Environmental manager

Environmental manager job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Typical responsibilities include:

• overseeing the use of all resources within organisations
• implementing environmental policies and practices
• developing schemes for recycling, pollution reduction and pollution prevention
• ensuring compliance with environmental legislation
• auditing, analysing and collating environmental performance data and reporting information to internal staff, clients and regulatory bodies
• managing environmental strategy budgets
• liaising with internal staff including senior managers and directors
• providing environmental training to staff at all levels
• managing a team of technical, scientific and engineering staff
• writing plans and reports
• keeping up to date with changes in environmental legislation and initiatives including EU directives
• producing educational resources
• liaising with regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency.

Typical employers of environmental managers

Most environmental managers are employed by consultancies, higher education institutions, utilities, civil engineering/construction companies, government agencies, local government departments and processing/manufacturing companies.

As a result of government/international environmental policies there has been and will continue to be an expansion in the number of job opportunities within the profession. Vacancies are advertised via the internet, by careers services, in newspapers, local authority vacancy lists and publications such as New Scientist, Opportunities and The Environment Post. Formal graduate recruitment schemes are offered by a small number of companies, some of which provide sponsorship to fund postgraduate study.

Qualifications and training required

To become an environmental manager it is usually necessary to possess a degree/HND in a subject such as energy engineering, environmental health, environmental sciences/management, biosciences, applied science, engineering, or physics. A relevant postgraduate qualification can be advantageous, as can experience of initiating and managing projects and/or supervising others.

Relevant voluntary or paid experience is beneficial – particularly when starting out within the profession. Membership of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment can also be useful.

Key skills for environmental managers

Graduates should be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in, understanding of and a good knowledge of environmental issues, relevant legislation and renewable energy sources. Candidates should possess confidence, initiative, commercial awareness and excellent IT, organisational, negotiation, team-working, presentation, project management and communication skills.