ROYAL BOROUGH OF KINGSTON UPON THAMES
JOB DESCRIPTION
Directorate:
Environment
Job Title:
Waste Officer
Dept:
Waste
Post Number:
TBC
Grade:
Career Grade
H- I
RELATIONSHIPS
1
RESPONSIBLE TO:
Service Manager, Waste
3
2 SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR:
N/A
IMPORTANT INTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
 Information & Advice Centre, particularly Waste Advisors
Street Services Team, particularly Lead Officers
 Service Managers
 Finance Team
4
IMPORTANT EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS


South London Waste Partnership
Waste Management and Street Cleansing Contractors
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB
The Royal Borough of Kingston’s vision is for it to have a national reputation as one
of the best places to live and work. The Waste team, of which the role holder is a
member, will have a major contribution to make to the delivery of that vision.
The main focus of the Waste Officer role is:

To assist the Service Manager (Waste) to develop and implement Kingston’s
Waste Strategy, by contributing to the design, development and implementation
of waste service improvements in the annual Waste Strategy Implementation
Plan.

To provide detailed reports with respect to the management of financial,
communication and data management issues that will inform the implementation
of Kingston’s Waste Strategy.

To develop, plan and implement waste management campaigns as defined by
the Waste Communication Plan.

To assume responsibility for contract management duties related to the
Council’s waste management and street cleansing contractors.

To manage the accurate and consistent reporting of all waste management data
required to comply with local and statutory reporting requirements.

To play an active role in representing Kingston on the South London Waste
Partnership.
Prepared by: Deborah Flintoff
Agreed by: Rachel Lewis
Signature
Signature
Date
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Date:
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MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES OF JOB
 To work closely with colleagues in the Waste Team to ensure the team’s strategic
goals, which are contained within Kingston’s Waste Strategy, are integrated into
all ongoing work, and are implemented, progressed and developed efficiently.
 To fulfil contract management obligations and contribute to the provision of
effective and safe waste management and street cleansing services for the Royal
Borough of Kingston.
 To contribute to the development and implementation of the council’s annual
Waste Strategy Implementation Plan, as directed by the Service Manager
(Waste).
 To oversee the collection and collation of data on all aspects of performance
relevant to the implementation of the WSIP, and to use this to report regularly and
accurately on waste service performance.
 To contribute to the implementation of the waste team’s annual Communication
Plan, as directed by the Service Manager (Waste).
 To be aware of and responsible for budget management in all relevant work
areas.
 To be aware of the role of local authorities in providing services which meet
statutory requirements, whilst also meeting the needs of local residents.
 To use initiative to complete all areas of work effectively and efficiently.
 To liaise with colleagues in Planning on waste planning issues, and respond to
planning applications with regard to waste management requirements.
 To undertake responsibilities defined by Kingston’s role in the South London
Waste Partnership.
 To have a detailed understanding of the waste management and street cleansing
industry in the UK, and the legislation which drives these two industries.
To liaise with external partners, including local organisations and national and
regional bodies (e.g. Environment Agency, Defra and the GLA).
 To work with and support colleagues to provide the best quality service to the
public. To be active in introducing and sustaining the Council’s “Customer First”
policy.
 To attend and participate in Section, Team and other staff meetings. To be party
in agreeing and implementing new working practices to achieve to improved
service delivery and efficiency.
 To conduct the duties of the post to be consistent with the Council’s equal
opportunities, IIP, best value, health & safety, corporate objectives and other
policies.
 To develop, update and act on own personal development plan and be ready to
share learning with others.
 To undertake any other tasks and duties required that are commensurate with the
level of responsibility and experience of the post holder. The duties of this post
may change over time; the postholder is expected to monitor changes and, in
conjunction with the line manager, prepare appropriate changes to the job
description.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential

Waste Management Qualification or a degree in a related subject.

A proven ability to work with minimum supervision and within defined
parameters to achieve corporate goals.

A good level of written and oral communication skills and a methodical and
accurate approach to the keeping of records.

Experience in using new technology/IT in the management and
administration of services.
Partnering for excellence

Behaves ethically in business delivery at all times

Is willing to continually work with others to enhance services

Has the ability to deliver high quality services that demonstrate best value
for local communities

Is able to be innovative and imaginative in developing service improvements

Builds positive working relationships in order to identify and resolve
problems without conflict
Putting the Customer First

Consistently seeks out a deep understanding of the wider RBK business to
manage the contract most effectively

Looks for opportunities to ensure the contracts are providing the required
levels and service focus

Working with colleagues in the Information and Advice to Centre gather
feedback, to improve partner performance and customer service
Being the best

Coaches, support and leads individuals or teams to help maximise their
potential and improve performance

Manages team and individual performance to meet service requirements

Identifies and pro-actively addresses inefficient use of time and resources

Thinks outside of the box and identifies creative solutions to service issues

Seeks feedback and uses all learning opportunities to increase selfawareness and creates opportunities for personal development to improve
performance

Constantly seeking opportunities to gain improvements in price, quality or
service from partnering contractors
Effective communications

Able to communicate bad news while retaining good relationships with
contracting partners, customers and other key stakeholders

Successfully uses influencing skills to help achieve consensus and positive
outcomes

Highly skilled at quickly building mutual trust and understanding in short
timeframes; open style of communication; understanding that excellent
communications is at the heart of partnering success
Working together

Role models model ‘partnership’ ways of working: collaborative and
inclusive style with own team and that of partnering contractor

Asserts own view calmly even with more senior staff and acts in an assured
way when faced with challenge

Ability to accept all feedback (positive and negative) from partnering
contactor in a genuinely positive way, exploring ways to build on it for mutual
benefit

Actively seeks out win-win opportunities and gains for the partnership rather
than only focussing on the Council’s objectives
Desirable

Experience of budget control and monitoring.

Hold a current driving licence and have a motor vehicle available for use on
Council business.
Career Grade Progression Scheme for Waste Officers
Introduction
The Career Grade Waste Officer post has been graded over a wide band (F- I) to:






Allow the appointment of less qualified and/or experienced individuals within a scale designed to allow staff to develop within the waste
profession.
Reward staff as they gain further experience and skills.
Fast track high calibre staff into senior level positions.
Maintain motivation and aiding staff retention.
Enable staff to gain a broad range of professional experience.
Allow for flexibility in resource planning.
However, candidates applying in May 2014 should note that the post being advertised is senior-level, and will only be available to candidates able to
meet the requirements of the two upper payscales available, i.e. Grades H and I.
Appointment and progression through the scheme will depend on an individual meeting the criteria as set out below and in “Appendix 1 – Table of
Main Responsibilities and Criteria at Grades H – I”. Progression through the scheme will be determined through the performance appraisal process.
Applicants should refer to Appendix 1 and consider the Main Responsibilities and Criteria for each payscale when completing the application form.
Grade H (£30,693 - £34,887) Waste Officer
Minimum requirement:
Possession of a qualification or degree in Waste Management or a related subject. In addition a
strong interest in and experience of specialising in waste management and the operation of a waste
management service.
Candidates should refer to Appendix 1: Table of Main Responsibilities and Criteria, specifically the
details listed for progressing from Grade G to Grade H.
Additional criteria to be met at Grade H:
 Achieves challenging performance targets and objectives
 Evidence of continual professional and personal development and active sharing of learning with
others
 Demonstrates a determination to provide a high quality service
 Contributes to specific projects
 Produces high quality reports of a complex nature
 Provides a high level of professional advice to customers, colleagues and members
 Contributes to the annual team planning process and improvements in service delivery
 Prepares committee reports for approval
Grade I (£34,887 - £39,351) Waste Officer
Minimum requirement:
Has met the criteria for progressing from Grade H.
Candidates should refer to Appendix 1: Table of Main Responsibilities and Criteria, specifically the
details listed for progressing from Grade H to Grade I.
Additional criteria to be met before progressing from Grade H to Grade I:









Achieves challenging performance targets and objectives
Evidence of continual professional and personal development and active development of the skills and
knowledge of others
Demonstrates a determination to provide a high quality service
Leads on key projects and processes
Has budgetary responsibility for specific projects
Prepares documents and publications of a complex nature and strategic importance
Is recognised within the council for a high level of expertise and knowledge in relation to waste issues
Plays a key role in the annual team planning process and achieving improvements in service delivery
Can effectively cover for the Service Manager in their absence
Career Grade Waste Officer Progression Scheme
Table of Main Responsibilities and Criteria at Grades F – I
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
 To work closely with colleagues in
the Waste Team to ensure the
team’s strategic goals, which are
contained within Kingston’s Waste
Strategy, are integrated into all
ongoing work, and are
implemented, progressed and
developed efficiently.
 To fulfil contract management
obligations and contribute to the
provision of effective waste
management and street cleansing
services for the Royal Borough of
Kingston.
CRITERIA TO BE MET AT
GRADE F:
Demonstrate an understanding
of the Waste Strategy targets.
Be aware of work being
undertaken by colleagues on
Waste Strategy targets.
Collect data on the
implementation of the Waste
Strategy targets and provide
these for use in reports as
requested.
Undertake responsibility to
progress actions defined by
Contract Manager in specific,
defined work areas (e.g.
ongoing stock management of
waste collection equipment, ad
hoc management of minor
disposal issues).
Develop strong working
relationships with partnering
contractors to facilitate day-today updates and information
capture.
CRITERIA TO BE MET BEFORE
PROGRESSING FROM GRADE
F TO GRADE G:
Demonstrate ability to consider
the Waste Strategy in day to
day work and achieve personal
annual goals related to their
implementation.
CRITERIA TO BE MET BEFORE CRITERIA TO BE MET BEFORE
PROGRESSING FROM GRADE PROGRESSING FROM GRADE
G TO GRADE H:
H TO GRADE I:
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
Be responsible for integrating
Waste Strategy requirements
into new areas of specific
responsibilities and reporting on
this work to the Service
Manager.
Use knowledge of service and
contract to develop and
enhance the Waste Strategy
targets and implementation.
Maintain an overview of the
team’s work and an
understanding of where
colleagues work areas overlap.
Identify work areas of Waste
Team colleagues where
increased combined working by
colleagues would contribute to
Waste Strategy
implementation.
Develop processes where
necessary to ensure
requirements of contract
management are progressed.
Be responsible for all aspects of
contract management of waste
collection and disposal services,
and street cleansing services.
Oversee the operational
management of all waste
collection and disposal services,
and street cleansing services.
Provide accurate internal
reports, based on analysis
undertaken. The data should
then be used to as a basis to
address issues with contractors
and report escalations.
Work closely with the Contact
Centre to share information on
contractual issues being raised
and the potential impact this
may have on the Contact
Centre.
Use reports of operational
management of services to
identify strategic service
development opportunities with
the Service Manager.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
 To contribute to the
implementation of the council’s
annual Waste Strategy
Implementation Plan, as directed
by the Service Manager (Waste).
CRITERIA TO BE MET AT
GRADE F:
Contribute to the review and
development of the annual
Waste Strategy Implementation
Plan.
Input of data relating to
projects; development of an
awareness of the impact this
has on the implementation of
services.
 To collect and collate data on all
aspects of performance relevant to
the implementation of the WSIP,
and to use this to report regularly
and accurately on waste service
performance.
Create databases and maintain
data on the collection and
disposal services
(e.g.WasteDataFlow, number of
houses on each collection
service, maintaining
information on bring sites).
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE F TO
GRADE G:
Contribute to on the ground
implementation, monitoring
(data collection and
management) and
communication of Waste
Strategy Implementation Plan
projects.
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE G TO
GRADE H:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE H TO
GRADE I:
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
To make a significant
contribution to the review and
development of the annual
Waste Strategy Implementation
Plan.
Be responsible for the
implementation of specific
projects in the Waste Strategy
Implementation Plan, including
project planning, budgeting,
procurement and
communication.
Contribute to the review and
development of the annual
Waste Strategy Implementation
Plan.
Measuring and reporting the
performance of each service
(e.g. against agreed KPIs). This
will include data produced from
the council’s CRM system.
Be responsible for reviewing
and reporting on
implementation for the
purposes of developing the
annual Waste Strategy
Implementation Plan.
Use data and reports provided
on the operational
management of the services to
provide trends analysis on
current and forecast
partnership performance on a
weekly, monthly, quarterly and
annual basis.
Work with colleagues in the
Management Information &
Performance Analysis team to
manage the processes required
(and develop these if necessary) to
collect all appropriate data for
national reporting to
WasteDataFlow. Be able to input
this data if required.
Analyse data collected on WSIP
projects to provide monthly
reports on progress (i.e. to
Project Board).
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
 To contribute to the
implementation of the waste
team’s annual Communication
Plan, as directed by the Service
Manager (Waste).
CRITERIA TO BE MET AT
GRADE F:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE F TO
GRADE G:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE G TO
GRADE H:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE H TO
GRADE I:
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
Manage data that may be
required as part of the annual
Communication Plan.
Undertake analysis of data in
order to contribute to the
annual Communication Plan.
To implement any processes
relating to the delivery of
service requests.
Respond as necessary to service
requests received through the
council’s Contact Centre,
meeting the council’s Customer
Standard response times. This
will include occasional site visits
with the contractor, residents
or both with relevance
guidance.
Respond to service requests by
undertaking site visits
independently and preparing
detailed reports.
Prepare committee reports for
approval.
To oversee the implementation
of the Waste Team’s Annual
Communication Plan, and to act
as the first point of contact on
waste issues for external
bodies, other council officers
and Councillors.
To oversee the management of
all service requests, and to
develop and manage processes
for dealing with such requests.
Provide data and background
information for the preparation
of committee reports.
To provide data and background
information for the preparation
of committee reports.
 To be aware of and responsible for
budget management in all relevant
work areas.
Contribute budget data to
annual spreadsheets as
appropriate, and process
invoices as required.
Managing a project budget with
support and guidance.
Managing detailed project
budgets without supervision
Maintain budget spreadsheets
on expected and actual spend
for all projects and services,
processing complex invoices
(e.g. SWLP contracts) and
providing monthly reports on
these to the Service Manager.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
 To be aware of the role of local
authorities in providing services
which meet statutory
requirements, whilst also meeting
the needs of local residents.
CRITERIA TO BE MET AT
GRADE F:
Demonstrate understanding of
statutory and local
requirements.
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE F TO
GRADE G:
Integrate known statutory and
local requirements into ongoing
work.
Undertake a basic analysis of
data in relation to patterns and
trends in customer contact
being made via the Contact
Centre to assist in the
understanding of residents’
requirements.
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE G TO
GRADE H:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE H TO
GRADE I:
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
Maintain understanding of local
residents’ requirements
through collection and analysis
of relevant data.
Use reports of customer contact
to make recommendations to
Service Manager on
partnership/contract
improvements.
Maintain knowledge of
statutory requirements.
Identify, highlight and integrate
new priority requirements with
the Service Manager.
Integrate knowledge of local
residents’ requirements and
new statutory requirements
into implementation and
development of the Waste
Strategy Implementation Plan.
 To use initiative to complete all
areas of work effectively and
efficiently.
Capitalise on all opportunities
provided by role, and produce
all work requested to best of
ability.
Complete all work to a high
standard in timely manner with
some supervision.
Complete all work to high
standard with minimal
supervision. Demonstrate ability
to integrate new issues into
workload when asked to do so.
Demonstrate ability to think
beyond existing workload,
identify new issues for
consideration and integrate
these without difficulty.
 To liaise with colleagues in
Planning on waste planning issues,
and respond to planning
applications with regard to waste
management requirements.
To maintain database of
planning applications received
and responded to. To respond
to basic requests from Planning
colleagues.
Contribute to written responses
through the provision of data
and undertaking site visits as
required. Contribute to the
provision of guidance to
Planners and Developers.
Provide detailed written
responses to planning
applications and maintain
guidance for Planners and
Developers.
Enhance and manage processes
for the provision of advice to
Planning. Develop close working
relationship with Planning
department.
 To work as required with partner
officers in both Environmental
Services and other council
departments as necessary to
further the aims of the WSIP.
To consult with colleagues in
Environmental Services and
other council departments
when required.
Create working relationships
with colleagues in
Environmental Services and
other council departments.
Contribute, with the Service
Manager, to specific projects
with colleagues in
Environmental Services and
other council departments.
Work without supervision in
partnership with colleagues in
Environmental Services and
other council departments on
specific projects.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
CRITERIA TO BE MET AT
GRADE F:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE F TO
GRADE G:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE G TO
GRADE H:
CRITERIA TO BE MET before
progressing FROM GRADE H TO
GRADE I:
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
(relevant to July 2010 recruitment)
 To undertake responsibilities
defined by Kingston’s role in the
South London Waste Partnership.
Provide support to RBK officers
attending SLWP meetings.
Provide data for meetings or
directly to partner boroughs in
timely manner.
To contribute to activities
required from Kingston as a
member of the SLWP through
data and basic reporting.
Become an active member of
the SLWP on specific projects.
Demonstrate ability to deputise
for the Service Manager at
SLWP meetings when required.
 To have a detailed understanding
of the waste management and
street cleansing industry in the UK,
and the legislation which drives
these two industries.
To be familiar with the waste
management and street
cleansing industries and to
maintain up-to-date knowledge
of relevant legislation.
To be aware of and familiar with
new consultations and
legislation relating to waste
management and street
cleansing.
To be responsible for ensuring
all relevant waste management
and street cleansing legislation
is included and implemented as
appropriate in ongoing activities
of the Waste Team.
To identify new waste
management and street
cleansing legislation which must
be incorporated into ongoing
activities, and to develop
processes which will take this
forward.
 To liaise with external partners,
including local organisations and
national and regional bodies (e.g.
Environment Agency, Defra and
the GLA).
Be familiar with these bodies
and their role. Respond to
national and local data requests
in a timely manner.
Respond to national and local
consultations and data
requests. Interact with all types
of bodies as required.
Develop close working
relationships with external
partners, providing support
locally and becoming involved in
national and regional events.
Become an active contributor to
local organisations where
relevant to the implementation
of the Waste Strategy
Implementation Plan.
Attend and contribute to
national and regional events as
a representative of the Royal
Borough of Kingston.