National Characterization Senior Manager

Role Overview

The National Characterization Senior Manager is responsible for overseeing waste and material characterization efforts across California and emerging EPR states. This position ensures methodology consistency, quality assurance, and cross-state comparability in all solid waste and recycling data collection and reporting efforts.

The Senior Manager sets national priorities and reporting standards, develops and maintains standardized protocols, and ensures compliance with federal/EPA guidance. This role supports program planning and operational decision-making by producing reliable, actionable data on waste composition, material streams, and performance outcomes.

The position requires expertise in solid waste management, recycling systems, protocol development, and QA/QC, with the ability to lead multi-state teams, collaborate with operational and data teams, and manage complex datasets. The National Characterization Senior Manager ensures that characterization efforts are accurate, comparable, and actionable for policy, program, and operational decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Methodology & Protocol Leadership

• Oversee the development, standardization, and maintenance of protocols for waste composition studies, including recyclable materials protocols, audit design, and consistent definitions of material categories.
• Set minimum requirements for waste characterization studies, material sampling, and performance tracking across multiple states.
• Ensure data collection, storage, and reporting methodologies meet quality assurance and quality control standards and maintain integrity across all studies.
• Align methodologies with federal/EPA guidance and ensure cross-state comparability of data.
• Data & Quality Assurance Oversight
• Collaborate with and provide direction to operations teams to supervise data recording, storage, and management to maintain accurate and secure databases.
• Propose QA/QC processes to validate the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of all characterization data for implementation by the operational team.
• Monitor and report on methodological adherence and performance against national priorities and standards.
• Strategic Program Leadership
• Set national priorities for characterization studies, balancing resource allocation, regulatory compliance, and operational needs.
• Work closely with operational, data, and program planning teams to integrate characterization results into reimbursement, reporting, and policy frameworks.
• Identify emerging data needs, gaps, and opportunities to improve solid waste and recycling measurement practices.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
• Serve as the national point of contact for characterization methodology, coordinating with state teams, external researchers, auditors, and stakeholders.
• Provide guidance and training to state-level staff on characterization methods, QA/QC procedures, and data management practices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Legal, Data & Analytics, Finance, Materials Strategy and Operations, to ensure data informs decision-making and program evaluation.
• Additional Responsibilities
• Lead research and innovation initiatives to improve characterization methods and data utilization.
• Facilitate benchmarking and comparison of characterization results across states in collaboration with the national Data & Analytics team.
• Identify opportunities to build or strengthen the characterization team; recruit, develop, and mentor team members with a focus on efficiency, accuracy, and relevancy in all characterization workflows.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support national solid waste and recycling characterization efforts.
• Skills & Competencies
• Deep expertise in solid waste management, recycling systems, and material characterization.
• Proven experience in protocol development, QA/QC implementation, and cross-jurisdictional data management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets for operational and policy use.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, and project management abilities.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration with internal teams, government agencies, and external partners.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced, multi-state environment.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, set priorities, and implement executable plans to achieve program objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Waste Management, or related field preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in waste characterization, recycling, or related environmental data management fields.
• Proven track record of leading methodological development, QA/QC, and multi-site data initiatives.
• Experience aligning state-level characterization efforts with federal or regulatory guidance preferred.
• Strong leadership experience in cross-functional or multi-state programs.
• Strong vendor contracts experience to execute characterization programs
• Compensation & Other Information
• Location: Fully Remote, with occasional travel for stakeholder meetings or field oversight.
• Pay Rate: Based on a variety of factors in accordance with applicable law including the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, knowledge and experience.
• Reports To: Director, Program Planning & Strategic Projects.

Circular Action Alliance is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you require accommodation as part of the application process, please contact careers@circularaction.org [careers@circularaction.org] listed below.