Director of Circular Economy

Impact: Waste elimination, resource efficiency, and systemic sustainability transformation

Lead an organisation's circular economy transformation at the director level, setting strategy, building partnerships, and overseeing programmes that eliminate waste, extend product lifecycles, and create closed-loop material systems across the value chain. Engage board-level stakeholders, manage cross-functional teams, and represent the organisation in industry circular economy initiatives.

What the day looks like

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
70% Team / 30% Solo
Client facing
Frequent
Impact visibility
High
Travel
15-25% for supplier and partner engagements
Schedule flexibility
Moderate
Remote work
Hybrid
Typical work hours
45-55 hours/week
Stress level
Moderate

At a glance

Median salary
$165,000
Entry-level
$120,000 - $150,000
Senior
$220,000+
Growth by 2033
20% (faster than average)
Demand
Growing Fast
Freelance potential
Low
Salary growth potential
High to 50-65% growth from entry to senior
Typical student debt
$40,000 - $80,000

Skills you'll use

Hard skills

  • Circular Economy Strategy Development
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Compliance
  • Supply Chain Redesign
  • Sustainable Product Design
  • Board-Level Reporting

Soft skills

  • Strategic Leadership
  • Stakeholder Influence
  • Systems Thinking
  • Executive Communication
  • Innovation

Technical complexity: Moderate

How to get there

Minimum education
Master's Degree
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
8-12 years
Years to senior
14-20 years
Career switching
Hard

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

    Where you can go from here

      Typical progression

      1. Circular Economy Specialist
      2. Circular Economy Manager
      3. Director of Circular Economy
      4. VP of Sustainability
      5. Chief Sustainability Officer

      Future outlook

      Automation probability
      10% to strategy and executive engagement are highly resistant to automation
      AI disruption risk
      Low
      Demand trend
      Growing Fast

      How people feel about it

      Overall satisfaction
      3.9/10
      Meaning
      4.5/10
      Work-life balance
      3.5/10
      Prestige
      7.5/10
      Social perception
      High

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