Environmental manager
Be a protective shield between organisations and the world around us. An environmental manager is an incredibly important job that keeps the planet green and ecosystems thriving.
About the job
Salary
Source: LMI for All
Weekly
£780
Average
Monthly
£3,380
Average
Yearly
£40,560
Average
6,700
people are currently employed
High growth
500 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
Being an environmental manager means acting like a protective shield between organisations and the world around us. It’s an incredibly important job that keeps the planet green and ecosystems thriving.
As an environmental or sustainability manager, you’ll be in charge of making sure that the activities of companies do not cause damage to the world around us. You’ll make sure that private, public, and voluntary organisations are sticking to the environmental standards and legislation.
You’ll assess how improvements can be made to environmental policies and create new strategies that promote sustainable development.
What you might do
Develop and implement strategies and action plans that ensure sustainable development.
Coordinate pollution control, waste management, recycling, conservation and renewable energy.
Ensure that materials or ingredients are ethically sourced.
Ensure compliance and keep up to date with UK, EU, and international regulations concerning the environment.
Liaise with local and national government.
Coordinate consultations on environmental matters.
Write environmental reports, then use these reports to set company targets.
Participate in environmental education and research, in order to raise awareness.
Provide training to members of staff.
Hours
Environment
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- taking initiative
- concentrating
- attention to detail
- social conscience
- researching
- evaluating
- written communication
- working with technology
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Chemistry
Engineering Science
Environmental Science
Geography
Mathematics
Physics
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they do ask for relevant experience, usually work based.
There are different ways to gain qualifications or experience for this job. You could study at qualified for this job through college, university or complete an apprenticeship. Edinburgh Napier University and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are accredited from the Charter Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEM). Both have HNC, BSc and MSc routes you could take.
Most environmental managers will have a degree in:
environmental science
biology
geography
zoology
marine biology
bioscience
ecology
Employers might consider applicants without formal qualifications if they can demonstrate knowledge and experience of the industry.
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they might ask for relevant experience, usually work based, that show a range of transferable skills.
It’s helpful to become a member of a relevant professional body and many employers find this desirable.
Some professional bodies include the:
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