Nature of work
An environmental manager examines corporate activities to make improvements and ensure compliance with environmental legislation across the organization. He/she has a wide remit to review the whole operation, carry out environmental audits and assessments, identify and resolve environmental problems and ensure necessary changes are implemented. He/she develops and implements environmental strategies and action plans that ensure corporate sustainable development. He/she takes the lead on sustainable procurement for all goods and services, coordinates all aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling, environmental health, and renewable energy. Also, he/she implements the environmental policies. He/she analyzes and reports environmental performance to internal and external clients. He/she carries out impact assessments to identify, assess and reduce an organization's environmental risks and financial costs. He/she promotes and raises awareness at all levels of an organization of the impact of emerging environmental issues. Environment of work
Working hours vary according to the industry. The public sector typically has working hours from 9am to 5pm. Flextime and other benefits, including a final salary pension scheme, health insurance and an option to work from home, are sometimes available. In the private sectors, hours are more likely to vary, with some weekend works. The work usually involves both office-based activities and field work, which can be conducted outside in all weathers. There may be considerable travel within a working day for which mileage for site visits may be payable. Self-employment and freelance work are possible in environmental consultancy. Part-time work or career breaks may be possible in some organizations. In some organizations, there are opportunities to travel and work overseas. Professional life
There is no typical career path in environmental management, as each post tends to be unique and progression depends on the employing organization. In some organizations, there may only be a small number of specialized environmental posts. Larger organizations will offer more opportunities. Professional qualifications and continuous training are an integral part of career development, and the diverse nature of the profession offers opportunities to move into different areas of work in order to gain new skills and experience. There are also opportunities to join the growing number of environmental consultancies, become self-employed or move into the education field. Most employers look for candidates with work experience. Experience gained through voluntary work can also be very helpful. Not all new positions are advertised, and it is still common for jobs to be filled through speculative applications and oral orders, especially with small businesses or in the voluntary sector.Range of typical starting salaries: 40000 SYP.
Getting the job
Although this career opens to all graduates, it would be useful to possess a degree in one of the following subjects: Bioscience; environmental engineering; energy engineering; environmental sciences or management; ecology.A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification provides the necessary skills for employment in this field. However, a business qualification or experience in the area of business activity carried out by a company may be considered as important as knowledge of environmental aspects. There are plenty of postgraduate qualifications in the sector, but some can be quite specialized. Once employed, postgraduate diplomas offer the chance to develop particular interests. For students, the equivalent length of practical experience is viewed on a comparable level.
Skills
Candidates also need to show evidence of their ability to:· negotiate and organize;
· stimulate and manage change;
· show a high level of computer literacy;
· show commercial awareness and an understanding of business;
· be self-motivated and be able to motivate staff at all levels;
· communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
· manage projects as well as make presentations;
· establish effective networks within the company and with external organizations;
· show initiative, recognize emerging problems and pro-actively develop solutions.
Sources and references
If you need any further information on what is included in this file, you can visit the following websites:· www.environmental.org.uk, A professional Society which exists to promote awareness of the discipline of environmental engineering
· Arab Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008, Ed. Arab Labor Organization.