Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Waste Disposal Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Waste Disposal Officer is responsible for overseeing and executing safe, compliant, and efficient waste handling operations across municipal, industrial, or commercial sites. This role ensures collection, segregation, transport, treatment and disposal of solid, liquid and hazardous wastes in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. The ideal candidate brings a strong mix of operational experience, regulatory knowledge (environmental permits, waste classifications, hazardous materials), and practical health & safety skills (PPE, spill response, HAZWOPER). This position acts as the primary point of contact for waste contractors, regulatory agencies, and internal stakeholders to drive continuous improvement in waste diversion, recycling, and landfill management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Waste Collector / Refuse Operative
Environmental Health Technician
Site Operative or Recycling Coordinator

Advancement To:

Waste Management Supervisor
Environmental Compliance Manager
Landfill Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Specialist
Environmental Monitoring Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and monitor daily waste collection and disposal schedules to ensure timely removal and transfer of municipal, commercial and industrial waste streams while minimizing environmental impact and operational cost.
Oversee the safe handling, segregation and packaging of hazardous, infectious and controlled wastes in compliance with local, state and federal regulations (RCRA, DOT, local environmental codes), ensuring proper manifesting, labeling and documentation.
Conduct routine inspections of waste transfer stations, drop-off points, compactors, balers, and landfill cells to verify proper operation, secure containment and adherence to permit conditions; document non-conformances and lead corrective actions.
Manage on-site waste acceptance procedures including load inspections, waste classification, prohibited waste rejection, fee collection (where applicable) and customer interaction to maintain service integrity and regulatory compliance.
Coordinate transportation logistics and contractor activities for off-site disposal and treatment, verifying transporter credentials, waste manifests, carrier insurance and chain-of-custody records to maintain an auditable trail.
Lead incident response for spills, containment breaches or hazardous releases, executing spill containment plans, coordinating with emergency responders and regulatory agencies, and preparing incident reports with root cause analysis.
Maintain and update permits, license renewals, and compliance documentation (air, water, landfill permits) and support audit responses and regulatory inspections by local environmental authorities.
Implement waste reduction, reuse and recycling initiatives such as source-separation programs, organic diversion, metal recovery and public education campaigns to drive diversion rate improvements and cost savings.
Train, supervise and evaluate crew members and contractors on safe waste-handling practices, PPE, lockout-tagout, vehicle safety, confined space entry and HAZWOPER procedures to maintain a safety-first culture.
Monitor and control environmental monitoring systems (leachate, gas collection, groundwater sampling coordination) and work with environmental consultants to ensure landfill stability and permit compliance.
Maintain and operate specialized waste-handling equipment (compactors, excavators, roll-off trucks, balers) and coordinate preventive maintenance programs to maximize uptime and safe operations.
Prepare and submit daily, weekly and monthly operational reports including tonnage reports, diversion metrics, incident logs and regulatory submittals to senior management and regulatory bodies.
Review and negotiate service contracts with third-party haulers, recyclers and treatment facilities, ensuring cost-effective, compliant service levels and managing contractor performance metrics.
Implement and maintain ISO 14001 or equivalent environmental management system procedures, including corrective and preventive actions, management review and continual improvement activities.
Oversee landfill cell construction and closure activities in partnership with engineers, ensuring proper liner installation, cover systems, and record-keeping per the approved design and permit.
Conduct risk assessments and job hazard analyses for waste handling tasks, incorporate controls and engineering solutions, and ensure controls are documented and communicated to staff.
Manage hazardous waste accumulation areas (HWAA), ensuring quantity limits, secondary containment, emergency equipment and weekly inspections are documented and compliant with regulations.
Coordinate community outreach and customer service for public drop-off sites, addressing complaints, educating on acceptable materials, and promoting recycling and diversion programs to improve participation.
Analyze waste stream composition data and financial metrics to recommend operational improvements, capital investments and process changes to increase efficiency and reduce disposal costs.
Maintain accurate inventory and secure storage of regulated materials, universal wastes and chemical containers; coordinate disposal or recycling of obsolete chemicals and ensure proper documentation.
Liaise with legal, procurement and finance teams to support incident investigations, insurance claims, contractual disputes and budget planning related to waste operations.

Secondary Functions

Support continuous improvement initiatives such as lean waste workflows, digital tracking of manifests and implementation of waste management software systems.
Assist in preparation and presentation of quarterly environmental performance metrics and sustainability reports for internal and external stakeholders.
Provide subject-matter expertise for procurement of PPE, containment systems and disposal contracts to optimize cost and compliance.
Participate in cross-departmental emergency planning and drills related to hazardous waste incidents, stormwater management and community safety.
Support ad-hoc educational workshops and site tours for municipal stakeholders and community groups to promote best practices in waste disposal and recycling.
Contribute to grant applications or capital funding proposals for waste diversion and recycling infrastructure projects.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Hazardous waste handling and manifesting (RCRA compliant documentation and chain-of-custody management).
Knowledge of local, state and federal environmental regulations (RCRA, DOT, EPA rules, local landfill permit conditions).
HAZWOPER certification (40-hour preferred; 24-hour or 8-hour refresher where applicable).
Experience operating and maintaining heavy equipment used in waste operations (compactors, excavators, forklifts, roll-off trucks).
Spill response and containment techniques, emergency response coordination and incident reporting.
Familiarity with landfill design and closure practices, leachate and gas management systems.
Competence with waste management software, manifesting systems and MS Office (Excel reporting, GIS or asset management tools).
Permit management and regulatory compliance reporting, including environmental monitoring coordination.
Waste stream auditing, composition analysis and diversion program implementation.
Health & safety program implementation including Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), Permit-to-Work, confined space and PPE enforcement.
Knowledge of recycling markets, commodities, and material recovery facility (MRF) operations.
Basic vehicle and fleet oversight, including CDL requirements and safety inspections.

Soft Skills

Strong communication and stakeholder management skills for working with public customers, regulatory agencies, contractors and internal teams.
Detail-oriented with excellent record-keeping and documentation discipline to support audits and legal compliance.
Problem-solving and decision-making under operational pressure (e.g., managing spills, load rejections, contractor failures).
Leadership and team development skills to coach, mentor and hold crews accountable to safety and service standards.
Organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple sites, routes and compliance deadlines.
Customer-service mindset to respond constructively to community inquiries and service complaints.
Analytical mindset to review tonnage, cost and diversion metrics and recommend process improvements.
Adaptability to changing regulations, technologies and seasonal workload fluctuations.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for vendor management and dispute resolution.
Commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; vocational certification in environmental, waste management, or related trades preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Waste Management, Occupational Safety, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science
Environmental Management
Occupational Health & Safety
Civil or Environmental Engineering
Waste Management Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years for mid-level Waste Disposal Officer roles; 5+ years for senior or supervisory roles.

Preferred:

Demonstrated experience in municipal or industrial waste operations, hazardous waste management, landfill operations or recycling program management.
Certifications such as HAZWOPER, OSHA 30, NEBOSH or ISO 14001 lead auditor are advantageous.
Valid driver’s license; CDL preferred when driving collection or transfer vehicles is required.

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