General Manager of Recycling at Seadrunar Recycling – Seattle, Washington

For nearly 60 years, Key Works has addressed the complex challenges of substance use disorder and mental health through an innovative, integrated model that combines treatment, workforce development, and social enterprise.

Through three divisions - Key Works Recovery, Key Works Recycling and Key Works Metals, we go beyond traditional care by equipping individuals with the skills, experience and community support needed for long-term recover and economic independence. Together, these divisions create a powerful cycle of recovery, employment, and community impact.

Joining Key Works means leading a business that delivers both operational excellence and life changing outcomes.

Position Overview:

The General Manager of Key Works Recycling is responsible for the leadership and performance of a high-volume recycling operation processing 5,500 tons per month and managing a fleet of thirteen heavy-duty trucks. This role owns P & L performance, operational execution, team leadership, safety, and commercial growth - while advancing Key Works' mission of workforce development and recovery.

Responsibilities:

• Own P & L performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and margin improvement.
• Lead all plant operations: production, maintenance, quality, safety, and logistics.
• Drive operational efficiency across material processing, fleet utilization, and labor productivity.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost per ton and increase throughput.
• Build, lead, and develop a team of 50+ employees with hands-on, visible leadership.
• Provide hands-on engagement and coaching - manage by walking around.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Work Skills and Treatment leadership to integrate program participants into plant operations.
• Support Key Works' mission of second-chance employment and recovery.
• Lead and support B2B sales strategy aligned with operational capacity.
• Identify and expand market opportunities to grow revenue and margins.
• Contribute to corporate strategic planning and collaborate with finance, HR, safety, and commercial leaders as part of the senior leadership team.
• Ensure compliance with all environmental, heath, and safety regulations and company policies.
• Monitor KPIs (throughput, yield, contamination, uptime, labor productivity, cost per ton) and drive continuous improvement.
• Manage key customer, municipal, and vendor relationships to protect service levels and profitability.
• Lead marketing and sale of recovered commodities including pricing, negotiation, and placement with mills and brokers to maximize revenue and margin.

Qualifications:

• Leadership experience in recycling, manufacturing, logistics, or industrial operations.
• Proven experience managing business unit P & L.
• Strong background in operations, safety, and process improvement.
• Demonstrated success building and leading teams of 50+ employees.
• B2B sales or commercial leadership experience.
• Effective communication and organizational skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and ownership mentality.
• Ability to exceed expectations while getting direction from multiple channels.
• Understanding and knowledge of recycling and familiarity with recycling commodity markets and pricing mechanisms.

Preferred:

• Experience in recycling or waste management operations.
• Experience with workforce development, second-chance employment, or social enterprise models.
• Familiarity with fleet operations and logistics optimization.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment described below represent the activities and surroundings of the positions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, bend and twist from the waist and knees; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch and talk or hear.

The employee must be able to lift, push, pull, unload, drag and carry from 10 to 50 pounds of paper, cardboard, and other recycling. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

The employee is occasionally exposed to extreme heat and cold weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to dust, noise, and fumes found in a shop environment.