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Environmental Engineers Occupation Detailed Description

Environmental Engineers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Environmental Engineers

The main tasks and work activities of Environmental Engineers are to maintain operational records or records systems, prepare technical or operational reports, advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns, monitor activities affecting environmental quality. In general, for the Environmental Engineers, critical Thinking, writing, active Listening, reading Comprehension and other 17 skills are required.
Environmental Engineers Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related ExperienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
ExampleMany of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Environmental Engineers jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Environmental Engineers

  • Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
  • Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures.
  • Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
  • Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
  • Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
  • Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.
  • Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
  • Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
  • Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards.
  • Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.
  • Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
  • Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.
  • Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.
  • Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work.
  • Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements.
  • Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications.
  • Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions.
  • Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.
  • Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
  • Request bids from suppliers or consultants.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Analyzing Data or InformationIdentifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Maintain operational records or records systems.
  • Prepare technical or operational reports.
  • Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
  • Monitor activities affecting environmental quality.
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
  • Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
  • Prepare operational reports.
  • Determine operational criteria or specifications.
  • Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
  • Prepare project budgets.
  • Develop technical methods or processes.
  • Direct environmental development activities.
  • Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
  • Teach safety standards or environmental compliance methods.
  • Prepare detailed work plans.
  • Test characteristics of materials or structures.
  • Package materials for transport.
  • Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
  • Assist engineers or scientists with research.
  • Design environmental control systems.

Skills and Abilities for Environmental Engineers

  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Operations AnalysisAnalyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Mathematical ReasoningThe ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • VisualizationThe ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubatorse.g. Air incubators
  • Air velocity and temperature monitorse.g. Air velocity meters
  • Air velocity and temperature monitorse.g. Ambient air measurement devices
  • Anaerobic chambere.g. Anaerobic growth chambers
  • Ionmeterse.g. Argon ionization detectors
  • Atomic absorption AA spectrometerse.g. Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
  • Atomic absorption AA spectrometerse.g. Atomic absorption AA spectrophotometers
  • Steam autoclaves or sterilizerse.g. Autoclaves
  • Titration equipmente.g. Automatic titrators
  • Laboratory balancese.g. Balances
  • Sample oxidizere.g. Biological oxidizers
  • Penetrometerse.g. California bearing ratio CBR testing devices
  • Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresise.g. Capillary electrophoresis systems
  • Benchtop centrifugese.g. Centrifuges
  • Photo attachments for microscopese.g. Charge-coupled device CCD cameras
  • Bacteria transformation kitse.g. Chemostats
  • Colorimeterse.g. Colorimeters
  • Gas detectorse.g. Combustible gas meters
  • Conductivity meterse.g. Conductivity meters
  • Permeability testing apparatuse.g. Consolidometers
  • Engineering and TechnologyKnowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • ChemistryKnowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Building and ConstructionKnowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • DesignKnowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • MechanicalKnowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • PhysicsKnowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Economics and AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.