to operations.

Supply chain management:

• Build positive operational relationships with our partners and suppliers, enabling their ongoing development with us on an open, collaborative basis.
• Manage supplier performance and delivery to plans.
• Oversee logistics and materials flows across the supply chain (with day‑to‑day support from the Logistics Manager).
• Support the COO and Engineering, Supply Chain, and Ops Lead with strategic partnership building.

South Wales Hub team leadership:

• Support role definition, recruitment, and team scale up in the South Wales Hub team (and, in time, beyond this in other Operational Hubs).
• Provide line management and mentorship to the operational hires at the South Wales Hub – initially including the Logistics Manager, Quality Control Technician, and RCP Sourcing Lead. Guide key decisions and actions.
• Oversee the set‑up and running of the South Wales offices/laboratory.
• Support the build out of a high‑performing Operations team, supporting the establishment of key processes, capability development (including training), and culture required for rapid growth.
• Ensure the team operates in line with Reclinker’s values.
• Oversee material flows across the value chain/ production system to:
• Identify opportunities/ strategies/ innovations to boost the Reclinker value proposition e.g. integration of wider steelmaking byproducts/ waste products into fluxes.
• Guide the design of a robust value chain.
• Identify what will ‘break’ at scale – before it does – and fix it early.

Operational expansion support:

• Prepare the South Wales Hub to become a ‘best practice’ repeatable operating model for future UK sites.
• Provide inputs to support replication and deployment of new Reclinker operations hubs based on your South Wales Hub experience e.g. future plant layouts, equipment choices, operating protocols etc.

Regional expertise (nice to have):

• Bring the best of your South Wales/ UK network, experience and contacts to Reclinker’s mission; broker valuable introductions.

Requirements:

Knowledge and experience:

• Several years’ experience of production operations accountability and team leadership; more experience preferred.
• Deep operational expertise, covering the following areas:
• Operational strategy and delivery planning
• Operational set‑up and scale up
• Manufacturing/ process engineering/ technical skills
• Operational delivery (planning & scheduling, cost‑down, lean, quality management)
• New capital infrastructure build and commissioning
• HSE, compliance & permitting (incl. waste management/ recycling)
• Commercial awareness: strong ability to link operational decisions to commercial outcomes
• Experience of setting up and running new teams/ sites
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship building skills required; strategic supplier partnership building experience desirable
• Experience in cement, lime, aggregates, steel, chemicals, or similar heavy industry(ies) desirable
• Understanding of sustainability and sustainable production a bonus
• Experience running/ overseeing laboratory / R&D environments a bonus
• Regional knowledge of South Wales regional activity in cement, construction materials recycling, waste management, steel a bonus
• Good working proficiency in key IT tools: MS Outlook, MS Teams/ Sharepoint, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, MS Project and other project management tools.

Skills and abilities:

• Strategic: Can cut through the noise to concentrate on the stuff that matters.
• Pragmatic problem‑solving skills: Hands‑on operations leader/fixer.
• Comfort with setting up something new: Someone comfortable starting with imperfect systems and improving them fast, and being the first person on the ground to build a new regional team.
• Innovator: Interest in learning about, experimenting with and deploying new operational technologies.
• Strong interpersonal skills: An experienced, accessible leader who is happy working with operators, office team and management, with experience of building great operational teams.

33 days annual leave inclusive of UK bank holidays. Private medical and dental insurance (optional). Pension contribution (auto‑enrolment, with scope to enhance). Flexible / hybrid working. Potential access to the employee share scheme, subject to board approval.