Description
Landfill supervisors coordinate the activities and operations of landfills and landfill staff. They research legislation concerning waste management and ensure the operations of the landfill are compliant, and direct waste disposal operations.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to landfill supervisor:
solid waste collection supervisor
solid waste disposal supervisor
waste disposal compliance supervisor
waste disposal site compliance supervisor
waste treatment equipment supervisor
solid waste processing supervisor
solid waste remediation supervisor
landfill site supervisor
waste sortation supervisor
solid waste treatment supervisor
Minimum qualifications
A high school diploma or equivalent, and a few years of experience in heavy equipment operation, or in a landfill experience, are recommended to work as a landfill supervisor.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Landfill supervisor is a Skill level 3 occupation.
Landfill supervisor career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to landfill supervisor.
waste broker
solid waste operator
hazardous waste inspector
hazardous materials inspector
industrial waste inspector
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of landfill supervisor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of landfill supervisor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
waste management officer
recycling specialist
waste treatment engineer
defence administration officer
civil service administrative officer
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of landfill supervisor.
- Waste transport legislation: Regulations and legislation concerning the safe transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials, products, and appliances.
- Waste management: The methods, materials and regulations used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of waste. This includes recycling and monitoring of waste disposal.
- Waste and scrap products: The offered waste and scrap products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of landfill supervisor.
- Communicate with waste collectors: Communicate with workers who collect waste from various places and transport it to the waste treatment facilities in order to ensure optimal cooperation and efficient operation of waste treatment and disposal procedures.
- Ensure compliance with waste legislative regulations: Implement and monitor company procedures for the collection, transport and disposal of waste, in compliance with all regulations and legal requirements.
- Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
- Manage waste treatment facility: Manage the operations of a facility which deals with the treatment and disposal of waste, such as sorting, recycling, and storage procedures, ensuring the facility and its equipment are maintained and procedures occur compliant with legislation.
- Coordinate waste management procedures: Coordinate the operations of a facility or organisation which deal with the management of waste, such as waste collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal, in order to ensure optimal efficiency of operations, improve methods for waste reduction, and ensure compliance with legislation.
- Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
- Schedule regular machine maintenance: Schedule and perform regular maintenance, cleaning, and repairs of all equipment. Order necessary machine parts and upgrade equipment when necessary to ensure optimal performance.
- Monitor waste treatment equipment: Monitor the operations of equipment used for the treatment and disposal of hazardous or non-hazardous waste to ensure that it is functional, compliant with legislation, and to check for faults.
- Advise on waste management procedures: Advise organisations on the implementation of waste regulations and on improvement strategies for waste management and waste minimisation, to increase environmentally sustainable practices and environmental awareness.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of landfill supervisor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Pollution legislation: Be familiar with European and National legislation regarding the risk of pollution.
- Hazardous waste types: The different types of waste which poses risks to the environment or public health and safety, such as radioactive waste, chemicals and solvents, electronics, and mercury-containing waste.
- Accounting techniques: The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.
- Hazardous waste storage: The regulations and procedures surrounding the safekeeping of materials and substances which pose health and safety risks.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of landfill supervisor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
- Assess waste type: Identify waste materials during collection and sorting operations which can either be recycled, disposed of, or otherwise treated, in order to assess the way in which they need to be treated and sorted.
- Educate on recycling regulations: Educate organisations and individuals on the correct procedures and legislation concerning the recycling of different types of waste in different types of containers, waste collection procedures, and on the sanctions following non-compliance to legislation.
- Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
- Inspect recycling procedures: Inspect the implementation of waste management and recycling procedures in an organisation, and the applicable legislation, in order to ensure compliance.
- Collect samples for analysis: Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Conduct workplace audits: Conduct work site audits and inspections in order to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
- Manage administrative systems: Ensure administrative systems, processes and databases are efficient and well managed and give the sound basis to work together with the administrative officer/staff/professional.
- Maintain waste collection records: Maintain records on waste collection routes, scheduling, and types and volume of waste collected.
- Identify new recycling opportunities: Investigate ideas and spot opportunities to improve the collection, process and recycling of waste materials.
- Monitor legislation developments: Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.
- Analyse experimental laboratory data: Analyse experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings
- Test safety strategies: Test policies and strategies related to risk and safety management and procedures, such as testing evacuation plans, safety equipment, and carrying out drills.
- Develop non-hazardous waste management strategies: Develop strategies which aim to increase the efficiency in which a facility treats, transports, and disposes of non-hazardous waste materials, such as packaging, textiles, scraps, debris, and paper.
- Write inspection reports: Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection’s processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.
- Manage accounts: Manage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper decisions are being made.
- Train staff on waste management: Train the staff of a facility which deals with waste management, or an organisation’s staff responsible for waste management strategies, on the improvements that can be made to reduce waste, increase efficiency of waste treatment and disposal, and ensure compliance with waste and environmental legislation.
ISCO group and title
3112 – Civil engineering technicians
References
- Landfill supervisor – ESCO