Director - Material Strategy

Role Overview

We are seeking a systematic, analytical, and organized Material Strategy Director to develop, coordinate, and support states in implementing material-specific strategies, under the direction of the VP of End Markets, for reduction, reuse, recyclability, and compostability from the stage of material design to end markets. The ideal candidate will bring both a familiarity with compliance and sustainability objectives of relevant EPR laws as well as operational experience in materials recovery systems.

The Material Strategy Director will collaborate with CAA’s national materials teams, including circularity and packaging design, collection and processing, and end markets, and work closely with state teams to develop consistent state-specific approaches that support cost-efficient extended producer responsibility services through scale of operations, harmonization of service delivery, and program planning consistency across states wherever possible. The Director will facilitate stakeholder collaboration, collect and analyze relevant data, and provide evidence-based recommendations to inform CAA’s material strategies. In addition, this role will work closely with regulatory teams to develop, submit, track progress, and partner with the materials team to deliver the Unique Challenge Exemption Applications for California.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain material-specific strategy recommendations and implementation plans that secure reliable, responsible outlets for recovered materials and support EPR requirements for recyclability, recycled content, and compostability.
• Facilitate cross-functional planning and execution among circularity and packaging design, collection and processing, and end markets teams to align material-specific priorities and support integrated program planning outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with collection and processing teams to align sortation, bale quality, and contamination interventions with end market specifications, ensuring recovered materials meet buyer requirements and support program value and performance objectives.
• Partner with circularity and packaging design teams to translate end market realities into design-for-recyclability strategy, providing analysis and recommendations on which materials, formats, and components have viable markets and where gaps exist.
• Partner with state teams to ensure that state-specific material activities and plans align with the strategies and fall within established organizational goals and escalate material differences or risks for leadership decision, leveraging program scale, operational efficiencies, and consistent service delivery wherever feasible.
• Partner with compliance and regulatory affairs teams to assess alignment of material strategies with applicable EPR legislative and regulatory requirements and future EPR states, and recommend adjustments to key national strategies as needed.
• Plan and facilitate stakeholder engagement and consultation activities with producers, service providers, government entities, and other interested parties to inform strategy development and implementation.
• Develop and apply robust data collection, performance measurement, and evidence-based decision-making processes to support material strategy development, documentation, and leadership reporting.
• Manage the development and ongoing maintenance of critical materials documents, including Unique Challenge Exemptions (UCEs), and partner with Data & Analytics and modeling teams to align metrics and plans with approved program plans. Track performance against UCEs, identify variances, and recommend updates and intervention\s needed in coordination with compliance and regulatory affairs teams.
• Prepare decision-ready analyses, implementation updates, risk escalations, and recommendations for the VP of End Markets and other internal leaders.
• Other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills & Competencies

• Robust knowledge of materials systems (e.g., recycling) and processes that spans from the stage of packaging design to collection and processing to end markets
• Strong understanding of Extended Producer Responsibility
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate, influence without direct authority, and engage with cross-functional teams and external interested parties
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to prioritize multiple workstreams and develop, review, and maintain consistency and accuracy across a portfolio of documents
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to develop, review, and maintain consistency and accuracy across a portfolio of documents

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in sustainability, environmental science, materials science, or a related discipline or 10+ years of progressively responsible operational experience in sustainable materials management, material strategy, EPR program implementation, or related fields, including experience leading complex cross-functional projects or workstreams.

Compensation & Other Information

• Location: Remote from the United States of America
• Pay Rate: Based on a variety of factors in accordance with applicable law including the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, knowledge, and experience.
• Reports To: VP End Markets

Circular Action Alliance is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you require accommodation as part of the application process, please contact careers@circularaction.org.