Assistant Director of Operations

About Us

East Suffolk Services Ltd (ESSL) is a growing environmental services company, wholly owned by East Suffolk Council. Now entering its third year of delivery, ESSL was established to provide high-quality, reliable and value-for-money services to residents across the district. With around 300 employees, a committed leadership team and a clear public service ethos, ESSL is continuing to evolve as a trusted and resilient delivery partner.

Operating from two depots, one in the north and one in the south of the district – ESSL delivers key operational services including waste and recycling, grounds maintenance and fleet management. Serving over 125,000 homes and managing a combined service budget of approximately £12–13 million, ESSL plays a central role in ensuring that East Suffolk remains clean, green and well-maintained.

As we develop our long-term business plan and embed operational excellence, we are now looking to appoint a new Assistant Director of Operations. We need a hands-on and capable leader who can drive daily delivery while helping to shape the next stage of our organisational development.

About You

We are looking for an experienced operational leader, someone with a strong track record in waste and recycling services, and ideally a relevant qualification in the field. You might come from the public or private sector and could be an experienced head of service ready to take a step up, or an existing assistant director seeking a new and hands-on challenge.

What matters most is your ability to lead teams, manage operational risk and deliver consistently high-quality services in a complex and high-profile environment. You will understand what good operational delivery looks like, and have the resilience, presence and judgement to drive performance while building trust and credibility across the workforce.

You will be ambitious for yourself and the organisation, bring energy and ideas to the role, and be committed to supporting the SLT in building a high-performing, values-driven organisation. You’ll understand that this role is as much about delivering the basics well as it is about shaping the future.

Experience of managing large teams and multi-million-pound budgets is essential, as is a practical understanding of fleet and grounds maintenance services. Above all, you’ll be someone who leads from the front, rolls up their sleeves when needed, and takes real pride in public service delivery.

About the Role

This is a crucial operational leadership role in a business that is still maturing. Reporting to Operations Director Chris Dowsing, you will lead day-to-day service delivery across waste and recycling (c.£9m), grounds maintenance (c.£3m) and fleet operations. You will be responsible for ensuring performance, compliance, workforce engagement and continuous improvement across all areas.

We need someone who can provide the operational grip required to support the wider strategic ambitions of the company. With a new three-weekly residual waste collection cycle being introduced and a new food waste service being rolled out, there is a significant change agenda ahead and we are looking for someone who is ready to get stuck in.

You will spend time across both depots and work closely with your service managers, teams and partners to make sure services are safe, efficient and customer-focused. You will also play a key role in embedding a positive culture, building workforce resilience and developing the next tier of leadership within the organisation.

Role Closes: Midnight Friday 7th of November 2025