Operations Lead

Job Summary

We are excited to meet a commercially minded and highly execution-focused Operations Lead to take ownership of the day-to-day operations and overall business performance of our recycling company. The successful candidate will oversee our recycling collection hubs, retail operations and recycling factory, while coordinating people, logistics, supply, production and commercial activities across the business. In this role, you will get into the actual details of running the business while keeping sight of the bigger picture. You should be a strong people leader, commercially astute, highly analytical, resourceful and able to make sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business & Operational Leadership

• Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day running and operational performance of the business.
• Translate strategic direction into clear operational plans, priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Make timely, data-driven decisions to resolve operational and commercial challenges.
• Identify operational bottlenecks, inefficiencies and revenue leakages and implement corrective actions.
• Provide regular performance reports and actionable business insights to the Leadership.

2. Revenue & Commercial Growth

• Take ownership of operational activities that directly impact revenue generation and profitability.
• Develop initiatives to increase collection volumes, customer acquisition, sales and overall revenue.
• Identify new revenue opportunities across recycling, retail, waste collection, recovered materials and other relevant business lines.
• Build and maintain relationships with key customers, suppliers, aggregators, corporate partners and other strategic stakeholders.

3. Recycling Hubs Management

• Oversee the performance and day-to-day operations of all recycling collection hubs.
• Ensure hubs consistently achieve collection, customer service, revenue and efficiency targets.
• Monitor collection volumes, inventory, material quality, costs and turnaround times.
• Develop strategies to increase the productivity and profitability of each hub.

4. Factory Management

• Oversee factory operations, production processes, output and overall plant efficiency.
• Ensure the factory receives adequate material inputs to maintain production targets.
• Monitor production volumes, quality, wastage, downtime, maintenance and operating costs.
• Work with the factory team to improve production efficiency and minimise operational losses.
• Identify opportunities for automation, process improvement and cost reduction.

5. Logistics & Supply Chain

• Oversee the movement of recyclable materials from collection points to hubs, factory and customers.
• Optimise routes, transportation costs, fleet utilisation and delivery schedules.
• Manage relationships with logistics partners, vendors and suppliers.
• Monitor fuel, transportation and logistics expenses and identify opportunities for cost optimisation.

6. People & Team Leadership

• Lead, manage and develop teams across hubs, retail, factory, logistics and other operational functions.
• Establish clear KPIs, targets and accountability structures for operational teams.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on ownership, productivity, customer service and results.

7. Financial & Performance Management

• Own operational budgets and ensure expenditure remains aligned with approved business plans.
• Monitor operational costs, revenue, margins and profitability across business units.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising service delivery or business growth.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive experience in waste management, recycling, manufacturing, logistics or a closely related operational environment.
• Proven experience managing multiple operational units or business locations.
• Demonstrated experience managing recycling, waste collection, material recovery, processing or related operations.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, with demonstrated ability to drive revenue and improve profitability.
• Proven experience managing and leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret operational and financial data.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership and make high-stakes decisions with limited supervision.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Environmental Management, Supply Chain Management or a related discipline.
• An MBA or relevant professional qualification is an added advantage.

The Ideal Candidate

Beyond years of experience, we are looking for someone who:

• Thinks like an owner, not just an employee.
• Is highly commercial and understands that operational efficiency must ultimately translate into revenue and profitability.
• Is comfortable making difficult decisions and taking accountability for the outcome.
• Can build structures where there is ambiguity and create scalable systems from the ground up.

Location: Lagos

Pay: From ₦600,000.00 per month

Education:

• Master's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Leading Operations: 5 years (Preferred)

Location:

• Lagos (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 50% (Preferred)

Work Location: In person