Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Waste Program Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Waste Program Director leads strategic planning and day-to-day management of comprehensive waste management and diversion programs for a municipality, agency, university or large enterprise. This position is responsible for developing policy, managing budgets and grants, ensuring environmental and public safety compliance (local, state, federal, e.g., RCRA, DOT, EPA rules), supervising multidisciplinary teams and contractors, and driving measurable reductions in landfill disposal and greenhouse gas emissions. The director owns program performance metrics, community education and stakeholder engagement, procurement and contracting for collection/processing services, and continuous improvement toward circular economy goals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Waste Program Manager / Solid Waste Manager
Environmental Compliance Manager / Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager
Sustainability Program Manager or Recycling/Compost Program Coordinator

Advancement To:

Director of Environmental Services
Chief Sustainability Officer / VP of Sustainability
Public Works Director (municipal context)

Lateral Moves:

Environmental Compliance Director
Materials Management Director
Zero Waste Program Director

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and lead a strategic waste management plan and roadmap aligned with organizational sustainability and zero‑waste targets, including multi-year goals for diversion rates, landfill tonnage reduction, anaerobic digestion/composting expansion, and waste-to-energy feasibility studies.
Oversee all regulatory compliance activities for solid and hazardous waste programs, including permitting, manifesting, hazardous materials handling and reporting under RCRA, state hazardous waste codes, DOT shipping regulations, and local environmental ordinances.
Create, manage and optimize annual operating and capital budgets for waste collection, transfer stations, processing contracts, landfill remediation, and recycling and composting facilities; monitor expenditures, prepare budget justifications and present financials to executive leadership or governing boards.
Lead grant strategy, proposal development, administration and compliance for federal, state and foundation funding opportunities (e.g., EPA grants, state recycling / organics grants), including reporting, invoicing and audit preparation.
Design procurement strategy, scopes of work and RFPs for hauling, MRF operations, organics processing, transfer station operations and equipment purchases; conduct vendor evaluations, negotiate contracts and manage contractor performance and SLAs.
Supervise, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary team (program managers, inspectors, outreach coordinators, analysts, field supervisors) including hiring, performance management, career development and workforce safety training.
Implement and maintain robust data collection, GIS, and performance measurement systems to track waste flows, diversion rates, contamination rates, participation rates, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with waste management; produce regular dashboards and executive reports.
Set and enforce operational standards and safety protocols for collection fleets, transfer stations and processing facilities; coordinate OSHA and local workplace safety compliance, hazardous materials training and emergency response procedures.
Lead community engagement, public information and behavior-change campaigns to increase recycling, composting and proper hazardous waste disposal; develop accessible education materials, public hearings, workshops and targeted outreach to businesses, institutions and underserved communities.
Coordinate with internal stakeholders (procurement, fleet operations, public works, finance, legal, facilities) and external partners (haulers, MRFs, composters, state agencies) to align operational processes and regulatory obligations.
Manage complex multi-stakeholder initiatives such as municipal code updates, rate studies and service restructuring for curbside collection, multi-family recycling programs, construction & demolition (C&D) diversion programs and extended producer responsibility (EPR) implementations.
Oversee landfill operations oversight and closure/post-closure activities when applicable, including leachate management, methane monitoring, cap maintenance and long-term monitoring plans; coordinate with environmental engineering consultants and regulators.
Lead vendor and contractor performance reviews, including KPI creation, performance audits, corrective action plans and contract renewals or terminations to improve service quality and cost-effectiveness.
Drive procurement and deployment of equipment and technology (collection trucks, automated carts, in-cab routing systems, weigh-scales, contamination sensors) to improve efficiency, safety and data accuracy; evaluate lifecycle and total cost of ownership.
Provide technical leadership on hazardous waste programs, universal waste handling, pharmaceutical and sharps take-back initiatives, ensuring safe collection, transport and disposal in accordance with applicable laws.
Develop and manage diversion programs for commercial/institutional sectors, such as organics collection for restaurants and campuses, business recycling partnerships, and material-specific programs (e.g., mattresses, electronics).
Prepare and deliver board reports, council memos, regulatory filings and public presentations that clearly explain program performance, budget impacts and policy recommendations; translate technical data into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.
Conduct lifecycle analyses, greenhouse gas inventories for waste streams and cost-benefit analyses to prioritize program investments and demonstrate contributions to corporate or municipal climate goals.
Lead pilot programs and continuous improvement initiatives — testing new collection methods, contamination reduction strategies, pay-as-you-throw models, or material diversion partnerships — and scale successful pilots into full programs.
Manage risk and insurance matters related to operations and facilities, coordinate incident investigations, and maintain relationships with legal counsel on liability and regulatory enforcement matters.
Serve as primary liaison with state environmental agencies, EPA regional offices and regional solid waste collaborations to influence policy, secure funding, and ensure compliance with changing regulations.
Establish and implement quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) processes for data integrity, weigh data, load checks and facility reporting to regulators and funders.
Oversee outreach to underserved and multilingual communities, ensuring equitable access to waste services and targeted strategies that reduce environmental justice impacts.
Integrate circular economy principles into procurement and program design, partnering with economic development and materials reuse organizations to expand reuse, repair, and remanufacturing opportunities.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis on waste generation, route efficiency, and diversion opportunities using spreadsheets, GIS and business intelligence tools.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by advising on waste-related data architecture, telemetry from fleets and integration with sustainability reporting platforms.
Collaborate with business units to translate operational needs into technology and engineering requirements for routing software, weigh-scale integration, and materials tracking systems.
Participate in cross-functional planning, sprint planning and agile-style project management for digital transformation initiatives in waste operations, ensuring subject-matter expertise is embedded in technical development.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Waste program strategy development and execution (solid waste, recycling, organics, hazardous waste)
Regulatory knowledge: RCRA, EPA rules, state hazardous waste codes, DOT hazardous materials regulations, local permitting processes
Budget development and financial management for large operational and capital programs
Grant writing, grant management and federal/state reporting requirements
Contract management and procurement (RFP development, vendor selection, SLA creation)
Data analysis and performance measurement: Excel, SQL, GIS, and BI tools (Tableau, Power BI) for waste flow and diversion metrics
Environmental permitting, landfill closure/post-closure oversight and remediation coordination
Fleet and operations logistics: routing optimization, collection efficiency, and equipment lifecycle planning
Hazardous materials handling, universal waste programs, sharps and pharmaceutical collection protocols
Lifecycle assessment, greenhouse gas accounting for waste streams, and sustainability reporting (GRI, CDP)
QA/QC practices for weigh-scale data, load checking and contamination auditing
Familiarity with ISO 14001 environmental management systems and workplace safety frameworks (OSHA)

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and proven ability to set vision and drive organizational change
Strong verbal and written communication for public presentations, council reports and stakeholder diplomacy
Relationship-building and negotiation skills for vendor, interagency and community partnerships
Project management, prioritization and the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives concurrently
Political acumen and ability to work with elected officials, boards, and diverse community constituencies
Coaching and people management skills, including conflict resolution and team development
Analytical mindset with attention to detail and the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations
Adaptability and creative problem solving to scale pilot programs and implement innovative diversion strategies
Cultural competency and experience with community engagement in diverse and underserved populations
Ethical judgment and commitment to public service, safety and environmental stewardship

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Civil or Environmental Engineering, Public Administration, Sustainability, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Environmental Management, Public Administration (MPA), Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Business Administration (MBA) with sustainability focus, or equivalent advanced graduate training.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science or Studies
Civil / Environmental Engineering
Public Administration / Public Policy
Sustainability, Climate Science, or Resource Management
Business Administration with operations or sustainability emphasis

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

7–12+ years of progressive experience in waste management, recycling, organics or environmental program administration, with at least 3–5 years in a supervisory or senior program management role.

Preferred:

10+ years managing municipal or large-scale corporate waste programs, proven track record of securing and administering grants, experience with budget and contract management, and demonstrated success in community outreach, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional leadership.