Operations Manager

About This Role

About The Waste Lab

The Waste Lab (TWL) is the UAE's only end-to-end food waste composting platform — collecting organic waste from hospitality, F&B, and retail clients across Dubai, processing it at our composting facility, and returning it to the soil as high-quality compost. We are a women-led, impact-driven startup at the intersection of circular economy, food security, and environmental sustainability, operating under UAE Net Zero 2050 goals.

Role Overview

The Operations Manager is the engine of TWL's day-to-day operations. You will own the coordination between our field teams, composting facility, logistics, and clients — ensuring that collections run on time, quality standards are met, data is captured accurately, and our people are managed with consistency. You will work closely with the COO and support the Senior Operations Manager in building systems that scale.

This is a hands-on, problem-solving role for someone who is equally comfortable on the ground at a client site as they are reviewing a weekly ops report. You will be trusted with real ownership and visibility into a fast-moving, purpose-driven business.

Reports To: Senior Operations Manager / COO

Location: Dubai, UAE (with travel to Al Ain)

Type: Full-Time

Language: English required; Arabic and Sinhala a strong plus

Key Responsibilities

1. Field Operations & Logistics

• Plan and oversee daily collection schedules across all active client sites in Dubai and surrounding areas.
• Coordinate Control Station operations: segregation, contamination control, and quality assurance.
• Manage logistics for waste collection, internal transfers between sites, and compost deliveries.
• Ensure all field procedures, safety protocols, and waste handling standards are consistently followed.
• Report on bin damages and coordinate repair, replacement, or procurement with relevant teams.

2. People Management

• Supervise and coordinate field teams: drivers, helpers, segregation staff, and data loggers.
• Provide ongoing performance feedback; identify training needs and escalate issues to HR or Senior Ops Manager.
• Support the hiring process for operations team members in coordination with HR.

3. Procurement

• Manage operational procurement for Farmland, Control Station, and field activities — tools, consumables, PPE, and equipment — within approved budgets and in coordination with management.
• Maintain supplier relationships and track procurement spend.

4. Reporting & Data

• Prepare weekly and monthly operations reports for the Senior Ops Manager and COO.
• Support the implementation and consistent use of data tracking tools across teams.

5. Client & Stakeholder Coordination

• Support client site visits, onboarding, audits, and operational demonstrations as needed.
• Assist in training both TWL staff and client-side staff on food waste segregation practices, safety procedures, and composting basics.
• Act as a coordination bridge between Farmland, Control Station, logistics, data, and educational functions.

Requirements

Essential

• 3–6 years of experience in operations, logistics, or supply chain management — ideally in waste management, F&B, FMCG, or a related field.
• Proven ability to manage field teams and coordinate across multiple sites.
• Strong organisational skills; comfortable working with data, schedules, and reporting tools.
• Valid UAE driving licence with solid knowledge of Dubai and surrounding roads.
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken).
• Comfortable with technology: WhatsApp coordination, Microsoft Office, Reporting tools.

Preferred

• Experience in environmental services, organic waste, agriculture, or sustainability.
• Familiarity with UAE regulatory environment (DET, EAD, MOCCAE) for waste or agricultural operations.
• Basic accounting or budget management knowledge.
• Proficiency in Arabic and other languages is an advantage.

What We Offer

• A front-row seat to building the UAE's leading food waste and circular economy platform.
• Real ownership and accountability — not a cog in a large corporate machine.
• A tight-knit, high-trust team with a genuine mission you can stand behind.
• Exposure across operations, sustainability, client management, and regulatory processes.

Pay: AED6,000.00 - AED8,000.00 per month

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person