Environmental engineer

Environmental engineers are involved in managing and reducing waste and minimising pollution in order to protect, restore and preserve the planet

You'll use your background in science and engineering to provide a healthy environment for the world's population by disposing of waste, providing safe drinking water, controlling environmental hazards, improving recycling and decreasing soil, water and air pollution.

Job titles vary, depending on the sector you work in and your employer, but may include:

• energy/renewable energy engineer
• geo-environmental engineer
• safety and environmental engineer
• sustainability engineer
• civil environmental engineer
• public health engineer.

Types of environmental engineering

You'll be concerned with issues such as climate change, drought, population growth, urbanisation, pollution, deforestation and the energy crisis. Your work may cover specific areas, such as:

• disposal of waste products such as water and plastics, particularly high-volume industrial waste
• environmental compliance - ensuring minimal environmental impact from spills or emissions
• flood risk and drainage
• infrastructure and development
• management of pollutants that can harm the natural environment
• recovery and cleansing of land which has been damaged, for example by mining, landfill or farming (site remediation)
• developing renewable energy resources
• water supply and sanitation.

Responsibilities

As an environmental engineer, you'll need to:

• gather data from a range of sources through site assessments, environmental monitoring and third party reports
• evaluate the environmental impact of the project, hazard or commercial operation
• write up and present findings, costings, and health and safety plans
• make recommendations on the containment, clean-up process, remediation, recycling and waste disposal, in order to fix environmental issues
• design, develop and implement technical solutions and processes to minimise the risk of any adverse impacts on the environment
• create plans to protect and restore the environment by removing contaminants from water, air and land
• develop site-specific health and safety protocols such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading and transporting raw materials
• provide advice about preventing future difficulties
• implement, manage and supervise the day-to-day tasks of construction and remediation schemes
• communicate with sensitive stakeholders such as local residents in order to minimise the impacts of projects on the community
• regularly liaise with clients and local authorities relating to planning aspects of projects
• provide advice to and work alongside other professionals, such as environmental scientists, planners, construction workers, lawyers and landowners to address environmental problems and promote environmental sustainability
• be familiar with current environmental laws, regulations and guidance.

Salary

• Starting salaries for environmental engineers are typically between £20,000 and £28,000, depending on your experience.
• With experience this can increase to between £30,000 and £45,000.
• Salaries for senior engineers, project engineering managers or chartered engineers typically range from £40,000 to £65,000 or more.

Salaries vary depending on a range of factors including the size and type of organisation you work for, your location, skills and experience, and whether you have chartership.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are usually 35 to 40 per week. You may need to work extra hours in the case of environmental emergencies or to meet project deadlines.

There may be opportunities for hybrid work.

What to expect

• Work is split between on site and the office. Site work is carried out regardless of the time of year, or the weather. Bringing your expertise from the field to the office is a key part of the role, and you'll be expected to present your ideas, recommendations and costings to clients and other stakeholders.
• An increasing focus on environmental management globally means that jobs are available throughout the UK and abroad. Self-employment and freelance work are possible for experienced engineers.
• You may have to overcome difficulties because of legislation, health and safety or other unexpected issues. This will add variety to the role but may make it challenging at times.
• Women are currently underrepresented within chartered engineering, although there are initiatives in place to try and encourage more women into the industry, such as WISE and Women's Engineering Society (WES).
• You'll be expected to travel to site regularly, which may require early starts or overnight stays, or sometimes longer, perhaps weeks or even months, depending on the project.

Qualifications

Engineering degrees are highly relevant for this area of work. Relevant engineering subjects include:

• chemical engineering
• civil engineering
• environmental engineering
• marine engineering
• mechanical engineering
• process engineering.

However, you don't always need to have studied an engineering subject to become an environmental engineer. You may have studied another subject that has relevance, such as a physical science or an environmental discipline. Subjects may include:

• chemistry
• environmental science
• geology/engineering geology
• geoscience
• geotechnical engineering
• maths
• physics.

It may also be possible to move into environmental engineering from other related occupations, such as environmental consultancy or sustainability.

Graduate schemes are offered by some large employers in areas such as engineering and construction.

Alternatively, you could take a Level 6 Environmental Practitioner degree apprenticeship, which combines paid work with part-time study for a degree. Find out more about environmental apprenticeships from the Society for the Environment (SocEnv).

Although you don't usually need a postgraduate qualification, a Masters degree in areas such as environmental monitoring, engineering geology or environmental science and engineering may make you more attractive to employers.

Search for postgraduate courses in environmental engineering.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• analytical skills for collecting, interpreting and manipulating scientific data
• report writing skills and the ability to interpret reports written by other people
• excellent communication skills, for discussing problems with other professionals
• time management skills and the ability to work under pressure and to strict project deadlines
• attention to detail
• an innovative and proactive approach to work
• organisation skills to manage all the different phases of a project
• the ability to work with people from a range of disciplines and to collaborate towards a common goal
• creative problem-solving skills and a natural curiosity
• the confidence to ask questions and challenge the norm.

You will usually need a clean driving licence.

Work experience

Some engineering degrees include a year out in industry, where you can develop your practical skills by working for an engineering company on an environmental engineering project. You will also be able to build a network of contacts that may be helpful when looking for graduate jobs.

Alternatively, you could do a summer internship or work placement. These are advertised by the larger engineering companies, or you could approach a smaller firm speculatively with a targeted CV.

Work experience with an environmental engineering organisation is valuable but any experience in the environmental sector will be welcomed by employers. You could focus on finding environmental volunteering opportunities with charities, wildlife trusts or national parks, which is relatively widespread and easy to find.

Alternatively, you could approach organisations with an interest in environmental impact management, such as engineering consultancies, construction firms, environmental consultancies, waste companies, land remediation organisations, defence companies and airlines.

Target organisations that specialise in the particular types of environmental issue you are interested in and approach them for work experience opportunities, vacation placements or a year in industry. Joining an environmental society at university may also be helpful.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Environmental engineers are employed within the private and public sector and work in companies and organisations of all sizes across a range of sectors, including:

• central government departments and executive agencies like the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• construction
• defence
• energy and utilities
• engineering
• environmental consultancy
• industrial processing
• land and property development
• local authorities
• manufacturing
• mining.

Many large engineering and construction organisations offer graduate entry schemes. Opportunities also exist in some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Look for job vacancies at:

• GreenJobs
• ICE Recruit
• Just Engineers
• SocEnv - current vacancies and opportunities

Jobs are also advertised in the national press, on company websites and on LinkedIn.

Recruitment agencies also advertise vacancies.

Professional development

Many organisations offer training once you begin working, which will be linked to the specific area of environmental engineering you have chosen.

You may receive training in areas such as:

• climatic environmental testing
• Phase 1 and Phase 2 Site Investigation reports
• Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and other environmental assessment methodologies
• creating Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) and Construction Environmental Control Plans (CECP).

Once working as an environmental engineer, you could consider starting on the path to chartership, but your options will depend on your degree discipline. For example, if you're an engineering graduate you could investigate gaining chartered engineer status (CEng) with a professional society such as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), or if you have a geological degree you could pursue chartered geologist (CGeol) or chartered scientist (CSci) status with The Geological Society.

Alternatively, you could become a chartered environmentalist (CEnv) through SocEnv. This internationally-recognised qualification is awarded to a range of environmental professionals, whose work has a strong focus on sustainability and environmental issues.

Some employers will offer opportunities to study for a part-time MSc in a relevant subject.

Career prospects

As you gain experience on a range of projects, you can take on more responsibility and move onto more complex projects. You may have more freedom to implement your own solutions and create your own designs. Experiencing a range of projects and devising successful solutions can open opportunities for you to progress.

You may choose to specialise in a particular field of environmental engineering such as land reclamation or pollution control.

Alternatively, you could choose to go down a management route and supervise other engineers or technicians, or manage entire projects. If leadership appeals to you, you could aim for an executive position within an organisation.

Your career prospects will be enhanced by gaining chartered status and some employers will request chartership for senior/principal engineer roles. Chartership is proof that you've met a high standard of experience and knowledge in the engineering profession.

With considerable experience you may be able to work in a freelance capacity, offering your technical skills and knowledge to a range of clients, or start up your own environmental engineering consultancy.