Program Manager

The Center for the Circular Economy

APPLY BY October 4, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

Role Overview

The Center for the Circular Economy seeks a Program Manager to support initiatives dedicated to advancing the circular economy. Projects and initiatives vary and include managing multi-stakeholder initiatives to accelerate recycling and recovery solutions in collaboration with diverse partners, NGOs, trade groups, regulatory agencies, and diverse companies across industrial, commodity, CPG, QSR, and retail sectors.

Location: In-Office, New York City, NY

Salary Range: $95,000 to $110,000

Target Start Date: November or December 2026, pending project launch date

This is a full-time position(s) and permanent position in our New York City Office. Applicants are expected to start this position by November 2026 or December 2026, pending project start launch date. Outstanding candidates who require a later start date will be considered.

To apply, please submit your resume, work sample and cover letter. Due to the volume of applications only qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. Please do not contact Closed Loop Partners staff to request information or a pre-application meeting, or to follow up on your submitted application.

Responsibilities include:

Program Management and Strategy Execution

• Oversee and project manage high-profile, multi-stakeholder initiatives within diverse industry sectors, including reuse, recycling and other circularity efforts.
• Transform ambiguous goals into clear, actionable plans through critical thinking and iterative problem-solving.
• Develop and execute program roadmaps and targets, including planning, resourcing, execution and stakeholder coordination.
• Prioritize and coordinate tasks across multiple workstreams, managing complex stakeholder relationships and adapting to evolving needs.
• Identify internal and external expertise needed for technically complex projects, leveraging in-house capacity and outsourced support effectively.
• Contribute to other Center special projects as needed.

Stakeholder and Relationship Management

• Serve as liaison with key stakeholders including brand owners, consultants, subject matter experts and industry partners.
• Create project communication plans and lead stakeholder presentations and updates.
• Plan and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops and roundtables to advance priorities and foster cross-sector collaboration.

Field Implementation and Operations

• Lead in-market recycling programs and consumer tests, including program design, vendor management, data analysis, and stakeholder reporting.
• Advise and manage stakeholder coordination and collaboration across participating brands and the in-market operations.
• Develop and lead data gathering, analysis, storytelling, and strategic decision-making related to in-market operations.
• Guide design of future in-market tests leveraging learnings and insights.

Research, Analysis and Thought Leadership

• Design and execute data collection and analysis plans, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Conduct research, ensure quality assurance, synthesize findings and translate insights into actionable recommendations and visual storytelling.
• Support thought leadership efforts to advance program priorities and share learnings internally and externally.

Policy and Regulatory Engagement

• Partner with the policy leads to interpret regulatory developments (including Extended Producer Responsibility - EPR).
• Assess compliance needs and help identify and mitigate regulatory risks that could impact programs.

Additional Requirements

• Occasional travel as required.

Because our projects are dynamic and often span multiple disciplines, this role may involve a selection of the responsibilities listed above. We welcome candidates whose experience covers only part of these areas.

Required Qualifications

• 2 - 5 years of experience within the relevant fields of management consulting, circular economy, sustainability, retail, packaging, supply chain, recycling, data analytics, or related sectors
• Experience working in client services on high-profile projects
• Excellent diplomatic and communication skills
• Ability to learn new subject matter areas quickly across a broad portfolio
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills and ability to evaluate complex, often ambiguous, multi-stakeholder challenges
• Strong writing and editing skills and experience in drafting concise and elegant internal- and external-facing presentations (e.g., Word, PPT, XLS)
• Strong organizational skills and excellent attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• Passion for sustainability and the circular economy
• A dynamic, enthusiastic professional who can take both initiative and direction
• A mission-driven team player who enjoys collaboration
• Understanding of how recycling facilities operate, end markets and commodity markets work
• Experience in managing in-field projects
• Experience in the retail, QSR, CPG, commodity, or recycling industry
• Experience in behavioral insights, consumer research, operations and/or supply chain logistics