UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Circular Economy Specialist

As a Circular Economy Specialist, you turn waste into opportunity by transforming how we handle materials on site.

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior Circular Economy Specialist
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Environmental Operations Specialist · Sustainability Analyst (Operations) · Waste Reduction Coordinator · Resource Optimisation Specialist

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Maintain health and safety in the waste resource management industry CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 4 Medium Risk Operator Competence for Storage of Non-Hazardous Wastes
Stakeholder communication and other non-legislative factors affecting the waste and resource management industry CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management
Understand operational systems and procedures in the waste/recycling industry CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Sustainable Resource Management
Waste and Resource Management Industry Awareness CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 2 Certificate for Waste and Resource Management Operative
Generate and retain waste and resource management business CIWM (WAMITAB) Level 4 Diploma In Systems and Operations Management

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Start my Circular Economy Specialist plan, free
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Circular Economy Specialist

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Maintain health and safety in the waste resource management industry CIWM · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 4
  2. Stakeholder communication and other non-legislative factors affecting the waste and resource management industry CIWM · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 4
  3. Understand operational systems and procedures in the waste/recycling industry CIWM · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  4. Waste and Resource Management Industry Awareness CIWM · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 2
  5. Generate and retain waste and resource management business CIWM · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 4
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Circular Economy Specialist?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

How the AI economy is changing work like this

A broad read on this kind of work, not an analysis of this job on its own. Roles that share a pattern get the same answer here.

Fading: AI does more of this

AI is starting to handle routine data collection and initial report drafting, freeing you from these time-consuming tasks.

→
Rising: worth more because of AI

Your ability to interpret AI-generated insights and apply them to real-world circular economy challenges becomes more valuable.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Operations
  • Digital Product Passports (DPP) & Material Traceability
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Circular Economy Specialist plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Start my Circular Economy Specialist plan, free Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

3What this role really is

We see you

You sometimes worry that AI might oversimplify the nuanced decisions you make daily. Yet, you also see the potential for AI to free you from the repetitive tasks that bog down your creativity.

A circular economy specialist works on operational sites to make processes more circular. This means checking that waste streams are recycled properly, tracking materials, and finding ways to use less virgin material.

4A day in the life

Not a job advert. A real day, built from what this role actually holds.

08:45
You start your day by reviewing the latest data reports from SAP, ensuring that yesterday's recycling figures align with expectations.
11:00
On the factory floor, you work with a team to trial a new sorting procedure, hoping to improve the efficiency of material separation.
14:30
You join a call with Procurement to discuss potential new partners for recycling services, evaluating their environmental credentials.
16:00
You update internal documentation, noting changes from today's pilot project, ensuring future processes are consistent and compliant.

5What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

SAP S/4HANA (MM & PP Modules) Intermediate

Running standard reports (like MB51) to track material movements, performing goods issue/receipt transactions for waste streams, and checking inventory levels of recycled content.

SimaPro / GaBi Basic

Inputting data into pre-built Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) models under supervision and generating standard impact reports for specific materials or processes.

Microsoft Power BI Intermediate

Building simple dashboards from clean data sets (e.g., Excel, CSVs) to track monthly waste metrics, recycling rates, and material consumption for your assigned sites.

Advanced Excel Expert

Using VLOOKUPs, PivotTables, Power Query for data transformation, and complex formulas to clean, analyse, and model supplier waste data, utility bills, and material flow inventories.

Siemens Teamcenter (PLM) Basic

Navigating the system to find Bill of Materials (BOMs), material specification documents, and basic product lifecycle data to understand material composition.

FourKites (Supply Chain Visibility) Basic

Tracking inbound shipments of recycled feedstock or outbound shipments of by-products to ensure timely delivery and identify potential delays.

Asana Project Lead

Building and managing project plans for your circularity initiatives, assigning tasks to yourself and others, and reporting on project milestones and deadlines.

6What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Operational Process Changes (e.g., waste sorting) Proposes changes to supervisor for approval and guidance. Implements routine changes within established guidelines; proposes and seeks approval for novel changes. Designs and approves significant process changes within their workstream, consulting with relevant department leads.
Vendor Selection (e.g., recycling services) Researches potential vendors and provides findings to supervisor. Recommends and evaluates vendors for small-scale services (up to £5K annual value), seeking approval from manager. Selects and manages vendors for major workstreams (up to £50K annual value), consulting with Procurement and legal.
Budget Allocation (project-specific) No authority; tracks expenses against allocated budget. Manages project budgets up to £1,000; requests and justifies additional spend to manager. Manages workstream budgets up to £5,000; proposes and justifies larger budget requests to Director.
Data Analysis & Reporting Collects data and runs pre-defined reports. Independently analyses data, builds custom reports, and interprets findings for operational teams. Designs reporting frameworks and KPIs, presents insights to senior leadership, and makes data-driven recommendations.

7How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Waste Diversion Rate
The percentage of operational waste (from your assigned site or process) that gets recycled, reused, or composted, rather than going to landfill or incineration.
Target · Achieve a >15% year-on-year improvement in waste diversion for your assigned operational area.

If your site sent 100 tonnes to landfill last year, we'd expect you to help reduce that to 85 tonnes or less, finding alternative routes for the rest.

Material Tracking Data Accuracy
How accurate and complete the data is for specific material flows you're responsible for tracking (e.g., recycled content inputs, by-product outputs).
Target · Maintain 99%+ accuracy in material tracking reports for key circularity metrics.

An audit of 500 material entries finds only 3 errors, meaning 99.4% accuracy. That's what we're after.

Cost Savings from Circular Initiatives
The direct financial savings generated from projects you lead or support, such as reducing waste disposal costs, finding value in by-products, or optimising reverse logistics.
Target · Identify and deliver >£50,000 in annualised cost savings from your projects.

By finding a new reprocessor for a specific plastic waste stream, you reduce disposal costs by £15,000 and generate £40,000 in revenue from the sale of the reprocessed material. That's £55,000 saved/generated.

Circular Project Completion Rate
The percentage of assigned circular economy projects (e.g., implementing a new sorting process, trialling a new recycled material) that are completed on time and within the agreed budget.
Target · Ensure 85% of your owned projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Out of 10 projects, 9 were finished by their deadline and didn't go over budget. The one that didn't? We'd look at why and what we learned.

Operational Buy-in & Collaboration
How effectively you work with factory floor teams, supervisors, and other operational staff to get their support and participation in new circular initiatives.
  • You're seen as a helpful partner, not just someone adding more work. Teams proactively come to you with ideas or problems. Feedback from Plant Managers and Production Supervisors is consistently positive about your collaborative approach and practical solutions. People actually implement your suggestions.
Quality of Material Flow Analysis
The thoroughness and insightfulness of your analyses of material flows, identifying bottlenecks, leakage points, and opportunities for circularity.
  • Your MFA reports clearly highlight key issues and actionable recommendations. Senior team members use your analyses to make decisions. You spot things others miss, like a hidden waste stream or an underutilised by-product. Your models are robust and stand up to scrutiny.
Problem-Solving Effectiveness
Your ability to tackle unexpected challenges in implementing circular processes, finding practical solutions when things don't go to plan.
  • When a recycling partner changes their requirements, you come back with options, not just a problem. You can trace a contamination issue back to its source and propose a fix. You don't get stuck on obstacles
  • you find ways around or through them. You're known for finding 'workable' solutions, even if they're not perfect.

8Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Impact

You get a real buzz from seeing a new recycling stream successfully implemented, or watching the landfill skip get emptied less often. You like seeing the direct results of your efforts on the factory floor.

You've just finished a project that reduced plastic film waste by 20% at one site. Seeing that metric improve, knowing it's because of your work, is what gets you up in the morning.

Solving Complex Operational Puzzles

You enjoy the challenge of figuring out why a material isn't being properly sorted, or how to re-route a by-product to a new user. You like breaking down messy problems into manageable steps.

You're faced with a mixed waste stream that's too contaminated to recycle. You enjoy the process of investigating each component, talking to production, and designing a new sorting protocol that makes it viable.

Contributing to Environmental Goals

You genuinely care about reducing waste and protecting resources. This isn't just a job; it's a chance to apply your skills to something you believe in.

Knowing that your efforts contribute directly to the company's public sustainability commitments and a healthier planet is a core driver for you, beyond just the day-to-day tasks.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Economics vs. Environment' Tug-of-War: Constantly having to justify projects with long-term environmental benefits against short-term cost pressures. It can feel like an uphill battle.
  • Supplier Data Black Holes: Trying to get accurate data from suppliers about their materials' composition or environmental footprint can be like pulling teeth. You'll often have to make educated guesses or rely on imperfect industry averages.
  • The Reverse Logistics Nightmare: Designing a brilliant take-back scheme only to have it hampered by low customer participation, damaged returns, or unexpected transport costs. It's rarely as simple as it sounds.
  • Legacy System Inertia: Trying to track materials or implement new processes on an older ERP system that wasn't built for circularity. It often means a lot of manual workarounds and creative problem-solving.
  • The Contamination Reality Check: Discovering that an entire batch of 'recyclable' material has to be landfilled because of one tiny, non-compliant component. It's a gut punch, and it happens more often than you'd like.
What this role does not give you
  • A perfectly predictable, routine workday. Expect curveballs.
  • Complete autonomy on large strategic decisions (you'll influence, not dictate).
  • A quiet, desk-bound job; you'll be out in the operations, talking to people.
  • Instant gratification for every project; some circular initiatives take a long time to bear fruit.

9Who you work with

Your work directly impacts our operational efficiency, reduces our environmental footprint, and helps us meet crucial sustainability targets. Honestly, you're a key part of making sure we walk the talk on circularity, which affects our brand reputation, regulatory compliance, and long-term financial health.

Inside the business
  • Plant Managers & Production Supervisors (you'll be working with them daily on waste reduction)
  • Procurement Team (helping them source more circular materials)
  • Logistics Coordinators (optimising reverse logistics routes)
  • Engineering & Product Design (feeding back on material choices for end-of-life)
  • Health & Safety Team (ensuring new processes are safe)
Outside the business
  • Recycling Partners & Waste Management Vendors (managing contracts and performance)
  • Material Reprocessors (finding new homes for our 'waste')
  • Local Environmental Regulators (keeping us compliant)
  • Technology Providers (exploring new sorting or recycling tech)

10What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2 years of experience in an operational, environmental, or sustainability-focused role, ideally within a manufacturing or logistics environment.
  • Demonstrable experience managing small projects or workstreams from start to finish, even if they weren't strictly 'circular economy' projects.
  • Proven ability to collect, clean, and analyse data using Excel and ideally a basic understanding of a BI tool like Power BI.
  • A genuine interest in the circular economy and a desire to make a tangible environmental impact through operational improvements.
  • The ability to work independently on assigned tasks and take ownership of specific outcomes.

11What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Visualisation & Storytelling

As data volumes grow, simply presenting charts isn't enough. You'll need to tell a compelling story with your data, making complex circularity insights easy for busy operational leaders to understand and act upon. This means mastering Power BI beyond basic dashboards.

DAX for Complex KPIs · Interactive Dashboard Design · Narrative Visualisation · Performance Optimisation

  • This week: Find a Power BI tutorial on DAX and try to implement one new complex measure in an existing report.
  • This month: Redesign one of your current operational dashboards to be more interactive and user-friendly, getting feedback from colleagues.
  • Month 2: Take an online course on data storytelling or advanced Power BI techniques.
  • Month 3: Present a complex circularity insight using a narrative visualisation approach to your team, focusing on clarity and impact.

Quick win: Start adding tooltips and drill-through pages to your existing Power BI dashboards to make them more interactive for users.

12Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attending industry conferences and webinars on circular economy, sustainable supply chains, or waste management (e.g., Circularity Gap Reporting, RWM & Letsrecycle Live).
  • Joining professional networks like IEMA or the Circular Economy Club to connect with peers and learn best practices.
  • Taking online courses (e.g., Coursera, edX) in advanced data analytics, specific LCA software, or sustainable operations.
  • Reading key industry reports and publications to stay up-to-date on trends and regulations (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation, World Economic Forum).

13The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Operations

Frankly, competitors are already using AI to draft reports, summarise research, and even help with initial data analysis in minutes. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce peers significantly. This isn't future-gazing; it's happening now.

  • Context Windows & Token Limits
  • Temperature Settings for Tasks
  • RAG Architectures for Proprietary Data
  • Output Validation & Hallucination Detection
  • Prompt Chaining for Complex Analysis

Digital Product Passports (DPP) & Material Traceability

New EU regulations (and likely UK ones to follow) are mandating Digital Product Passports for many product categories. This means we'll need to track materials and product information much more rigorously throughout their lifecycle, from design to end-of-life. Operations will be at the heart of collecting and verifying this data.

  • Data Standards for DPPs
  • Blockchain for Traceability
  • Integration with PLM & ERP Systems
  • Consumer & Recycler Access
  • Lifecycle Data Management

14What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) Principles
  • Material Flow Analysis (MFA)
  • Reverse Logistics & Closed-Loop Supply Chains
  • Lean Principles (Waste Reduction)
  • Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Design Concepts

15The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Associate Circular Economy Analyst (L1)

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Data collection and accuracy, basic reporting, understanding operational processes, executing tasks under supervision.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivers accurate data and reports on time.
    • Proactively identifies minor issues and suggests solutions.
    • Demonstrates a solid understanding of our core operational circularity processes.
    • Can independently manage routine, well-defined tasks.
  2. 2

    Operations Graduate Scheme

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Broad understanding of operational functions (production, logistics, quality), project management fundamentals, stakeholder engagement.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully completed rotations in multiple operational departments.
    • Led or significantly contributed to process improvement projects.
    • Strong grasp of operational KPIs and how to influence them.
    • Recognised for problem-solving and initiative within the graduate cohort.
  3. 3

    Environmental Coordinator (Manufacturing/Logistics)

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Environmental compliance, waste management, emissions tracking, basic auditing, site-level environmental reporting.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Ensured consistent environmental compliance for a site or region.
    • Successfully managed waste contracts and improved recycling rates.
    • Demonstrated ability to implement environmental initiatives on the factory floor.
    • Strong understanding of environmental regulations and their operational impact.

16How people get here · where they go next

Came from
Environmental Coordinator (Manufacturing/Logistics)
2-4 years
You mastered the art of ensuring environmental compliance and optimising waste management processes on the factory floor.
You are here
Circular Economy Specialist
Mid-Level (2-5 years)
A circular economy specialist works on operational sites to make processes more circular. This means checking that waste streams are recycled properly, tracking materials, and finding ways to use less virgin material.
Goes to
Senior Circular Economy Specialist (L3)
3-5 years
You'll lead complex projects across multiple sites, mentoring others and designing innovative circular economy processes.

The long view: This work can lead to strategy roles shaping how a whole business unit approaches circularity, or management roles overseeing circular economy operations across multiple sites.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Circular Economy Specialist is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Maintain health and safety in the waste resource management industry, worked against Circular Economy Specialist.

Maintain health and safety in the waste resource management industry Level 4

Applied to your work in Circular Economy Specialist

The objective of this unit is to ensure learners understand and can maintain health and safety within the waste and resource management industry. Learners will know the relevant health and safety legislation, understand the hazards and risks associated with the environment, and be able to implement appropriate control measures to manage hazards and risks safely and effectively on site.

The Explorer Last time, we explored using AI to identify waste hotspots. How did your initial tests go?

You I found some surprising areas where we could cut down waste.

The Explorer Great! Let's build on that by designing a small pilot project to test one of those areas, using AI to track the outcomes.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Circular Economy Specialist plan, free
A year from now

A year from now, you confidently leverage AI to enhance your strategic impact, making your sites models of sustainability and efficiency.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Circular Economy Specialist
  • Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) Principles
  • Material Flow Analysis (MFA)
  • Reverse Logistics & Closed-Loop Supply Chains
  • Lean Principles (Waste Reduction)
  • Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Design Concepts
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Circular Economy Specialist is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Circular Economy Specialist (L3)

    3-5 years in current role

    You'll move from owning specific projects to leading entire workstreams, often across multiple sites. You'll also start mentoring junior colleagues.

    • Designing new operational circular processes (not just improving existing ones)
    • Advanced LCA modelling and interpretation (defending methodologies)
    • Developing business cases for significant circular investments
    • Managing external partnerships (e.g., research institutions, industry consortia)
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of the grunt work in circular economy operations—like sifting through waste data or researching supplier sustainability—can be a real time sink. But what if you could offload a chunk of that to AI? You absolutely can. We're embracing AI to make our specialists more effective, giving you back precious hours to focus on the truly strategic stuff.

Imagine having a digital assistant that helps you audit waste streams, simulate environmental impacts, and even draft reports. That's not science fiction; it's what our Circular Economy Specialists are already doing. We're building an AI-powered hub specifically for Operations to help you work smarter, not just harder.

Automated Waste Stream Auditing

Deploy computer vision AI over conveyor belts. It'll automatically identify, classify, and quantify waste materials 24/7. This replaces those tedious, often inaccurate manual audits, giving you real-time data to act on. Think of the time saved not having to manually sort through rubbish!

Rapid LCA Simulation

Use an AI model to quickly predict the environmental impact (carbon, water, etc.) of swapping out a material in a product design. You'll get an 80% accurate estimate in minutes, instead of waiting days for a full Lifecycle Assessment. This means faster, better design decisions.

Supplier Sustainability Intelligence

Picture an AI platform constantly scanning news, government data, and NGO reports. It automatically flags sustainability risks (like forced labour or environmental fines) in your multi-tier supply chain. This saves you hours of manual research and helps us avoid nasty surprises.

ESG Report Content Generation

Use a Generative AI assistant, trained on our internal project data and global reporting standards (like GRI or SASB), to draft sections of our annual sustainability report. It can summarise project outcomes and pull data tables, freeing you up from the initial writing slog.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Circular Economy Specialist?

Common routes in include Associate Circular Economy Analyst (1-2 years), Operations Graduate Scheme (2-3 years) and Environmental Coordinator (Manufacturing/Logistics) (2-4 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Circular Economy Specialist progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Circular Economy Specialist (3-5 years in current role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Circular Economy Specialist?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Operations and Digital Product Passports (DPP) & Material Traceability. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in this role carry over into sustainability consulting, product development with a circular focus, and supply chain innovation. They also apply to roles in NGOs or government bodies working on environmental policy. Specialists with practical operational experience are needed as the field grows.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Circular Economy Specialist plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.