Want a rewarding and challenging engineering career? Think about your options as an environmental engineer
As an environmental engineer you’ll be evaluating and assessing the effects of human pollution on the environment.
You’ll be challenged to find technical solutions to combat the degradation of land, the impact of pollutants on the environment and other issues that accompany urban development.
The day-to-day
Working as an environmental engineer can open career opportunities for you in a multitude of industries. Your expertise is needed in many different fields. Your duties will generally remain the same. You may often find yourself in consulting roles, working to help instruct, evaluate and assess organisations on environmental best practices and what they need to do in order to comply with current environmental regulations.
Key responsibilities
- Conduct technical audits and evaluate the environmental impact of a company’s operations
- Liaise with clients and keep them up to date with your progress
- Carry out site assessments to ensure that an organisation is complying with environmental codes and regulations
- Manage environmental management systems
- Help make recommendations on waste management and reclamation prevention
- Create models to forecast environmental issues
- Draw up environmental investigation and recommendation reports
Key skills
- Proficient maths skills and the ability to utilise those skills quickly
- Creative thinker
- Good writing skills
- Brilliant analytical and problem solving skills
- Good communication and people skills
- Strong project management skills
- Ability to use technical software such as Autocad or SAS
- Strong knowledge of UK environmental regulations
- Know the processes that occur during quality assurance
Qualifications
Environmental engineers are required to have a degree or be educated to a degree level. Be sure to join a professional engineering body like the Chartered Engineers (CEng), to help you gain further accreditation, maximise your skills and connect with your peers.
Hours
Your working hours are often determined by project deadlines. Extended working hours, taking you into the weekend or into public holidays aren’t uncommon in the industry.
Salary
Starting your career as an environmental engineer can see you earning around £20,000 per annum. As you progress towards the peak of your career you can earn upwards of £40,000 per annum.
Career opportunities
Your next steps:
- Environmental engineer consultant
- Environmental consultant
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