Senior Vice President, Recycling
About The Position
Rumpke Waste & Recycling is a leader in the recycling space and is seeking a visionary leader to take its growing company to the next level. This role offers the opportunity to reenergize an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership passion in a company where leaders take ownership, create new plans, implement strategy, and achieve results that drive company and industry innovation. Rumpke offers leaders a rare opportunity with real assets and earnings responsibility to deliver outcomes that matter to the communities it serves. As a privately owned company with a long-term perspective, Rumpke operates with agility and opportunity, allowing leaders and team members to work alongside owners to achieve the company’s mission. The company values teamwork, quality, perseverance, growth, and responsibility, with a focus on people, safety, compliance, and innovation. Rumpke is looking for someone to lead its recycling business end-to-end, including the Material Recovery Facility network, capital plan, commodity value, and recycling programs. The ideal candidate will be a well-rounded, polished leader capable of running a demanding multi-site operation safely and profitably through commodity cycles, while strengthening Rumpke's market position. A realistic and strategic visionary with an understanding of recycling mechanics, commodity markets, and the value of public education and perception is required.
Requirements
- 12+ years of progressive leadership in waste management, recycling operations, or environmental services, including 7+ years at senior executive level
- Demonstrated multi-site operational leadership with full profit and loss ownership
- Experience with material recovery facility operations, commodity markets, municipal contracts, and recycling program design
- Experience leading capital-intensive operational transformation
- A bachelor’s degree in Business, Environmental Science, Engineering, Sustainability, Operations Management, or a related field is required
- Approximately 50% travel across our five-state footprint
- A valid driver's license
- Legal eligibility to work in the United States
Nice To Haves
- A master's degree is preferred
Responsibilities
- Own the recycling P&L, including processing cost, commodity revenue, tip and processing fees, and facility operating expense.
- Set cost-per-ton targets by facility and hold teams accountable.
- Build plans to ensure stability through commodity pricing downturns and deliver returns on capital investments.
- Own safety performance across the recycling organization and prioritize it in operating reviews.
- Partner with Corporate Safety for adherence to processing environment standards (OSHA, ANSI, DOT, EPA, Rumpke standards).
- Lead all material recovery facilities and processing operations using a common operating model (throughput, uptime, quality specifications, maintenance discipline).
- Drive down system contamination and residue.
- Identify and direct automation and technology initiatives to lower cost per ton and reduce labor market dependence.
- Own commodity marketing and the sale of processed material, including long-term supply agreements.
- Maintain forward visibility on commodity markets and advise CEO and CFO on earnings exposure.
- Set processing cost floors for customer and municipal pricing.
- Lead multi-year planning for recycling infrastructure, sorting technology, and automation.
- Build investment cases, present them to the CEO and CFO, and deliver on commitments.
- Pursue new material streams, processing services, and third-party volume.
- Serve as technical lead on municipal and large commercial recycling bids.
- Evaluate acquisition and partnership opportunities.
- Set diversion goals and track performance.
- Lead identification and outreach to new end users.
- Develop customer programs to improve inbound material quality and strengthen local relationships.
- Collaborate with Corporate Communications to enhance public education programs.
- Build a recycling leadership team with ready successors for critical roles.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
