What is Environmental Services?
Environmental Services is a growing field. It has become an integral part of business strategy and operations. In order to protect the environment, companies pursue sustainability to meet current needs while preserving future resources. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “the environmental industry consists of activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent, limit and minimize or correct environmental damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems related to waste, noise, and eco-systems.”
Who are Environmental Services Professionals?
There are multiple career paths that an environmental services professional can pursue. Environmental professionals can be business managers, distribution managers, production managers, accountants, compliance officers, and more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Management Occupations
Environmental mangers are responsible for strategizing and implementing a sustainability plan for an organization. Additionally, they may also be responsible for ensuring compliance of environmental regulations. Reports from environmental managers help organization project future sustainability goals. Environment managers operate in multiple functions including:
- Chief Executives
- General and Operations managers
- Industrial Production Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution managers
Science Occupations
There is most often a scientific component to every environmental initiative. Environmental scientists must be employed in order to measure an organization's impact. At times, rigorous research is conducted to protect the health of employees, consumers, and the environment. Environmental science has become increasingly interdisciplinary as multiple perspectives are needed to come to conclusions. Some job functions include:
- Atmospheric scientists
- Chemists and materials scientists
- Conservation scientists
- Environmental scientists
- Microbiologists
- Natural sciences managers
- Soil and plant scientists
Engineering Occupations
Environmental Engineers work with both managers and scientists in order to devise infrastructure that assists with sustainability efforts. They typically work in both offices and worksites where construction projects occur. Some job functions include:
- Chemical engineers
- Civil engineers
- Environmental engineers
- Industrial engineers
Other Environmental Services Occupations
Opportunities are vast in this industry. In addition to managerial, science, and engineering jobs, there are environmental sustainability jobs in every sector. Some additional environmental job functions include:
- Accountants and auditors
- Business operations specialists
- Compliance officers
- Cost estimators
- Human resources specialists
- Occupational health and safety specialists
This content is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
