Environmental Manager

Urbanisation continues to intensify across cities of the world. This increases the demand for housing, infrastructure, transport, urban green spaces, consumer goods and adds a significant burden on waste and air quality management as some examples. Effective environmental planning and management is needed to create sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities. Environmental management has a key role to play in assessing, advising and guiding sustainable urban development, as well as supporting both urban and rural conservation and environmental planning.

Environmental managers plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate the development and implementation of environmental management systems for private, public and civic organisations. They identify and develop opportunities to alleviate environmental challenges in compliance with environmental legislation and ensure corporate sustainability. They also undertake environmental impact assessments and audits and develop and monitor environmental and sustainability initiatives.

Environmental managers oversee teams of technical, scientific and engineering staff. They can work between office environments analysing organisational processes and perform site visits to audit and observe organisational processes and performance.

Skills

Environmental managers require experience in implementing organisational environmental systems and a solid understanding of environmental impact, management, laws and regulations, coupled with:

  • Extensive research capability
  • Advanced data analysis and analytical thinking ability
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills

Tasks

Monitor, evaluate and report on an organisation’s environmental performance

Plan, direct and coordinate environmental services and related work activities

Manage budgets, control expenditure to ensure efficient use of resources

Oversee the selection, training and performance of staff

Studies

B.Sc., B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. in Environmental Management at UFS, UJ, UNISA and UP

B.Sc., B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. in Environmental Science at NMU, RU, UCT, UJ, UKZN, UMP, UP, UWC and Wits

Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Environmental Management at CPUT

Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Environmental Science at TUT

Employers

National, provincial and local government.

Production and manufacturing companies.

Conservation and environmental organisations

Power generation utilities.

Private consultancies.

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