General Manager, EsterPET

EsterPET, part of the Biffa Group, is a leading UK PET recycling manufacturer dedicated to producing high-quality recycled PET materials that support a more sustainable circular economy.

Location: Seaham - occasional travel to Sherburn
Department: Operations
Job Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and commercially focused General Manager to take full responsibility for the safe, profitable and effective operation of our PET recycling facility.

This is a senior site leadership role with responsibility for the site's P&L, operational performance, people, quality, compliance and continuous improvement. The General Manager will lead the site management team and take ownership for delivering the agreed business plan, operating budget and performance targets.

The facility operates an integrated PET recycling process. The General Manager must therefore understand the relationship between feedstock quality and cost, bale composition, process yield, entitlement, throughput, flake & pellet extrusion.

The role operates within a complex and developing regulatory and commercial environment. A good understanding of the UK PET recycling market and relevant packaging and waste legislation is important, including but not limited to PRNs/PERNs, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), environmental permitting, Plastic Packaging Tax, Deposit Return Scheme developments and food-contact requirements associated with recycled PET.

The successful candidate will have previously held significant operational and financial responsibility within a recycling, plastics, polymer processing or closely related manufacturing business and will be comfortable reporting directly to senior executives and a Board of Directors.

Key Responsibilities

• Take full responsibility for the safe, compliant and profitable operation of the site, delivering agreed P&L, EBITDA, budget and operational targets.
• Lead, coach and develop the site management team, creating a culture of ownership, accountability, high performance and effective communication.
• Understand and actively manage the key drivers of site profitability including bale/feedstock cost, PRN value, contamination, yield, throughput, energy, labour, maintenance, waste and finished product quality.
• Drive performance across the full PET recycling process.
• Ensure effective control of process performance and product quality, including the championing of a robust QMS process. 
• Establish and manage clear KPIs covering H&S, throughput, yield, mass balance, recovery, plant availability, downtime, quality, energy, conversion cost and financial performance.
• Lead site wide continuous improvement activities, ensuring recurring issues are investigated and permanently resolved.
• Ensure appropriate maintenance, asset reliability and capital investment plans are in place to support safe and reliable plant operation.
• Maintain compliance with the site's Environmental Permit and relevant waste, packaging and recycling legislation.
• Work closely with Commercial, Procurement, Finance, Engineering and Quality teams to understand feedstock markets, bale quality, customer requirements and the commercial impact of operational decisions.
• Provide clear, accurate & timely reporting to the Board and senior leadership team, communicating concerns early and presenting appropriate corrective actions and recommendations.
• Take overall ownership for site performance, ensuring issues are addressed promptly and agreed actions are delivered.

About You

Essential

• Significant senior management experience within PET recycling, plastics recycling, polymer processing or a closely related manufacturing environment.
• Proven P&L responsibility, including budgeting, forecasting and delivery of financial and operational targets.
• Strong understanding of PET recycling, including feedstock/bale quality, sorting and washing, flake production and the conversion of flake into pellet.
• Strong commercial understanding of the relationship between feedstock cost, PRN value, yield, throughput, quality and profitability.
• Proven ability to lead and develop management teams and create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Experience improving safety, quality, yield, throughput, reliability and operating cost within a complex manufacturing operation.
• Good understanding of the regulatory environment affecting recycling and waste-processing operations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Experience reporting operational and financial performance to Boards or senior executive teams.
• Strong communicator with the confidence to raise concerns, challenge performance and take responsibility for site decisions.

Desirable

• Direct experience within bottle-to-bottle PET or food-grade rPET recycling.
• Experience of Starlinger extrusion and SSP equipment, or comparable PET processing technology.
• Detailed knowledge of PRNs/PERNs, EPR, Plastic Packaging Tax, DRS and environmental permitting.
• Relevant degree, HND or professional qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Polymer Science or Operations Management.
• NEBOSH/IOSH, Lean Six Sigma or similar relevant qualifications.

Benefits

• Competitive salary dependent on experience
• Company pension
• Free on-site parking
• Training and professional development opportunities