Environment
About
Environment jobs include roles in sustainability, recycling & waste management, as well as environmental management, conservation and climate change.
Careers advice (general)
- Prospects: Environment and agriculture
- Prospects: What can I do with my degree?
- TARGETJobs: Green Careers and Environmental careers and how to get them
- EAUC Sustainability Exchange - career guide and webinars on sustainability, including understanding job roles, developing key skills and standing out to employers
Careers advice (environment protection and control)
- AllAboutCareers: Environment, agriculture and conservation careers - includes careers in air quality and pollution and environmental law and policy
- AllAboutCareers: Environment, food & rural affairs - information on roles in the public sector
- A career in environmental policy - article by Marianne Kettunen, principal policy analyst for the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
Careers advice (environmental management and conservation)
- British Ecological Society - top 10 tips for getting a career in ecology. See also Rooting for a Career in Ecology or Environmental Management? (PDF)
- Mark Carwardine: Careers in conservation
- Naturenet: get a job working in the countryside industry - advice on applications and interviews
Industry news
ENDS Europe provides an environmental news and information service.
The New Scientist and Guardian: Environment look at the latest developments in this field.
edie.net is an environment and sustainability news centre.
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.
They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them and sector skills bodies on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
Professional societies/institutes
- Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)
- Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)
- British Ecological Society
- The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM)
- Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
- The Society of Environmental Engineers
Research councils/institutes
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): Careers - includes case studies for different roles in environmental science
- National Oceanography Centre
- Food and Environment Research Agenc (FERA) – joint venture with Defra and Capita
Government departments and agencies
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
- Environment Agency
- Forestry Commission
- Natural England
- Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (includes remit for climate change)
- Committee on Climate Change
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Sector skills councils/industry groups
Lantra is the sector skills council for the environmental and land-based sector.
There is also the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA).
See Law & Your Environment for general information on environment law, including links to specialist bodies.
Find professional bodies outside of the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.
Making contacts
Talking to people working in the sector can give you an insight into roles and be useful for networking and making speculative applications.
You could start with:
- NCL Spark – our online mentoring platform, with graduates happy to give you advice about the kind of work they do
- Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice and inspiration
- ResearchGATE - professional online network for researchers across scientific disciplines
Social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, can also be useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our Environment Twitter list.
Events
Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insight and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events for this sector include the British Ecological Society's Student Futures and Research Conference.
For more events for this sector, see Careers Service events, External Events or the professional bodies listed above.
Related sectors
You may also be interested in Agriculture, Renewables, Nuclear & Utilities, Civil Engineering, Geomatics & Construction, Property & Surveying or Physical Science.
Roles & Skills
There are a range of careers found in the environment sector - from academic research and ecology to consultancy and policy work.
The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties and entry requirements.
Roles (environmental protection and control)
Environmental consultant
Environmental manager
Environmental policy officer
Environmental health practitioner
Environmental law solicitor
- TARGETjobs
- AllAboutLaw
- see also Legal Professions for information on entry into law
Roles (environmental management and conservation)
Countryside officer/ranger
Ecologist
Nature conservation officer
Energy manager
Environmental manager
Environmental consultant
Environmental engineer
Environmental education officer
Energy conservation officer
Field trials officer
Marine biologist
Marine scientist
Soil scientist
Water quality scientist
Water conservation officer
Sustainability consultant
Recycling officer
Waste management officer
Forest/woodland manager
Skills employers look for
Employers in this sector look for skills including:
- an ability to project-manage, prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision
- leadership and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
- attention to detail and a logical and methodical approach to problem solving
- an ability to research, analyse and communicate complex technical data to others
- numerical and IT skills
- commercial awareness and an understanding of local, national and global environmental issues
See the IEEM website for a guide to range of careers in ecology or environmental management. See also What a graduate should know: Survey skills.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) identified key skills needed by businesses, government and academics working on issues connected with the natural environment. Fifteen of these skills were identified as being skills that are in short supply, including hard skills, such as numeracy and field research, as well as soft skills, such as the translation of research into easily understandable language - see Most Wanted: postgraduate and professional skills needs in the environment sector for more details.
Gaining Experience
Finding a job in the environment sector is very competitive. Relevant work experience is invaluable, and often essential, in developing expertise and demonstrating your motivation and commitment to this area of work.
Some large employers advertise summer internships and/or placement years, usually aimed at students in their penultimate year of study. Opportunities vary - from technical and engineering roles to those in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Applications open early in the autumn and closing dates are usually between November and March.
Examples of companies that may be able to offer placements and/or summer internships include:
- ARUP
- BP - includes internships in environmental science
- Jacobs
- E.ON - year-long placements, past opportunities have included ones relating to carbon capture and pollution control
- Regen SW - have offered internships in the past for students and graduates relating to sustainable energy, based in Devon
- Balfour Beatty
For advertised opportunities, see Internships, placements & shadowing. You can also search for vacancies on MyCareer.
Professional bodies and research councils also advertise opportunities. See About for a list of organisations.
However, the majority of work experience and/or voluntary opportunities in the environment sector are not advertised. You may need to contact an organisation directly, with a speculative approach. Do this early, as it can be very competitive.
Paid internships in the environment sector can be difficult to find. For help with funding short-term low or unpaid work experience, see our Career Insights Bursary.
Finding companies
Find companies that interest you and get in touch directly – ideally with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
Finding experience in the North East
- Search for organisations on MyCareer - click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab.
- North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) - includes a member directory
- Go Volunteer offer a variety of environmental projects to Newcastle University students
- Groundwork - South Tyneside and Newcastle offer voluntary opportunities
- Northumberland Wildlife Trust has a range of volunteering opportunities from surveying and conservation to community engagement and events
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - see opportunities at their centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear
- Northumberland National Park - regularly offer short-term work experience opportunities for young people, aged 16 to 25, who are seeking a career in the environmental/countryside sector. See also their other volunteering opportunities.
- Natural History Society of Northumbria - wide range of voluntary opportunities including nature conservation and research.
Finding Jobs
Environmental roles can be found across a broad range of sectors - including industry, local and national government and voluntary organisations.
Typical employers for this sector
Higher education and research institutions, including research councils and research centres such as the British Antarctic Survey.
Intergovernmental and international organisations, including the United Nations (eg UNEP) and international think tanks.
Industry, for example, the energy industry or in construction, property and housing.
Environmental consultancies (multidisciplinary or specialist consultancies), and national park authorities are also typical employers.
Voluntary organisations and charities, including wildlife conservation charities, environmental NGOs and pressure groups, eg National Trust, RSPB, WWF, Friends of the Earth.
Local and central government and non-departmental public bodies, including:
Specialist recruitment agencies
- Allen-York
- Lanesra Technical Recruitment - consultancy working within the water, sewage, oil, gas, nuclear and power industries
- letsrecycle.com - recruitment agency for the recycling and waste management industries
- Amida – includes health and safety and sustainability positions
To find opportunities outside the UK, see GoinGlobal and International Jobs.
Finding companies
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch - always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
General
- ENDS Directory - environmental consultancy directory
- IEMA: EIA Quality Mark Registrants - list of organisations which deliver environmental impact assessments (EIA) services
- Environmental Expert – worldwide environmental business directory, useful for speculative applications
- Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management - includes professionals directory for specialisms in regions
- UK Think Tank list - includes think tanks on climate change and environment and development
- Think Tank Initiative - lists think tanks relating to environment and natural resources across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia
- Yell.com - online business directory. Search by keyword, eg environment consultancies, and location
Environmental protection and control
- Law Society: Find a solicitor - search for law firms which practise environmental law
- Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - includes list of government agencies and partner organisations
Environmental management and conservation
North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) includes a member directory.
Water UK has a list of UK water and wastewater service suppliers; useful for speculative applications.