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Environmental engineer/scientist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Becky A. Ball,
Dr. Pascale Biron Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical environmental engineer/scientist skills. We ranked the top skills for environmental engineers/scientist based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.1% of environmental engineer/scientist resumes contained osha as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an environmental engineer/scientist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 environmental engineer/scientist skills for your resume and career

1. OSHA

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use osha:
  • Developed and implemented a configuration management program for company documents required by both OSHA and EPA risk assessment regulations.
  • Develop environmental and safety audits on facilities in Honduras and Nicaragua regarding local laws and OSHA restrictions.

2. Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineering is a professional discipline in engineering that is concerned with developing solutions to environmental problems and protecting humans from adverse environmental effects of all kinds including supply of water, waste disposal, and environmental pollution to save human lives and improve environmental quality.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use environmental engineering:
  • Moved to environmental engineering and managed air emissions work with contractors as well as performing individual contributor work.
  • Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental engineering.

3. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use oversight:
  • Conducted personnel oversight and supervision.
  • Clean Air Act (CAA) - Oversight of CAA permitting and regulatory reporting activities.

4. EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a US-based organization established to sustain and improve the environmental and human health standards across the United States. EPA was established by US President Richard Nixon by executive order in December 1970. The EPA formulates laws and releases guidelines to promote the health of individuals and the ecosystem.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use epa:
  • Developed desk reference for EPA s National Exposure Research Laboratory to help researchers communicate environmental research to the public more effectively.
  • Assisted in development of work plans and provided assistance to EPA for subsequent remediation of contaminated sites and abandoned industrial facilities.

5. Groundwater

Groundwater refers to the water that exists underground in highly saturated zones beneath the surface of the earth. Groundwater contributes water to rivers and lakes as baseflow.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use groundwater:
  • Performed environmental sampling for analysis and regulatory requirements including groundwater, soil, sediment, air and hazardous waste.
  • Assist with groundwater monitoring, groundwater monitoring well installation, low flow monitoring and affiliated reporting.

6. Air Quality

Air quality is the science branch that deals with providing solutions to environmental contamination issues by exploring the universe. It involves ecological risk assessment, detecting climate change, and controlling waste disposal to ensure ecological sustainability.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use air quality:
  • Obtained air quality construction and operating permits from state and local regulating agencies by forging and maintaining relationships with agency representatives.
  • Managed air quality compliance issues, compiled operational and emissions data for regulatory reports, and oversaw preparations for regulatory inspections.

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7. Data Analysis

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use data analysis:
  • Reviewed and deliberated newly engineered combat crafts and recommended future design improvements based on data analysis and visual assessments.
  • Developed an assessment methodology using data analysis of a noninvasive evaluation that initiated a pipeline capital improvement program.

8. Hazardous Materials

Any substance or good that is harmful to human health as well as the environment are called hazardous materials. Such materials must be handled carefully to avoid any mishaps. Harmful gases. chemicals, strong medicines or drugs, radioactive elements required for radiation purposes, a human blood sample that carries germs, all of these are considered hazardous materials.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use hazardous materials:
  • Managed hazardous materials and hazardous waste for specific site activities.
  • Trained and certified by the California Specialized Institute as a first emergency hazardous materials responder (HAZMAT).

9. Site Assessments

Site assessments are preliminary procedures carried out on a site to assess and determine if there are any elements underground that may be harmful to humans or the environment before the site is used. Site assessment is necessary before any structure is laid on the site to avoid the future risk of collapse that may also claim lives.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use site assessments:
  • Prepared site assessment and investigation reports.
  • Performed environmental site assessments of retail gasoline station sites (Texaco, Shell) in MA, NH and RI.

10. GIS

A geographic information system (GIS) is a tool for capturing, storing, manipulating, analyzing, managing and presenting various forms of geographic data.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use gis:
  • Utilized GIS software to calculate environmental impacts for linear construction utility projects as well as substation construction projects.
  • Used GIS to determine site feasibility including proximity to electric and communication lines and natural resource constraints.

11. Environmental Regulations

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use environmental regulations:
  • Conduct used oil management audits to ensure client compliance with federal and state environmental regulations.
  • Conducted and/or directed enforcement of both City and State Environmental Regulations.

12. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use data collection:
  • Calibrated and maintained multiple portable monitoring instruments used in data collection that is utilized to assess the remediation system's effectiveness.
  • Performed data collection and analysis and prepared technical reports for ecological and water resource studies, environmental assessments and permit applications.

13. Regulatory Agencies

A regulatory agency is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) that is responsible for supervising certain human activities and controlling them to some extent. They are set up in some areas such as hospitals, law firms, and governmental setup to regulate safety standards. They prevent undue and unjust abuse of power in these setups.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use regulatory agencies:
  • Prepared responses and presentations to various regulatory agencies regarding NOV's, future projects and company position on proposed regulatory policies.
  • Conducted data validation and met with regulatory agencies regarding the applicability of data into the National Environmental Policy Act decision-making process.

14. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use technical support:
  • Provided technical support in air pollution controls for manufacturing, and research and development.
  • Helped increase equipment availability factor by responding to emergent issues and providing technical support to safely meet outages schedules.

15. Data Management

The administrative process that involves collecting and keeping the data safely and cost-effectively is called data management. Data management is a growing field as companies rely on it to store their intangible assets securely to create value. Efficient data management helps a company use the data to make better business decisions.

Here's how environmental engineers/scientist use data management:
  • Participated as a professional member of a research team conducting supervisory data management, program support and technical assistance.
  • Streamlined data management process resulting in significantly increased data processing speed, organization and quality control
top-skills

What skills help Environmental Engineers/Scientist find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on environmental engineer/scientist resumes?

Dr. Becky A. Ball

Associate Professor, School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences Senior Sustainability Scientist, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University

The environmental field is very broad, so the skills that stand out best depend on the career field, but in general, the skills I see most frequently listed on job ads are skills in geographic spatial analysis (GIS), statistical analyses and data handling, hands-on experience with field techniques for working with plants and wildlife, and experience with NEPA and other related environmental regulations. (That's why we have built all of these skills directly into our Environmental Science degree coursework!)

What soft skills should all environmental engineer/scientists possess?

Dr. Pascale Biron Ph.D.

Professor, Concordia University

Critical thinking skills to:
- understand the underlying processes relevant to environmental and sustainability sciences
- acquire and interpret analytical data
- understand physical processes of our planet and interpret data related to climate change and sustainable environmental management
- assess the situation within a given ecosystem in an integrated fashion

What hard/technical skills are most important for environmental engineer/scientists?

Dr. Pascale Biron Ph.D.

Professor, Concordia University

- Geographical Information Systems, remote sensing, and geospatial data analysis
- Statistics
- Computer programming

What environmental engineer/scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Neal O'Reilly Ph.D.Neal O'Reilly Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Within the federal government agencies, like the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forestry Service, National Parks, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey, and many state agencies such as the state's Departments of Natural Resources, there are many people of retirement age that will be leaving in the next few years. These retirements will open a lot of opportunities for qualified graduates. I believe that jobs will be available in all regions of the country. The key will be for graduates to build their resume, through internships and volunteer opportunities, to show they have the skills for these positions.

What type of skills will young environmental engineer/scientists need?

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.Dennis Doverspike Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Chief People Scientist, Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse

Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.

What technical skills for an environmental engineer/scientist stand out to employers?

Carl RosenCarl Rosen LinkedIn profile

Professor and Department Head, University of Minnesota

A basic understanding of soil science and plant science is important. However many employers also indicate that an understanding of fundamental sciences, such as physics and chemistry and basic skills in math are also important. Some employers (mostly large industry) also would like the students to have experience abroad - the ability to understand and communicate across cultures. Most employers also desire various professional skills - good verbal and written communication, good work habits and work ethic, and ability to be creative and problem solve.

List of environmental engineer/scientist skills to add to your resume

Environmental engineer/scientist skills

The most important skills for an environmental engineer/scientist resume and required skills for an environmental engineer/scientist to have include:

  • OSHA
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Oversight
  • EPA
  • Groundwater
  • Air Quality
  • Data Analysis
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Site Assessments
  • GIS
  • Environmental Regulations
  • Data Collection
  • Regulatory Agencies
  • Technical Support
  • Data Management
  • NPDES
  • Environmental Projects
  • Emergency Response
  • Waste Management
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • EHS
  • Management Plans
  • Cost Estimates
  • Surface Water
  • CAD
  • DOD
  • Phase II
  • Geotechnical
  • Air Pollution
  • CERCLA
  • RCRA
  • Countermeasure
  • R
  • Analytical Laboratory
  • Water Treatment

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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