Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Waste Management Program Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

The Waste Management Program Supervisor leads daily operations and strategic initiatives for municipal, commercial, or industrial waste programs. This hands-on supervisory role combines operational leadership, regulatory compliance, contractor management, budgeting, data-driven performance measurement and community engagement to ensure efficient, safe, and sustainable handling of solid waste, hazardous waste, recycling streams and diversion programs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Waste Collection Supervisor / Lead Driver
Environmental Technician / Hazardous Waste Technician
Recycling & Diversion Coordinator

Advancement To:

Waste Management Program Manager
Director of Solid Waste / Environmental Operations Director
Public Works Division Manager

Lateral Moves:

Recycling Program Manager
Environmental Compliance Manager
Sustainability Program Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Oversee and manage day-to-day operations of solid waste, recycling, transfer station and landfill-related activities, ensuring safe, efficient, and regulatory-compliant handling of all waste streams.
Direct the permitting process and maintain regulatory compliance with federal, state and local laws (including EPA regulations, RCRA, DOT hazardous materials rules and OSHA safety standards), preparing and submitting permit applications, renewals and compliance reports.
Supervise, train and evaluate a multidisciplinary team of field staff, technicians, drivers and contractors; create schedules, assign workloads, conduct performance reviews and implement corrective action when necessary.
Develop, implement and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for waste handling, hazardous material containment, spill response, equipment operation and site safety to minimize risk and ensure consistent operations.
Manage contract procurement, vendor selection and performance oversight for hauling, disposal, recycling processors and third-party contractors, including negotiating terms, monitoring SLAs and ensuring compliance with contract specifications.
Lead hazardous waste management programs, including characterization, labeling, storage, transport coordination, emergency response planning and documentation consistent with RCRA and local hazardous waste rules.
Prepare, monitor and manage program budgets, forecasts and cost-control initiatives; track operational expenses, capital needs, grant expenditures and present financial summaries to leadership.
Design and implement waste diversion, recycling and organics programs; analyze waste stream composition, identify opportunities to increase diversion rates and collaborate with stakeholders to implement improvements.
Conduct regular facility and field inspections of transfer stations, collection routes, drop-off sites and disposal areas; identify deficiencies, schedule repairs, and enforce corrective actions to maintain operational integrity.
Coordinate and lead emergency response and incident investigations for spills, accidents or regulatory non-compliance events; prepare incident reports, corrective action plans and follow-up audits.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive environmental compliance reporting program, producing timely reports for regulatory agencies, internal stakeholders and elected officials.
Oversee fleet and equipment maintenance programs, ensuring vehicles, compactors, loaders and safety equipment are properly maintained, inspected and compliant with DOT and workplace safety standards.
Lead data collection, GIS mapping and analytics related to route optimization, tonnage tracking, diversion metrics and cost-per-ton analyses to drive continuous operational improvements.
Administer state and federal grants and special funding programs, including grant writing, budget reconciliation, deliverable tracking and compliance with funder requirements.
Build and sustain public outreach and education programs to increase community participation in recycling, hazardous waste collection events, and proper disposal practices; prepare public communications, informational materials and presentations.
Implement and manage workplace health, safety and environmental (HS&E) programs, including safety training, near-miss reporting, PPE enforcement and OSHA recordkeeping.
Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives with planning, public works, environmental health, and procurement to align waste management activities with broader municipal or corporate goals.
Lead capital project planning for facility upgrades, landfill expansions, transfer station renovations and equipment acquisitions; prepare RFPs, manage vendor relationships and oversee project delivery.
Conduct performance audits, internal compliance reviews and third-party inspections; translate audit findings into structured action plans and track remediation progress.
Maintain accurate and auditable records for manifests, chain-of-custody, disposal certificates, and regulatory correspondence to support compliance and transparency.
Plan and deliver workforce development and training programs focused on regulatory updates, safe equipment operation, hazardous material handling and customer service for field personnel.
Evaluate and implement waste technology solutions, such as automated routing systems, scale house software, material recovery facility (MRF) optimization tools and electronic reporting platforms.
Serve as primary liaison with regulatory agencies, industry associations, municipal partners and community groups; represent the organization in public meetings, enforcement discussions and stakeholder forums.
Create and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as diversion rate, contamination rate, cost-per-ton, route productivity and on-time service to inform leadership decisions and operational improvements.

Secondary Functions

Support grant application development and post-award reporting to secure funding for diversion, recycling and infrastructure projects.
Assist in long-term strategic planning for sustainable materials management and circular economy initiatives aligned with municipal or organizational sustainability goals.
Provide technical guidance for public procurement of waste services, drafting scope of work language and evaluation criteria for services and equipment.
Participate in interagency working groups, regional solid waste planning efforts and industry conferences to maintain awareness of best practices and emerging regulations.
Coordinate ad-hoc analyses and special projects such as pilot programs for organics collection, pay-as-you-throw models or single-stream to multi-stream optimizations.
Contribute to internal policy development, updating employee manuals, service policies and resident-facing guidance to reflect operational changes and regulatory requirements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

In-depth knowledge of federal, state and local waste regulations (EPA, RCRA, DOT HM-181, OSHA) with demonstrated experience maintaining regulatory compliance.
Solid waste operations expertise including landfill, transfer station, collection routing, recycling centers and MSW/hazardous waste handling.
Contract management skills: procurement, RFP development, vendor negotiation, service level agreement enforcement and contractor performance evaluation.
Budgeting and financial management experience for operational programs, capital projects, cost allocation and grant fund reconciliation.
Emergency response and incident management capability, including spill response, HAZMAT coordination and regulatory incident reporting.
Data analysis and reporting proficiency; experience with waste tracking, tonnage reporting, KPI dashboards, GIS mapping and route optimization tools.
Familiarity with materials recovery facility (MRF) operations, contamination reduction strategies and recycling market dynamics.
Proficiency with enterprise systems (asset management, fleet maintenance systems, scale house software) and Microsoft Office suite; experience with specialized platforms (SCS Engineers, AMCS, Routeware, Cartegraph) is a plus.
Health, Safety and Environmental program development skills including training program design, OSHA Recordkeeping (OSHA 300) and PPE programs.
Technical writing and documentation skills for SOPs, permit applications, compliance reports and grant proposals.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership with demonstrated ability to motivate frontline staff, foster teamwork, coach for performance and manage disciplinary processes.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with the public, elected officials, regulatory agencies and cross-functional teams.
Strategic thinking and problem-solving aptitude to translate operational data into actionable improvement initiatives.
Customer-service orientation and community engagement skills for outreach, education campaigns and handling resident service issues.
Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, timelines and stakeholder expectations.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for vendor disputes, interdepartmental coordination and community concerns.
Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills to maintain accurate records, permits and compliance documentation.
Adaptability and resilience to lead through regulatory changes, operational disruptions and emergency incidents.
Political acumen and diplomacy to present technical information to non-technical stakeholders and elected officials.
Coaching and mentoring ability to develop staff, identify training needs and build bench strength.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Public Administration, Sustainability, Occupational Safety, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Environmental Management, Public Administration, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or Sustainability preferred; or equivalent professional certifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science / Environmental Engineering
Civil Engineering / Waste Engineering
Public Administration / Public Works Management
Sustainability / Resource Management
Occupational Health & Safety

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–10 years of progressively responsible experience in solid waste, hazardous waste or environmental program management, with at least 2–4 years of direct supervisory experience.

Preferred:

7+ years of relevant experience, including hands-on operations oversight of landfills, transfer stations or municipal collection programs; prior experience managing contractors, capital projects, regulatory permitting and grant-funded programs is highly desirable.
Professional certifications such as Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Registered Environmental Manager (REM), Certified Solid Waste Manager (CSWM), or Lean/Six Sigma credentials are a plus.