Head of Local Zero Waste Implementation

ABOUT THE ROLE

ZWE is looking for a highly motivated and experienced Head of Local Zero Waste Implementation to lead our local implementation work across Europe. The purpose of the role is to ensure that cities and businesses, working with ZWE’s members and partners, have the strategic support, tools, and resources needed to implement ambitious zero waste solutions and deliver impact.

This position oversees the coordination of multiple EU- and philanthropy-funded projects led by or involving ZWE, with a focus on specific waste streams, alongside close collaboration with our sister organisation, Mission Zero Academy (MiZA), and support for the growth of the two Certifications it hosts. The role includes responsibilities for strategy development, in close collaboration with our members, to ensure the technical assistance, capacity development and fundraising opportunities we create are aligned with the needs of local actors. The role also involves securing and mobilising sufficient resources to enable the work to be done locally, as well as supporting the current ZWE Implementation team (consisting of 3 full time staff) in their day-to-day tasks.

You will work closely with other senior staff, as part of the Coordination & Management Team, and will report to the Executive Director.

ABOUT YOU

You are a strategic and collaborative leader with a strong sense of purpose and impact. You have a good understanding of how waste management and circular economy practices are implemented at the municipal level, including a sound awareness of both the opportunities but also the challenges facing local authorities within today’s current waste management system. You are able to use this knowledge to create engaging and helpful learning opportunities for local stakeholders.

You combine passion for the cause with strong project and budget management skills, bringing structure and support to our growing network and activities across Europe. You are able to communicate clearly and effectively to a broad range of stakeholders, conveying complex topics in accessible ways that are relatable for actors in different contexts.

You are able to build positive working relationships with a diverse range of actors, from city officials to waste operators, business leaders, funders and more. You thrive in collaborative and co-creative environments, where your efforts go towards supporting others to achieve direct impact on the ground and seeing connections grow into concrete collaboration.

You enjoy working across multiple teams and with diverse stakeholders, to strengthen the impact of Zero Waste Europe’s work, recognising what role we play within a broader ecosystem. You are skilled at building alignment around multiple priorities, deadlines and different stakeholders. You are capable of, and enjoy, fostering a supportive team culture, helping to navigate complex environments with sound judgement and adaptability.

C0RE RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & strategy development

• Lead the vision and strategy for ZWE’s local implementation work on our four core topics - food waste, packaging waste, textile waste and the growth of our two Zero Waste Certifications;

• Ensure ZWE’s local implementation work shapes and supports delivery of the Strategic Framework 2025–2030, informing organisational priorities and implementation planning;

• Maintain a close and productive relationship with MiZA colleagues, ensuring that our work across the 2 organisations supports our shared vision and delivers greater impact;

• Develop and foster new opportunities to grow our impact, adapting our approach and positioning to the ever-changing political context on the ground for European municipalities;

• Work in close collaboration with global partners, especially via GAIA and BFFP, to promote our work, align on relevant strategies, and create new opportunities for expanding our impact.

Provision of technical assistance

• Lead the development of ZWE’s capacity-building approach aimed for local partners, ensuring the team can deliver effective work which supports the implementation of ambitious zero waste strategies and solutions;

• Oversee the development of ZWE and partner publications, ensuring they provide clarity and expertise to support the implementation of ambitious zero waste solutions on the ground;

• When required, provide clear and concise technical guidance on how local actors can improve the performance of their zero waste measures.

Project management & impact monitoring

• Provide strategic oversight of the Implementation’s team work across multiple projects and topics, ensuring high quality delivery resulting in achieving our desired impact, including growing the number of cities & businesses implementing better zero waste strategies;

• Ensure coherence and consistency across all the project outputs and activities implemented by the team, acting to reinforce and strengthen work across diverse topics;

• Develop and oversee the Implementation team’s impact monitoring framework, ensuring data and insights from local partner work are systematically captured and integrated into ZWE’s wider organisational impact monitoring processes.

Fundraising & budget management

• Explore and secure funding opportunities to help assure the ZWE team, our members and partners, all continue to have sufficient resources to deliver their work and drive forward progress locally;

• Oversee the effective management of the team’s budget, as well as specific budgets for grants/projects;

• Provide and oversee high-quality reporting processes for our funders, both within projects we lead on and are participants in. This includes combining clear budget reporting with strong narrative reporting.

Team management & support

• Line-manage the Implementation team (currently 2 Managers and 1 Officer), fostering collaboration, strategic thinking, innovation, and professional growth;

• Ensure the Implementation team has clear priorities, effective processes, and the tools and guidance needed to deliver high-quality work across ZWE’s strategic objectives;

• Promote and model a healthy and sustainable team culture by supporting manageable workloads and respecting work-life boundaries.

This is a non-exclusive list, and more tasks may be required as the organisation evolves and the selected candidate grows in their role.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Relevant master's degree or equivalent experience;

• At least 8 years of experience of working on the practical implementation of circular economy/waste management strategies in Europe;

• Previous experience in roles where you have supported cities and businesses to implement circular economy solutions is a strong asset;

• An understanding of EU waste and circular economy related legislation, and how this applies to local authorities;

• Experience in creating successful fundraising proposals, with a proven ability to communicate compellingly and build a consortium of partners towards a shared vision;

• Experience of managing teams and individuals;

• Strong budget and project management skills, ideally with experience in EU funded projects;

• Strong interpersonal skills, able to bring people along with the strategy set forward;

• Strategic mindset, able to set long-term goals while tackling short-term priorities;

• Comfortable working autonomously, driving change and setting direction;

• Ability to work with the general Google Suite, Slack, Zoho, and other similar collaboration tools;

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English; knowledge of other European languages is considered a plus;

• Interest in and passion for ZWE’s work, areas of focus, and commitment to ZWE values;

• Comfortable with working in a multicultural environment, with occasional schedule flexibility in the context of working with other GAIA chapters.