Plant Manager

Thalia; Knaresborough; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading waste management company is seeking a Plant Manager to oversee operations at their Knaresborough facility. The ideal candidate will lead a multidisciplinary team, ensure safety and compliance, and manage P&L. Applicants should have strong technical insight in waste treatment processes and leadership experience in high-risk environments. The position offers a competitive salary, benefits, and the opportunity for professional growth.

Benefits

Entry into Company bonus scheme – up to 10%

Contributory pension up to 8%

Private medical cover (single)

Company car or car allowance (£493 per month)

25 days annual leave

Life assurance: 4× annual salary

Flexible benefits through Bravo Benefits

Free parking

Qualifications

• Proven track record in leading large operational teams.
• In-depth knowledge of thermal and biological waste treatment processes.
• Expertise in process safety and P&L accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations across EfW, Mechanical Treatment, and Anaerobic Digestion facilities.
• Manage P&L ownership and site performance.
• Act as Senior Authorised Person (SAP).
• Ensure process safety compliance.

Skills

Leadership in high-risk environments

Process Safety expertise

Commercial accountability

Team management

Technical insight in waste treatment

Education

Engineering qualifications

Job description

Job Description

Thalia Waste Management is looking for a Plant Manager to join our leadership team at Allerton Waste Recovery Park, a cutting‑edge site that combines Energy from Waste (EfW), Anaerobic Digestion, and Mechanical Treatment to recover value from residual waste. This is a critical leadership role, reporting directly to the Site Account Director.

• Location: Allerton Waste Recovery Park, Moor Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 0SD
• Working Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm

The Role

You will lead a large, multidisciplinary operations team, ensuring safe, compliant and efficient operations across all core technologies. You’ll bring strong technical insight, particularly around heat recovery steam generators, boilers, process safety, and equipment lifecycle management, as well as the ability to inspire, develop and performance‑manage high‑performing teams.

You will:

• Lead all operations across EfW, Mechanical Treatment, and Anaerobic Digestion facilities.
• Take P&L ownership and drive site‑wide operational performance.
• Act as Senior Authorised Person (SAP)
• Be the site’s process safety expert, embedding best‑in‑class standards.
• Manage complex assets across construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance stages.
• Represent Thalia to external partners including the client and key contractors.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a technically grounded and commercially sharp leader who can balance safety, operational excellence, and team development.

You’ll need:

• Strong track record in leading large operational teams in high‑risk environments.
• In‑depth knowledge of thermal and biological waste treatment processes.
• Process Safety expertise, ideally with SAP authorisation.
• P&L and commercial accountability experience.
• Engineering qualifications and a deep understanding of steam, turbine, and boiler operations.
• A calm, ethical and influential leadership style, with the ability to drive continuous improvement.
• Entry into Company bonus scheme – up to 10%
• Contributory pension up to 8%
• Private medical cover (single)
• Company car or car allowance (£493 per month)
• 25 days annual leave
• Annual opportunity to buy additional annual leave (up to 5 days)
• Life assurance: 4× annual salary
• Flexible benefits: Access to a wide range of flexible benefits through Bravo Benefits, allowing you to tailor your package to suit your individual needs, including health, wellbeing, and lifestyle options.
• Free parking
• #LI-LM1

Our Business

At Thalia Waste Management, we are creating a future to be proud of. We think differently, questioning everything, enabling us to develop progressive waste into energy solutions and services. Being motivated, tackling problems together, inspiring others to take responsibility, making a difference, being ambitious and contributing value. We operate the best technology available across our four strategic sites in North Yorkshire, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Wight. Our technology includes everything from mechanical and biological treatment, traditional mass‑burn energy from waste and material recycling technologies to in‑vessel composting, advanced thermal treatment, innovative small‑scale energy from waste and anaerobic digestion. In a single year we process 300,000 tonnes of waste that is turned into energy. This generates the same amount of energy as approximately 600 million solar panels. Similarly we recycle circa 95,000 tonnes of waste.

Inclusion

At Thalia Waste Management, we work hard to make sure we are an inclusive and diverse place to work. This means we don’t just look at your CV, we’re focused on who you are, your skills and passion that can be brought to Thalia Waste Management. We know and understand the everyone is different and has a life outside work, so we’re happy to discuss flexible working and any adjustments that could be needed! We’ll do all that we can to support everyone from their first contact with us. For any support or adjustments needed through our recruitment process, please speak to our recruitment team who will be happy to support. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. As a Disability Confident Employer, we will make sure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Allerton Waste Recovery Park, Allerton Waste Recovery Park, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom