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Environmental project manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Dominic Chaloner Ph.D.,

Logan Brenner Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical environmental project manager skills. We ranked the top skills for environmental project managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.8% of environmental project manager resumes contained project management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an environmental project manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 environmental project manager skills for your resume and career

1. Project Management

Here's how environmental project managers use project management:

Served as technical and project management supervisor of junior personnel including field geologists performing subsurface exploration tasks.
Completed requirements to become a Certified Wetland Scientist, and further developed project management skills.

2. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how environmental project managers use business development:

Supported business development with proposal preparation, technical support, cost estimates, and negotiations.
Conducted business development and marketed environmental services to agencies, municipalities, industry and others.

3. Renewable Energy

Here's how environmental project managers use renewable energy:

Company liason for renewable energy clients for Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

4. Environmental Projects

Environmental Projects are projects designed to promote the sanity and health of the environment rather than jeopardize it. Environmental Projects include planting trees, growing gardens, cleaning up the markets, beaches, environment enlightenment campaigns, street cleanups, general sanitation, and many more. These projects are often initiated by the government and non-governmental organizations with a passion for the environment.

Here's how environmental project managers use environmental projects:

Developed and implemented complex environmental projects while managing environmental reserves (approximately $50 million over 10 years).
Required to work as a project manager on various environmental projects such as environmental restoration and emergency response.

5. Environmental Compliance

Environmental compliance means to fulfill official environmental requirements. It comprises environmental rules, laws, and regulations, and permits regarding which sites to operate. Environmental concerns have raised compliances across the globe. Environmental compliance includes managing and monitoring the required permits for correct parameters, performing and processing calculations, generate daily compliance reports, and record data with compliance to any risk alert

Here's how environmental project managers use environmental compliance:

Managed a variety of projects related to hazardous waste management, contamination assessments, site investigations, and environmental compliance.
Supported the response to environmental compliance issues, including accident/ incident investigation, agency requests and unscheduled incidents.

6. OSHA

Here's how environmental project managers use osha:

Characterize, segregate, package and transport customer waste in accordance with all EPA, DOT and OSHA regulations.
Analyzed occupational safety and health (OSHA) hazards and standards and developed methods of control.

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7. Technical Reports

Technical reports are a type of document that is used to indicate either the progress, result, or process of scientific research or the state of problems occurring within such research. A technical report may also showcase the report's overall conclusion and may also include recommendations. This kind of report does not require a peer review and isn't published officially but distributed within the organizations where it was formed.

Here's how environmental project managers use technical reports:

Conducted numerous Phase II Subsurface Investigations and technical reports involving planned new residential developments as well as commercial/industrial properties.
Prepared technical reports, supervised groundwater monitor well installations and other drilling operations during Phase II procedures.

8. 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 project managers use regulatory agencies:

Conducted Phase I Environmental Site Assessments incorporating information from local and state regulatory agencies and historical sources to analyze environmental impacts
Insured that contract manager, facility and regulatory agencies comments and concerns were addressed/incorporated into the plans.

9. Environmental Regulations

Here's how environmental project managers use environmental regulations:

Traveled domestically and internationally to study remediation technology and environmental regulations.
Managed campus-wide environmental regulations at fourth largest national university, focusing on federal, state and city regulatory programs.

10. 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 project managers use oversight:

Performed asbestos surveys, abatement specifications, abatement oversight, lead-based paint surveys for commercial and industrial facilities.
Conducted soil & groundwater sampling and excavation/remediation oversight, transport-manifest-disposal at appropriate facilities.

11. 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 project managers use epa:

Developed assessment and remediation reports for underground storage tank incidents to ensure compliance with EPA regulations.
Performed chemical storage site inspection in collaboration with County and Federal EPA personnel.

12. Due Diligence

Due diligence refers to the process of auditing, investigating, or reviewing done to confirm the authenticity of relevant facts. In addition to this, it also refers to the evaluation of a party's financial records to determine whether one should enter into a transaction with the said party or not.

Here's how environmental project managers use due diligence:

Completed due diligence site assessments to determine the likelihood of contamination and other environmental impairments and recommended appropriate courses of action.
Performed due diligence environmental assessments and audits of industrial, commercial, and undeveloped properties for lending institutions and potential purchasers.

13. 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 project managers use gis:

Prepared GIS maps for customers regarding property development, site investigations and tidelands.
Managed work schedules for 3-4 field crews, as well as assigned work for CAD and GIS technicians.

14. Cost Estimates

Here's how environmental project managers use cost estimates:

Developed cost estimates and technical proposals for commercial and environmental remediation projects for private and public sector customers throughout Ohio.
Prepared cost estimates for excavation and below grade demolition.

15. Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural mineral that is resistant to heat, fire, water, and chemicals. It's mostly used as an insulator in buildings and used mostly as a roofing sheet due to its strong heat and fire-resistant properties. It's made up of heat -resistant fibers which gives it its unique properties. Asbestos is common in the roofing industry more than in any other sector.

Here's how environmental project managers use asbestos:

Assisted with lead based paint and asbestos HAZMAT risk-assessment/inspections and water/air quality sampling and testing for laboratory analysis.
Assist Industrial Hygiene Team in taking asbestos samples during environmental assessments of Maryland State Highway Agency Maintenance facilities.

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What skills help Environmental Project Managers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on environmental project manager resumes?

Dominic Chaloner Ph.D.

Associate Teaching Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Environmental Sciences Major, University of Notre Dame

Familiarity with remote sensing and other similar approaches and techniques to generate data efficiently and rapidly; coding to wrangle big datasets into a form that they can be used, and then modeling to make projections using those datasets.

What soft skills should all environmental project managers possess?

Logan Brenner Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Environmental Science, Barnard College

It is rare that someone will solve a problem, answer a research question, or make a discovery on their own. As is the case in many science fields, collaboration is key, so working in a team is critical. To do this effectively, you must collaborate with people who may have different work styles than you, be comfortable with delegation and self-assigning responsibilities, communicate and resolve conflict, know when to be a leader, and follow someone else's lead, and manage your time. From an environmental science perspective, our world is becoming ever more complex, and the best way to address complex problems is with a group of diverse minds. We need to have an open mind, start approaching problems creatively, and consider the value of having varied educational and professional training and multiple perspectives.

Your science will mean little and have minimal impact if you can't explain it to anyone who asks. As an environmental scientist, you will undoubtedly have to communicate your work to varied audiences ranging from professionals in your field to the general public. Therefore, you need to recognize your audiences and meet them at their level to get your ideas across. What is most impressive is not a lecture full of unnecessary jargon that obscures your point but instead a few succinct and eloquent sentences using universally understood language.

What hard/technical skills are most important for environmental project managers?

Logan Brenner Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Environmental Science, Barnard College

Keep in mind the field of environmental science is quite broad, and so the hard or technical skills that are necessary for one specialty may be less important in another. Being able to code and work with big data are two skills that are becoming more important each day. Try to become semi-proficient in at least one coding language, but you will likely have to learn another in the not-so-distant future. While math was never my favorite subject, I admit that many of my classes became relevant in my work. It is hard to know when in your career applying what you learned about partial derivatives will become necessary, but it will, and you will wish you paid better attention in Calculus Class (speaking from experience). Being able to model, often a combination of coding and math, is a complex but valuable skill. When applied, this could mean using or understanding climate models, groundwater flow, population growth, viral spread, or predictions of any kind. Being able to model is a powerful tool.

What environmental project manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Neal O'Reilly Ph.D.

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 project managers need?

Meghann Jarchow Ph.D.

Chair, Associate Professor, University of South Dakota

The field of sustainability is broad, and as such, there is a diversity of skillsets that can aid young graduates in finding that first job after graduation. There are many careers within sustainability where there is a growing demand for computer skills, such as programming and geospatial analysis. Environmental and social issues are incredibly complicated and require massive amounts of data to analyze, and computers are an essential tool to help understand these data. Strong interpersonal skills, including teamwork and written and oral communication, are incredibly crucial in other fields.

What technical skills for an environmental project manager stand out to employers?

Carl Rosen

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.

Do you want to know more?

List of environmental project manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an environmental project manager resume and required skills for an environmental project manager to have include:

Project Management
Business Development
Renewable Energy
Environmental Projects
Environmental Compliance
OSHA
Technical Reports
Regulatory Agencies
Environmental Regulations
Oversight
EPA
Due Diligence
GIS
Cost Estimates
Asbestos
Environmental Policy
Environmental Site Assessments

ASTM
Water ACT
RCRA
Oil Gas
Environmental Issues
Hazardous Waste
USACE
Remediation Projects
Proposal Preparation
Data Collection
Construction Management
Regulatory Compliance
Waste Management
Environmental Quality
CEQA
Water Quality
Air Quality

CERCLA
Geotechnical
Hazardous Materials
Project Budget
Risk Assessments
Phase II
Corrective Action
Surface Water
Site Investigations
Government Agencies
Army Corps
Technical Support
Federal Agencies
DOD
Environmental Remediation

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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