Environmental managers advise organisations on how to minimise their impact on the environment and, in some cases, oversee the delivery of impact reduction strategies. They typically develop and then measure the success of the schemes for waste management, renewable energy, recycling, pollution reduction and pollution prevention.
Alternative and closely related job titles include ‘environmental adviser’, ‘energy manager’, ‘sustainability manager’ and 'energy consultant'. In some organisations, the role will also be combined with health and safety or corporate social responsibility (CSR) duties.
As well as working in environmental or geotechnical roles your in-depth knowledge of environmental sciences and lab and field work equips you for a career in a whole range environmental sectors including research, consultancy, education, policy, planning, compliance and enforcement. There are also opportunities available in the utilities sector with water companies and waste management companies. Many graduates join the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment that helps with gaining experience, networking, training, accreditation and recognition of excellent practice.
Employers of environmental science graduates include:
- Local authorities
- Environment Agency (EA)
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- Environmental monitoring organisations
- Environmental consultancies
- Charitable trusts, such as Natural England and English Heritage
You could also apply the broader skills developed during your degree to many other opportunities: it is estimated that although graduate employers often specify a minimum degree classification as part of their shortlisting, approximately 70% of graduate employers do not specify that you must have studied a particular subject to work for them. However, graduate employers do highly prize skills such as strategic planning, resilience under pressure, creative problem-solving and commercial awareness which are some of the key skills you can develop during your course. Therefore, you could use your degree to access work in a multitude of sectors or industries.
Researching your career options
With such a wide range of careers open to you as an Environmental Science graduate, it is important to make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that you can make informed decisions about your future.
Take a look at the
Prospects,
TargetJobs and the professional associations websites for inspiration:
Employment opportunities
Below is a snapshot of what some of University of Plymouth environmental science graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates, these jobs serve as steppingstone to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.
- Advisory Complaints And Licensing Officer HSE
- Analyst
- Analytical Scientist
- Assistant Administrator
- Assistant Air Quality Consultant
- Assistant Ecologist
- Assistant Environmental Consultant
- Assistant Flood Risk Management Engineer
- Assistant Manager
- Assistant Project Manager
- Assistant Sustainability Consultant
- Author
- Business Development Manager
- Business Owner (Cleaning Company)
- Catchment Technician
- Coating Technician
- Commercial Operations Graduate Management Trainee
- Digital Marketing Assistant
- Ecology Intern
- Ecotoxicology Intern
- EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) Coordinator
- English Teacher
- Environmental And Sustainability Business Partner
- Environmental Chemist
- Environmental Consultant
- Environmental Health And Safety Coordinator
- Environmental Management Intern
- Environmental Minimum Requirements Compliance Assistant
- Environmental Officer
- Environmental Technician
- Field Scientist
- Graduate
- Graduate Consultant
- Graduate Ecologist
- Graduate Energy And Climate Change Consultant
- Graduate Environmental Consultant
- Graduate Quality Consultant
- Graduate Sustainability Consultant
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- HSQE Graduate
- Humanities Teacher
- Laboratory Technician
- Marketing And Press Assistant
- Operational Consents Team
- Outdoor Activity Instructor
- Outdoor Learning Apprentice
- Outdoors Activities Instructor
- Product And Marketing Executive
- Quality Assurance Apprentice
- Quality Control Analyst
- Research Worker
- Scallop Supervisor
- Science Technician
- Secondary Teacher of Geography
- Self Employed Events Organiser
- SHEQ Intern
- Strategic Environmental Planning Officer
- Support Technician
- Surveyor
- Sustainability Consultant
- Trainee Quantity Surveyor
- Training Assistance Officer
- Water Sampler And Laboratory Assistant
- Wildlife Officer
- Wildlife Surveying
Employers
- Accord Healthcare UK
- AECOM
- Arcadis
- Artimsit Optical
- Arup
- Aspect Facades
- AWE
- BCA
- Bolton Academy
- Chelsea Academy
- CVS UK Ltd
- Ecus Ltd
- Effect Photonics
- Eiffage Uk
- Elemental Microanalysis
- Enistic
- Environment Agency
- Ethos Environmental Planning
- Excellent International English
- Fareham Borough Council
- Forest Research
- Grunden
- HatHats Coffee Company
- Homegrown Hotels
- London Energy
- Marine Biological Association
- Mendip Activity Centre
- Mojo Active
- Mount Kelly Preparatory School
- MSustainability
- Natural Power
- Nijhuis Aquatic Water Services
- Nijhuis Industries UK & Ireland
- Octopus Energy
- Oracle Environmental Experts
- Oxfordshire County Council
- Pell Frischmann
- Perrigo
- Princess Yachts
- Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme
- Rab Consultants
- Ramboll
- RWE
- Scymaris
- Secret Whispers
- Sodexo
- Somerset County Council
- Southern Microbiological Services
- South West Inflatable Theme Park
- South West Jets
- South West Water
- States Of Guernsey
- Steve Bignall Surveying
- Structural Soils
- Technics Group
- The Northern Trust
- Truck Music Store
- University Of Plymouth
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Vinci Energies
- VPZ
- Wardell Armstrong
- Welsh Water
- WFT
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys of 2017/18 and 2018/19. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for 33 UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.