ERF Operations Manager in Tonbridge

Overview

The ERF Operations Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). This includes overseeing plant performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing operational teams, and optimising energy output while maintaining environmental and health & safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Operational Management: Oversee the daily operations of the ERF, ensuring maximum efficiency and uptime while maintaining compliance with all operational permits and industry regulations.
• Health, Safety & Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to health, safety, and environmental regulations, fostering a safety-first culture within the facility.
• Performance Optimisation: Monitor and analyse plant performance metrics to drive improvements in energy output, fuel efficiency, and emissions control.
• Team Leadership & Development: Manage and develop a team of operators and engineers, ensuring effective training, performance management, and succession planning.
• Maintenance Coordination: Work closely with the maintenance team to schedule and oversee planned and reactive maintenance activities, minimising downtime.
• Financial & Budgetary Control: Manage operational budgets, control costs, and identify opportunities for efficiency savings without compromising safety or performance.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Liaise with regulatory bodies, local authorities, contractors, and other stakeholders to ensure smooth operations and compliance with external requirements.
• Emergency Response & Contingency Planning: Ensure robust emergency response plans are in place and that staff are trained in incident management procedures.

Essential Experience

• Experience in managing an Energy Recovery Facility, waste-to-energy plant, or similar industrial process facility.
• Strong knowledge of health, safety, and environmental legislation (e.g. EA permit compliance, HSE regulations, WID/IED).
• Proven leadership and team management skills within an industrial or engineering environment.
• Experience in budget management, cost control, and operational efficiency improvement.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make decisions under pressure.

Desirable

• Engineering qualification (mechanical, electrical, or process) or equivalent industry experience.
• NEBOSH or IOSH certification.
• Experience working with turbine generators, boilers, and flue gas treatment systems.

Knowledge of CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management Systems) and plant monitoring tools.

Our Business

At Thalia Waste Management, we are creating a future to be proud of. We think differently, questioning everything, enabling us to develop progressive waste into energy solutions and services. Being motivated, tackling problems together, inspiring others to take responsibility, making a difference, being ambitious and contributing value. We operate the best technology available across our four strategic sites in North Yorkshire, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Wight. Our technology includes everything from mechanical and biological treatment, traditional mass-burn energy from waste and material recycling technologies to in-vessel composting, advanced thermal treatment, innovative small-scale energy from waste and anaerobic digestion. In a single year we process 300,000 tonnes of waste that is turned into energy. This generates the same amount of energy as approximately 600 million solar panels. Similarly we recycle circa 95,000 tonnes of waste.

Inclusion

At Thalia Waste Management, we work hard to make sure we are an inclusive and diverse place to work. This means we don’t just look at your CV, we’re focused on who you are, your skills and passion that can be brought to Thalia Waste Management. We know and understand everyone is different and has a life outside work, so we’re happy to discuss flexible working and any adjustments that could be needed! We’ll do all that we can to support everyone from their first contact with us. For any support or adjustments needed through our recruitment process, please speak to our recruitment team who will be happy to support. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. As a Disability Confident Employer, we will make sure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.