Solid Waste & Recycling Manager

Washington County, Oregon•Hillsboro, OR

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling Division within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is seeking an experienced, collaborative, forward-thinking and person-centered leader. The Solid Waste & Recycling Manager will join a dedicated group of professionals helping people contribute to a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient community through waste reduction and disposal programs. As evolving regulatory requirements, community expectations, and emerging technologies influence the waste materials management industry, this position will play a critical part in charting a clear, strategic path forward. If you are motivated by public service, community impact, and leading a team with compassion and clarity, this role offers an exciting opportunity. Our work supports fair access to services for all communities and honors the various experiences of the people we serve. We strive to build an environment where staff feel respected, heard, and empowered to contribute fully, and we are looking for a leader who shares that commitment. By combining thoughtful leadership with strong organizational systems and effective communication, you will help position our programs and our people for long term success.

Requirements

A Master's Degree in environmental science, public administration, natural sciences, or a related field; AND Four (4) years of experience in solid waste management, recycling, or a related field, which includes at least two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience.
OR A Bachelor's Degree in environmental science, public administration, natural sciences, or a related field; AND Six (6) years of experience in solid waste management, recycling, or a related field, which includes at least two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience.
Strong planning, communication and managerial skills through a trauma-informed lens while contributing to an established robust team culture.
Leadership style grounded in: emotional intelligence, self-awareness and approaching differences with humility and care active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and effective change management a steady presence with follow-through and reliability transparency and clear communication the ability to make people feel valued and supported respect for various experiences and perspectives
Skills to foster an environment where staff feel comfortable sharing differing viewpoints, raising concerns, and engaging in constructive debate.
Ability to navigate difficult conversations, balance compassion with accountability, and help teams move through conflicts in healthy ways by being committed to consistent follow-up to reach solutions.
Skills to navigate complex and highly visible political settings with diplomacy, tact, and responsiveness while fostering strong relationships with advisory committees, partner agencies, community organizations, and the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
In depth knowledge of working in a regulatory environment such as a public utility, a franchised solid waste system, or a similar environment.
Familiar with materials management concepts and industry best practices.
Ability to approach new concepts with curiosity and initiative, asking questions, engaging fully, and working to understand quickly, while collaborating with stakeholders and remaining receptive to ideas and feedback
Ability to learn quickly, collaborate with all interest holders, and stay open to new ideas and feedback.
Ability to unify staff around a shared vision, while respecting various points of view and experiences.
Ability to build collaborative relationships with people across all levels - direct service staff, supervisors, leadership, executive-level (County Administrative Office), elected officials (Board of Commissioners), and community partners.
Ability to think big picture while also having strong attention to detail.
Skills to identify problems and find creative solutions with people who may have differing perspectives.
Skills to empower staff and ability to trust the subject matter experts.

Nice To Haves

The Solid Waste & Recycling division is responsible for: Regulating and enforcing private-sector service providers that collect, store, transfer, and dispose of solid waste in a franchised/certificated system.
Enforcing County code related to solid waste, noise and nuisance.
Developing and implementing services, waste reduction programs, public education and compliance frameworks to serve County-developed initiatives or to comply with regional or state government requirements.
Planning and coordinating with city partners to ensure compliance with regional and state requirements.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership to a team of 16.
Manage the regulatory responsibility for a $42 million garbage and recycling collection system and the division's consolidated operating budget of roughly $2.9 million.
Ensure compliance and alignment with local, regional, and state requirements.
Engage with staff at state, regional and city governments, private sector organizations, regulated entities, elected officials, and advisory committee members.
Advise county leadership and, at times, city partners regarding local, regional, and statewide materials management strategies, mandates, and regulations.
Build partnerships across cities, regional agencies, haulers, advisory boards, and elected officials.
Represent the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at public meetings and on multi-agency and cross-departmental workgroups.
Foster a healthy internal culture through trust-building, team empowerment, psychological safety, and shared purpose.
Develop a shared vision and strategic plan through collaborative process to lead the team into the future, anticipating needs, and challenges.
Contribute to and support the overall mission of the County’s HHS leadership team and help advance department-wide priorities and initiatives.