robert adams
robert adams

Local Authority

Placing procurement, waste strategy and operational leaders within local authority waste teams

We work within council budget cycles and procurement rules, not against them.

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Aerial view of an energy from waste facility surrounded by farmland

The challenge

Councils need new skills faster than they can hire

Local authority waste teams are stretched, often not recruitment specialists themselves, and are making hiring decisions under significant budget pressure.

Regulatory change, Simpler Recycling and packaging EPR among them, is creating new role requirements faster than most councils can resource for internally.

We stay in touch with strong candidates before they’re actively looking, so when a council needs to hire, we’re already in the conversation rather than starting one from scratch.

Why us

Recruitment built on how councils work

Loader moving baled plastic bottles across a recycling yard, seen from above

What we cover

We cover procurement, waste strategy, waste collections and street scene, and treatment & disposal, the full range of what a council’s waste service actually has to manage.

Council waste teams are navigating some of the biggest regulatory change the sector’s seen in years, Simpler Recycling’s rollout, EPR cost transfers, and contracts being reworked under the Procurement Act 2023, often with the same headcount as before.

That’s raised the bar on procurement and strategy roles specifically.

We work with

Local authorities across the UK, from London boroughs through to combined authorities and county councils. Also engineering and environmental consultancies working alongside councils, for waste strategy, due diligence and procurement work specifically.

Talent ready to go

We understand the budget cycles and procurement rules that shape how councils hire, and we work with them helping them to hire the right talent when they need it.

It’s also why several of our local authority clients come back to us for more than one role, once we understand how a council’s waste service actually runs, that knowledge carries over to the next hire.

Recent roles filled

  • Procurement Programme Manager
  • Contract Manager
  • Partnership Manager
  • Head of Commissioning
  • Operations Manager
  • Principal Consultant

Testimonials

Finding the right fit for local authorities

Register a vacancy
  • Local Authority

    Access to the talent we weren’t reaching

    We needed a candidate with a deep understanding of municipal waste collections procurement & contract management, and our usual channels weren’t reaching the right people.

    We were recommended Robert Adams – they sent us a handful of relevant CVs; I really felt they understood the brief and had access to the talent we weren’t reaching. Nearly a year on, I couldn’t be happier with the appointment.

    Mike Cockburn

    Assistant Director, Climate Emergency & Environment, Wirral Council

  • Local Authority

    Still a valued member of the team

    Waste Partnership roles across a combined authority can be challenging to recruit to.

    Robert Adams quickly identified someone who was an excellent fit for the brief, and more than three years later, they are still a valued member of the team.

    Trevor Nicoll

    Director of Operations, St Helens Council

  • Local Authority

    We weren’t starting from scratch

    We came to Robert Adams needing two Waste Procurement Project Managers for a major procurement and infrastructure programme, where waste industry knowledge & experience were essential.

    Both candidates they put forward already had the right background, which meant we weren’t starting from scratch in terms of training and development. Six months on, both have settled in well and are adding value to the programme.

    Robert Adams also recruited me for my role here at ELWA in 2023 and I’d certainly use Robert Adams again for any future job opportunities.

    Mark Simpkins

    Procurement Programme Manager, East London Waste Authority (ELWA)

  • Local Authority

    A completely different kind of recruiter

    I cannot recommend working with Bobby highly enough – he is a completely different kind of recruiter and my number one go-to for waste & resources roles. He has extensive knowledge of the industry and is extremely well connected as well as being very professional, honest, trustworthy and communicative.

    What makes Bobby stand out for me though is his integrity both with candidates and clients – he and Phoebe are absolutely second to none.

    Rosie Sleep

    Waste & Resources Partnership Manager, Liverpool City Region

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