Waste Collection Operative
Tameside Council
- Expired
Contract Type: Permanent Salary: Grade C. Scale 5 - £25,583 to scale 6 - £25,989 Hours Per Week: 36 hours Base Location: Tame Street Depot, Tame Street, Stalybridge, SK15 1ST Assessment Date: To be arranged The Role To work as part of a team to undertake the collection and removal of waste and recyclable material from residential, industrial, commercial and educational properties in the prescribed waste receptacles and remove the material using the vehicles and lifting equipment provided. To collect waste from a variety of refuse and recycling containers, sort waste where necessary and load into the vehicle. Important Note: You will be required to work a 36 hour working week, normally Monday to Friday including Bank Holidays, excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. About You Do you enjoy working outdoors? Do you want a physical challenge and relish the opportunity of working as a Waste Collection Operative with a close knit team that provides an essential service to our residents and businesses, undertaking the collection and removal of recyclable material and waste? The right individual will be alert to hazards and able to meet high productivity levels. You will also be expected to undertake significant amounts of walking, lifting and manoeuvring full and empty waste collection receptacles. Being helpful, courteous and respectful to both customers and colleagues is also essential. About Us Come shape the future of Tameside with us! Message from Julian Jackson, Director of Place at Tameside Council. “Since joining Team Tameside in September 2022, I’ve been proud to work alongside a hardworking and passionate team that’s making a real difference to our borough. “Our Place Directorate is at the heart of shaping Tamesidecovering everything from planning and highways to parks, culture, arts, environmental services, and facilities management. Whether it’s keeping our streets clean, improving green spaces, or driving forward exciting regeneration projects, our work makes a direct impact on the lives of residents and businesses every day. ‘’We’ve already delivered some amazing projects, like Ashton Old Baths, and are currently working on master plans for our town centres in Stalybridge, Hyde, with projects like Ashton Mayoral Development Zone, and Godley Green Green Garden Village also set to create new homes, jobs and commercial spaces. But it’s not just about developments day to day it’s about making sure our core services are modern, efficient, and able to support thriving communities and safeguard our heritage buildings and asssets for the future. To do that, we need passionate people to join us. If you want to be part of a team that’s driving real change, improving local services, and shaping the future of Tameside, we’d love to have you on board. Come and be part of something great. Let’s build the future of Tameside together!’’ At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities. We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do. Our employees’ skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can be. Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship. We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria. Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here We have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please click here for more information on our guaranteed assessment scheme. For further information about this role please contact the recruiting manager Shamshed Ali on 0161 342 2737 or shamshed.ali@tameside.gov.uk Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. Employment could affect your benefits, find out more here. Turn2us Benefits Calculator.
It is essential that you can work in all weather conditions, use basic tools e.g. brush and shovel, undertake written and verbal instructions, and be helpful, courteous and respectful to both customers and colleagues. Supporting Documents
↗ Job Description & Person Specification
Location
Tame Street, Stalybridge, Tameside, SK15 1ST, United Kingdom
Job ID
1377
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future
Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.
Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay
Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.
Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)
Check Your Benefits Entitlement
See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.
Turn2us Benefits Calculator
Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice
