Position Overview

The National Recycling Director (NRD) serves as an emerging strategic leader for a portfolio of Northstar Recycling clients while leading and developing the Client Development Executives (CDs) who support those accounts. This role sits at the intersection of client strategy, sustainability, account operations, people leadership, and business performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who understands that successful client account management requires a balance of strategic planning and operational execution. NRDs develop long-term account strategies while remaining actively engaged in day-to-day account performance, client needs, and operational challenges. This includes direct support during escalations, implementations, transitions, staffing gaps, and periods of increased volume to ensure client satisfaction, continuity of service, and business success.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Client & Account Leadership

• Serve as the lead relationship owner for 1 to 2 strategic Northstar clients, building trusted partnerships across multiple levels of the client organization.
• Develop and execute account strategies that balance long-term client objectives, profitability, retention, sustainability goals, and day-to-day operational performance.
• Understand client sustainability, waste and recycling, manufacturing, and operational objectives and translate those needs into effective solutions and measurable results.
• Ensure contractual requirements and service expectations are understood and upheld across Northstar and client stakeholders.
• Lead corporate client conversations, negotiations, escalations, and problem-solving efforts, remaining directly involved in operational challenges when needed.
• Identify opportunities to improve service levels, processes, sustainability outcomes, cost performance, and overall client experience.
• Lead or support implementations of new client locations, program expansions, and one-off wins.
• Partner cross-functionally to align resources, resolve operational challenges, remove barriers, and deliver on client commitments.
• Lead with Operational Leadership by balancing strategic leadership with a willingness to step into day-to-day account needs when necessary.
• Provide direct account coverage during staffing gaps, high-volume periods, transitions, or other business-critical situations to maintain service quality and client continuity.
• Support escalated service issues and work alongside internal teams to drive timely resolution.
• Remain close enough to account operations to identify risks, remove barriers, and coach the team from a practical understanding of the work.

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Client Development Executives across varying levels of experience, from early-career and newer team members to seasoned Senior Client Development Executives.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, provide ongoing feedback and coaching, set goals, support professional development, and strengthen individual and team performance.
• Provide real-time guidance and training on account-specific challenges, client communication, and operational decision-making.
• Manage performance responsibilities including reviews, workload planning, time-off approvals, feedback, and corrective action when appropriate.
• Assess team capacity and assign or adjust workloads to support client needs and department priorities.
• Facilitate successful transitions of new and existing accounts across team members and ensure continuity of service.

Key Success Metrics

Success in this role is evaluated through department and account growth, client outcomes, operational excellence, and people leadership.

Department & Account Growth

• Contribute to Client Services gross profit growth against business goals through effective account strategy and execution.
• Drive gross profit growth across assigned strategic accounts through improved profitability, program expansion, and value creation.

Client Retention & Sustainability Outcomes

• Retain strategic clients and support successful contract renewals through strong relationships and consistent service delivery.
• Deliver on contractual client savings and waste diversion or Zero Waste to Landfill commitments, with measurable, client-verified outcomes.
• Generate referrals from existing client relationships and support conversion of those opportunities into new business growth.
• Operational & Financial Excellence
• Proactively manage past-due accounts receivable and resolve financial issues across assigned accounts.
• Resolve purchase order issues promptly, support accurate invoicing, and maintain timely account approvals.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Build and retain a high-performing team, providing effective coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Foster strong direct-report feedback, positive team engagement, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Demonstrate leadership competencies, sound judgment, accountability, and excellence in client and account management.

Requirements

• Demonstrated progressive experience in manufacturing or corporate sustainability, environmental services, waste/recycling, client/account management, supply chain, or related operations.
• Experience working within or closely supporting manufacturing environments, corporate sustainability programs, environmental initiatives, or complex multi-site operations strongly preferred.
• 1–3 years of people leadership experience preferred, including experience coaching, mentoring, training, or providing day-to-day direction to others. Candidates with demonstrated informal leadership experience who are ready to step into broader formal people management responsibilities are encouraged to apply.
• Experience managing complex client or stakeholder relationships and communicating effectively with contacts at multiple organizational levels.
• Exposure to cost savings, operational improvement, sustainability goals, vendor management, negotiations, program implementation, or similar business initiatives.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance client outcomes, service quality, profitability, and operational realities.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity, prioritizing competing needs, and managing multiple projects or accounts simultaneously.
• Forward-thinking, strategic, and growth-oriented mindset paired with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to lead effectively across departments and influence without relying solely on formal authority.
• Willingness to remain hands-on and step into operational needs when necessary.
• Ability to learn Northstar’s business model, platforms, material grades, improvement strategies, and ways of working.
• Availability after hours when needed for escalated service emergencies and ability to travel as business needs require.

Education & Other Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record as a condition of employment.

Northstar NRDs can be based throughout the country. This position can be fully remote or a hybrid office/remote set-up utilizing an existing Northstar office.

DEIB Statement & Commitment

At Northstar Recycling, our company’s intention behind Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is to create a more inclusive and equitable culture, business practices and methods of operation. As an organization, we are continuing the work that allows for unlearning, accountability, and acceptance. We are incorporating DEIB thinking in all our interactions including hiring, promotion, and retention efforts.

To hold ourselves accountable, Northstar utilizes a DEIB scorecard to measure the following performance metrics: Employee Education and Participation; Leadership Support and Investment; Data Practices; and Retention, Hiring and Promotion. Each metric is evaluated on a quarterly basis and Northstar’s progress is reviewed annually with our leadership team to drive accountability organizationally.

Northstar takes many actions to promote DEIB practices, especially as they relate to recruitment, retention, and promotion. We support our employees through educational resources and training, professional development opportunities, and formal Mentorship programs. We also offer several Affinity Groups and our DEIB Employee Resource Group (ERG).

Employee Benefits

Northstar offers a comprehensive benefits package, and provides a generous employee contribution to our health, dental, and vision insurance premiums. We offer a 401(k)-retirement plan and match 100% of your first 4% of pay contribution to the plan; this matching contribution is 100% immediately vested. We also provide company sponsored short-term, long-term, and life coverage, as well as a multitude of supplemental and voluntary benefit programs.

Northstar promotes a healthy work-life balance. In that spirit, we offer a competitive PTO package that includes vacation time, sick time, 7 observed federal holidays, 3 floating holidays, and additional time off each year for volunteer efforts.

Northstar is a remote-first organization! We offer a fully remote working environment with virtual culture and teambuilding events to create and maintain a sense of belonging, connection, and inclusivity between our team members. We also take great pride in our coaching culture! Northstar fosters professional development for employees within their roles and works to create opportunities for promotion to cultivate meaningful growth for Northstar employees.

EEOC Statement

Northstar Recycling adheres to all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age (40 or older), handicap or disability, genetic information, or military status. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Northstar Recycling is committed to fully complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which ensures equal opportunity for qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation is available to all disabled employees, where their disability affects the performance of job functions. All employment decisions are based on the merits of the situation in accordance with defined criteria, and not on the disability of the individual. The Company will follow any state or local law that provides individuals with disabilities greater protection than the federal ADA law.