Operations Manager

The Operations Manager – MRF oversees daily processing, maintenance coordination, and workforce management within a high-volume Material Recovery Facility (MRF). This role drives production throughput, manages plant operating budgets, enforces strict environmental health and safety (EHS) standards, and optimizes recycling recovery rates. As an operational leader, the MRF Operations Manager leads a multi-shift workforce, streamlines inbound/outbound logistics, and aligns daily operations with corporate safety, financial, and commodity quality goals.

What We Offer

• Competitive Compensation: Robust hourly wage with regular overtime opportunities.
• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Prioritized vision and orthodontic coverage, life insurance, and extended medical.
• Financial Security: Company-matched Retirement Savings Plan.
• Career Growth: Long-term investment in your professional development within a growing North American industry leader.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Production Performance

• Lead daily plant operations to meet or exceed budgeted throughput, recovery targets, and operational expenditure (OpEx) limits.
• Direct shift operations in collaboration with Operations Supervisors, monitoring machine uptimes, sorting efficiency, and inbound/outbound material flow.
• Optimize scale house and tipping floor traffic to minimize truck turnaround times, eliminate bottlenecks, and ensure smooth offloading and loading operations.
• Partner with the Operations Coordinator to maintain accurate production tracking, labor scheduling, and executive operational reporting.

Safety, Health & Environmental Compliance

• Champion plant safety initiatives to cultivate a zero-incident culture; serve as the primary operational partner to the Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS).
• Conduct and document daily toolbox talks, behavioral safety observations, hazard assessments, near-miss analyses, and formal root-cause incident investigations.
• Actively collaborate with the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) to facilitate timely workplace audits and promptly remediate identified hazards.
• Enforce regulatory compliance across local, provincial/state, and federal environmental and workplace safety frameworks (e.g., OSHA/CCOHS, EPA/Ministry of Environment).

Plant Maintenance & Technical Oversight

• Partner with the Maintenance Supervisor to prioritize, schedule, and execute preventive maintenance (PM) programs around production windows.
• Conduct daily shift rounds to audit sorting screens, optical sorters, balers, conveyors, and mobile equipment; verify pre-operational inspections and resolve equipment deficiencies immediately.
• Apply mechanical aptitude to troubleshoot operational disruptions, diagnose root causes, and optimize mechanical processing lines.

Workforce Management & Employee Engagement

• Direct hiring, onboarding, continuous training, performance reviews, and progressive disciplinary actions for hourly production staff, sorters, and operators.
• Establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) for shift supervisors and production staff, fostering accountability, retention, and leadership development.
• Promote an inclusive, high-morale work environment across diverse, multi-shift production teams.

Quality Control, Inventory & Logistics

• Ensure daily commodity quality audits meet strict mill and end-market contamination specifications.
• Coordinate with the Sales & Commodities Administration team to manage finished bale inventory, storage yard capacity, and domestic/export freight logistics.
• Adjust sorting line configurations and line speeds dynamically based on inbound composition to protect finished bale purity.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressive operations or production management experience in a recycling facility (MRF), waste management facility, or high-throughput industrial manufacturing environment.
• Education: High school diploma or GED required; an Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or related technical field is preferred.
• Technical Proficiency:
  • Strong mechanical aptitude with hands-on knowledge of sorting screens, optical sorters, eddy currents, balers, conveyors, and rolling stock.
  • Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); familiarity with ERP, CMMS, or plant automation software is an asset.
• Leadership & Organization:
  • Proven track record leading direct reports and front-line production crews in a fast-paced environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple concurrent workstreams without sacrificing safety or quality.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills across all organizational tiers (from front-line sorters to executive management).
• Work Schedule Flexibility: Ability and willingness to work flexible schedules, including early mornings, extended shifts, weekends, and holidays as operational emergencies dictate.