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Operations Manager

Join Cobalt Energy in Buxton as an Operations Manager overseeing EFW & MRF operations. Lead safety, compliance, and team performance while managing budgets and plant efficiency. Benefit from a proactive safety culture and opportunities for leadership development in renewable energy waste management.

On-site Full time UTC+00:00 Updated 1 day ago

Applies on cobaltenergy.co.uk

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The key aim of this role: To manage the operation of both the EFW & MRF and to ensure the conformance of all workers concerning legal and regulatory requirements, quality and environment assurance standards, Health and Safety, work in accordance with permits to operate under EA regulations, company policies, and GOL safe working practices. The key metrics are:

  • Management
  • Health & Safety
  • Environmental Permit Compliance
  • Production
  • Leadership
  • Coaching and Mentoring

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Lead by example and support the site management team to show, promote and acknowledge positive behaviours and develop a proactive safety culture.
  • Communicate business objectives, performance, and other matters of business to staff.
  • Deliver an effective safety and environmental compliance culture for all plant and processes onsite.
  • Represent the site and GOL in internal and external forums.
  • Ensure that sufficient resources are in place to provide adequate and appropriate training to maintain and improve operational performance.
  • Work closely with the plant manager and the maintenance manager to deliver robust engineering solutions and to meet plant availability targets.
  • Undertake all aspects of staff management for direct reports, including recruitment, induction, appraisals, training & development, disciplinary & grievance, annual salary reviews and PDPs (Personal Development Plans).
  • Produce, maintain, commission and authorising site-specific risk assessments and work instructions.
  • Direct the operations teams to deliver on financial and technical performance targets.
  • Assist in establishing annual goals and objectives while supporting the strategy for the business unit.
  • Manage all material flows both in and out of the site.
  • Managing an annual budget.
  • Lead and contribute to projects on site.
  • Ensure downtime of the plants is minimised.
  • Report on plant performance including budgets, CAPEX, plant availability and project progress (including outages).
  • Deliver operational efficiencies and cost-saving solutions.
  • Maintain and review technical, operational, and financial KPI's.
  • Maintain Environmental Permit requirements and relevant ISO standards.
  • Ensure H&S and other required inspections are completed, and actions closed out promptly.
  • Support external audits.
  • Record and process accidents, incidents, near miss events, and audit/inspection nonconformities.
  • Monitor trends in performance to drive safety, compliance, and efficiency improvements through process change.
  • Interpret performance data in periodic reports for internal & external submission.
  • Liaise with relevant experts within your region and across the business to design and implement technical solutions.
  • Identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement.
  • Develop site knowledge and procedures for abnormal and emergency situations to allow effective management of such scenarios i.e. troubleshooting, breakdowns.
  • Deliver technical and non-technical presentations; host visits and tours to serve current and potential customers and other interested parties.

General Responsibilities

  • Contribute to the overall performance of the Company through cooperation/assistance with other CEL Facilities, shared experiences, and supporting initiatives that are approved and supported by the senior management team.
  • Keep up to date on and be conversant with all relevant legislation, interpret and communicate it to all staff while giving clear guidelines in respect of the appropriate action required.

Health and Safety Responsibilities

  • Be responsible for day to day health and safety on site with a functional link to the company's Head of Health and Safety.
  • Control the establishment and use of the Permit to Work system.
  • Ensure there is always a high standard of housekeeping on the plant.
  • Act as Safety controller within the Company's Permit to Work (PTW) system. Ensure full compliance and application of the Permit to Work system in relation to associated operations/maintenance activities.
  • Report and act against any contravention of statutory and GOL Safe working practices, this includes reporting accidents and incidents.
  • Highlight any necessary changes required within Safe systems of work and Risk Assessments.
  • Build and maintain strong working relationships with all departments.
  • Be fully aware of the obligations of the EA operating permit.
  • The above duties are not exhaustive. The job holder will also be required to carry out other ad hoc duties that are necessary.

Limits of Authority

  • The OM will have delegated responsibility to take any decision or steps necessary in case of emergency associated with any matters relating to health and safety, the environment, or any issue that may prejudice continuing operations or result in damage to equipment or materials. In such circumstances, any such action shall be reported to the Plant Manager as soon as possible.
  • Has full authority and responsibility for all operations personnel, subcontractors, and visitors to the plant whilst on the site.
  • Is authorised to issue letters, faxes, or orders relating to maintenance activities as required and consistent with the operational needs of the plant.

Required skills, behaviour, experience and qualifications

Skills

  • Strong Leadership - Experience of managing a team is essential.

Behaviour

  • Leading by Example and Delegation
  • Performance and Talent Management
  • Planning
  • Commitment

Experience

  • Developing and Mentoring People
  • Waste Management or Continuous process experience
  • Relevant knowledge and experience in the operation of steam to energy and high-pressure boiler systems.

Qualifications

Essential:

  • Qualification in an Engineering discipline (relevant to the waste industry or power industry) or equivalent experience.
  • NEBOSH / IOSH Managing Safely.

Desirable:

  • HV SAP.
  • Boiler Operation and Maintenance with Burner Combustion (BOAS).
  • Boiler house water treatment.
  • Legionella awareness.
  • Application of Health and Safety Legislation including PUWER, LOLER, CDM Regulations.
  • Membership of an appropriate professional body such as the Institute of mechanical engineering, CIWM or IOSH or IEMA.
  • City and Guilds Confined Space - Medium Risk.

Effectiveness checks (1-2-1 with staff quarterly)

  • Safety performance for Operations Team.
  • Retention of people / low sickness & absence rates.
  • Meet Training Requirements.
  • Plant Availability and KPI's achieved by Operations Team.
  • Optimisation & cost-effective solutions.
  • Site Documentation up to standards required.

Typical pay for similar roles

Estimate
£40,017–62,600 annually
Mid level · United Kingdom · 450 similar jobs

The middle half of pay advertised on Rejobs for this group over the last 24 months. This employer has not stated a salary.

About this role

Posted
1 Oct 2026
Updated
1 Oct 2026
Job type
Full time
Workplace
On-site
Sectors
Working hours
UTC+00:00
Experience
Mid

About Cobalt Energy

Company Overview

Name

Cobalt Energy Limited, privately held with majority ownership by Cobalt Energy Holdings Limited since 2021

Headquarters

Buxton, United Kingdom

Founded

2009

Size

Approximately 200 employees ranged in recent years (source: linkedin.com)

What They Do

Cobalt Energy has evolved from a focused engineering consultancy into a comprehensive engineering, consulting, project delivery, and operations business serving the waste, renewables, and wider energy sectors (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). Their expertise is concentrated specifically on waste-to-energy, biomass, anaerobic digestion, biofuels, battery energy storage systems, and other renewable technologies, emphasizing technical and commercial consulting, engineering, construction support, project delivery, and long-term operations and maintenance (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). The company provides a "one-stop solution for engineering and commercial challenges," supporting clients across the full project lifecycle from strategy and design through operation and end-of-life services (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). Their services include due diligence, market advice, technical advisory work, package design, EPC-style delivery, and operations of process plants, serving industrial and infrastructure customers primarily in the UK energy and waste markets (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). Cobalt Energy differentiates itself through its breadth across the project lifecycle, hands-on operations and maintenance capability, and the ability to combine engineering delivery with commercial support (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk).

Projects & Track Record

Cobalt Energy's track record includes significant projects such as the Exeter Energy from Waste facility, Bilsham Farm, Newlincs, and Severn Power, showcasing their involvement in key UK waste-to-energy and renewable projects (source: zoominfo.com). Their teams have delivered a wide range of projects, from small skid-mounted systems to full EPC wraps for process plants, demonstrating versatility in site-based project delivery and operations support (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). Notably, they secured a five-year contract extension for the Hanford Energy Recovery Facility, indicating ongoing engagement in large-scale operations and maintenance contracts (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk).

Recent Developments

In February 2026, Cobalt Energy announced a strategic relocation from their long-standing Buxton headquarters to new offices at Applicon House in Stockport, marking a significant geographic expansion and reflecting their growth beyond a single location (source: linkedin.com). The company currently operates across five operations and maintenance sites, supporting a broad footprint to meet client needs nationwide (source: linkedin.com). Over the past two years, they have emphasized their growth from a small engineering team to a larger organization and highlighted the five-year contract extension at Hanford Energy Recovery Facility (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk).

Working There

Cobalt Energy offers roles primarily in consulting, engineering, project delivery, operations, and graduate entry, with work spanning technical advisory, design, construction support, commissioning, and operations and maintenance mobilization (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). The company promotes a graduate scheme and actively encourages candidates who can contribute both intellectually and practically to their projects (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). Their culture centers on practical problem solving across energy and waste projects, with a hands-on approach where staff may work from the head office, project sites, or operational bases as required (source: cobaltenergy.co.uk). The company’s operations across multiple sites and its growth trajectory suggest a dynamic environment with opportunities for diverse technical and commercial roles (source: linkedin.com).

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