EPR Assurance and Activation Manager (Sydney)

EPR Assurance and Activation Manager (Sydney)

EPR Assurance and Activation Manager

Employment Type: Full time, 24-month max-term

Location: Sydney (potential opportunity for Melbourne based)

Hybrid Work arrangement: 3 days in the office to 2 days per week working from home, reporting to the Head of Stewardship.

Salary: $140,000-$160,000 plus superannuation

About APCO

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is Australia’s co-regulator for packaging and a not-for-profit organisation driving the development of a circular economy for packaging.

APCO is the entity in charge of managing and administering the Australian Packaging Covenant (the Covenant), which is a national regulatory framework under the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure 2011 (NEPM). This framework defines the collective responsibility shared by governments and businesses across Australia in managing the environmental impact of packaging.

The Role

The EPR Assurance and Activation Manager leads APCO’s engagement with relevant stewardship programs, overseeing project delivery, data sharing, and service delivery. This role ensures that stewardship programs and EPR schemes are communicated and executed effectively, driving collaboration and building strong relationships with key stakeholders and member value and transparency.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead assurance and accreditation framework development.
- Coordinate APCO’s collaboration work with stewardship initiatives including Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia.
- Manage stewardship and EPR analysis and methodology design activities.
- Lead EPR activation initiatives and projects.
- Coordinate APCO’s Collective Action Group (CAG).
- Project management administration of Stewardship Programs.

We are seeking someone with:

- Proven capability in conducting policy analysis and engaging effectively with stakeholders to inform successful program design.
- Demonstrated experience in program or project management, preferably in sustainability, policy,



or regulatory environments.
- Proven experience in developing and designing product stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility initiatives, supported by a good understanding of relevant legislative, industry and commercial considerations.
- Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to set a clear direction, coordinate team efforts, establish priorities, and anticipate and respond to emerging strategic challenges.
- Established ability to contribute effectively to a high-performing senior management team, with a commitment to achieving organisational goals and shared outcomes.
- Strong analytical skills, with the capability to evaluate evidence and data systematically and provide sound, authoritative advice on complex issues.
- Highly developed stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with the ability to address challenges constructively and maintain positive working relationships.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Business, Policy or a related discipline.

You will be a great candidate if you have:

- Knowledge of product stewardship schemes, extended producer responsibility initiatives and circular economy frameworks.
- Practical knowledge of Australian legislative and regulatory frameworks, particularly in circular economy, waste and recycling, packaging, or environmental management.
- Effective policy analysis skills that can interpret complex matters and translate them into clear, concise advice for decision making.
- Highly developed communication skills that support effective stakeholder engagement in complicated and contested environments.
- Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills in complex operational settings.
- Experience in commercial considerations and market-based solutions to circular economy and stewardship issues.

We are looking to appoint this role before the New Year, we welcome your prompt application as we are intending to commence the interviews in the week of 15 December 2025.

📌 EPR Assurance and Activation Manager (Sydney)
🏢 Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
📍 Sydney