Quality Assurance jobs in United Kingdom

Site Manager for Valley Farm Road is responsible for day‑to‑day operational management of Pandas processing facility in Leeds, ensuring safe, efficient and compliant delivery of all plant operations – from material processing and transport, to maintenance, compliance and people leadership.

This role is also accountable for aligning site performance with the company's recycling strategy, sustainability commitments and commercial targets.

• Lead a proactive safety‑first culture across the site, ensuring zero‑harm principles are embedded.
• Ensure full compliance with H&S legislation, EA permits, environmental regulations and internal policies.
• Oversee health & safety of all personnel and third‑party visitors.
• Deliver safety briefings, toolbox talks and participate in the SHEQ working group.
• Ensure all Safe Systems of Work and Risk Assessments are in place, understood and followed.
• Coach and guide the team on accident reporting, investigations and continuous safety improvement.

• Oversee all material processing, recovery, transport and final disposal activities.
• Maximise plant availability, throughput and output quality within compliance and cost constraints.
• Lead site planning and review meetings to align daily activity with strategic KPIs.
• Ensure preventative maintenance of all fixed and mobile plant, working closely with engineering.
• Liaise with logistics to ensure timely movement of material in accordance with offtake agreements and permits.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and productivity optimisation across the site.

• Recruit, induct and develop site personnel to build a high‑performing, safety‑conscious team.
• Ensure sufficient staffing levels across all shifts.
• Deliver regular training, coaching, competency assessments and performance reviews.
• Set clear objectives and maintain a culture of accountability, engagement and development.
• Approve payroll submissions and ensure compliance with workforce planning processes.

• Control site operational budgets, costs and resource utilisation.
• Contribute to financial forecasting and reporting.
• Balance site efficiency with quality, compliance and profitability objectives.
• Support the implementation of commercial agreements by ensuring operational capability aligns with contractual outputs.

• Support delivery of site and regional strategic plans, including sustainability and digitalisation goals.
• Work closely with other Site Managers, Engineering, Compliance, SHEQ and Commercial teams.
• Maintain strong relationships with regulators, partners and key external stakeholders.
• Represent the site at regional processing and planning meetings.

• Operational compliance with legislation, permits and company policies.
• Leadership of a safe, engaged and capable on‑site team.
• Delivery of site KPIs including throughput, quality and cost efficiency.
• Maintenance of a compliant and well‑maintained plant.
• Contribution to strategic and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Zero‑harm and compliance with HS&E standards.
• Site production and output targets.
• Labour cost efficiency and utilisation.
• Audit outcomes (internal, external, EA).
• Operational uptime and asset reliability.
• Team development, retention and engagement metrics.

• Proven experience in operational leadership in a processing, recycling or manufacturing facility.
• Strong track record in managing safety, compliance and plant performance.
• Experience leading teams in high‑risk environments.
• Strong understanding of waste/recycling operations and environmental regulation.
• Financial and budget management experience.
• Effective communicator with strong planning and decision‑making ability.

• Experience in site permit management and working with the Environment Agency.
• WAMITAB Certificate of Technical Competence (COTC) – with up‑to‑date continued competency.
• Knowledge of ERP or operational data systems (e.g. Power BI, CMMS).
• Exposure to continuous improvement or Lean methodologies.
• Degree in Operations, Engineering, Environmental Science or related discipline.

• Confident, pragmatic leader with strong coaching and mentoring ability.
• Resilient under pressure and solutions‑focused.
• Collaborative mindset and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Highly organised, commercially aware and detail‑oriented.
• Passionate about sustainability, safety and operational excellence.

• HS&E Leadership – Visible safety leader, drives culture of zero harm.
• Operational Excellence – Results‑driven with strong cost control and process efficiency.
• People Development – Empowers teams and builds site capability.
• Stakeholder Management – Trusted collaborator across internal and external stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement – Champions innovation, leads change initiatives.

Join us on the journey…

Over the past 30 years, Panda has continued to grow and acquire businesses that all share a very similar vision and set of values. We’re now a group of almost 3000 people, all contributing to that growth and success.

Whilst Panda is the parent company to numerous brands, we all share an ambitious vision for the future. Our primary goal is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people and connected partners is front and centre. As a team, we’re safer together. We deliver our customers with a partnership approach to managing their resources responsibly. We constantly push the boundaries of innovation. What’s good today can be better tomorrow.

Panda is not just a company, it’s a resource recovery business. Over the past three decades we’ve grown and diversified significantly, we believe that great leadership is rooted in strong values. As leaders within this industry, we’re committed to shaping a better future for our friends, families and communities. Our philosophy remains unchanged, balancing customer satisfaction with environmentally sustainable practices. Exceptional customer service, and unwavering dedication to sustainability are the cornerstones of our business.

Our journey is dependent upon talented, passionate, and dedicated people that constantly strive and challenge each other for better outcomes.

Take the first step today and join us on the journey…

Pandaaims to attract and retain a skilled and diverse workforce that best represents the talent available in the communities in which our assets are located and our employees reside.

(DE&I Policy Statement)