Waste Strategy Manager

Are you passionate about sustainability and driving positive change? We are looking for a Waste Strategy Manager to join our team and help us shape the future of waste management at the John Lewis Partnership.
In this pivotal role, you will be the driving force behind our waste strategy, ensuring legal compliance and operational excellence across all our sites. You’ll manage high-value outsourced contracts (worth ~£6m/annum), lead innovation in waste streams to support the circular economy, and collaborate with teams across Retail, Distribution and Property to embed sustainable practices.

Key responsibilities

• Driving Compliance & Strategy: Managing legal requirements, setting the strategic direction for waste services, and ensuring we stay ahead of legislative changes.

• Operational Excellence: Partnering with key stakeholders to deliver waste trials and innovative, market-leading solutions.

• Contract Management: Overseeing performance, risk, and innovation within our multi-million-pound waste supply chain.

• Influencing & Leading: Championing our sustainability agenda, providing technical advice, and fostering a culture of ownership and awareness among Partners.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• A solid understanding of commercial waste management legal requirements in line with DEFRA and devolved Governments requirements 

• Experience in managing service contracts.

• Commercial acumen with the ability to drive cost efficiencies and identify innovative waste-stream opportunities.

• Proven skills in stakeholder management, influencing, and negotiation, with an ability to communicate effectively at all levels.

• Knowledge of the retail industry and its unique waste challenges is essential. (Membership of IWFM or CIWM would be advantageous).

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Experience in developing and coaching individual partners and teams both internal and external

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.