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Environmental specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Becky A. Ball,
Dr. Eban Goodstein
Environmental specialist example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical environmental specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for environmental specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.0% of environmental specialist resumes contained hazardous waste as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an environmental specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 environmental specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Hazardous Waste

Here's how environmental specialists use hazardous waste:
  • Performed environmental services for clients including chemical segregation, laboratory packing, and hazardous waste disposal, shipment, and inventory.
  • Administered and maintained environmental contracts with vendors used for transportation, recycling, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes.

2. 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 specialists use environmental compliance:
  • Provide support for the Environmental Management Information System (EMIS) database which tracks environmental compliance processes and sustainability metrics Company-wide.
  • Provided technical assistance to Program Managers and other personnel, state/tribal and local officials regarding FEMA's environmental compliance responsibilities.

3. 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 specialists use hazardous materials:
  • Identified and collected hazardous materials to prevent contamination of local aquifers and surrounding water table within Sarasota County.
  • Managed and administered environmental regulatory compliance projects of toxic and hazardous materials/waste and air and water quality.

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 specialists use epa:
  • Conducted environmental and safety due diligence on industrial facilities of clients to evaluate compliance with applicable OSHA safety guidelines and EPA regulations
  • Performed EPA Method 22 smoke inspections and maintained a good understanding of environmental regulatory requirements pertinent to field work.

5. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how environmental specialists use customer service:
  • Display excellent customer service throughout hospital especially while cleaning patient rooms.
  • Provide quality customer service to customers by providing attention to detail.

6. HAZWOPER

Here's how environmental specialists use hazwoper:
  • Certified in asbestos awareness, 16-Hour Operations and Maintenance Initial, and OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER.
  • Teach OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training course Continuing Education Dept., Miami University.

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7. RCRA

Here's how environmental specialists use rcra:
  • Provided guidance on appropriate mechanisms needed to demonstrate financial assurance for exposure liability and RCRA closure/post-closure costs.
  • Collected RCRA pharmaceutical waste and transported to accumulation areas within the facility.

8. Safety Regulations

Here's how environmental specialists use safety regulations:
  • Operate heavy machinery to sustain safety regulations and prevent damages to company products due to unauthorized manual handling of materials.
  • Conducted inspections and audits to ensure compliance with all local, company and federal environmental and safety regulations.

9. OSHA

Here's how environmental specialists use osha:
  • Perform training required for Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) certification, to include al associated documentation.
  • Monitored regulatory compliance of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Department of Transportation and OSHA.

10. Regulatory Compliance

Here's how environmental specialists use regulatory compliance:
  • Administered environmental regulatory compliance projects.
  • Traveled to customer sites throughout assigned regions to provide training and support on program guidelines to ensure regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction

11. 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 specialists use regulatory agencies:
  • Reviewed environmental documentation received from consultants and regulatory agencies to determine the environmental risks associated with collateral considered for securing loans.
  • Corresponded with regulatory agencies to provide appropriate documentation and to determine the requirements for permits and licenses.

12. Hazmat

Hazmat is a combination of the words ‘hazardous' and ‘material'. The meaning of this word is found in the integration of the aforementioned words -- which is dangerous or toxic material.

Here's how environmental specialists use hazmat:
  • Produced and trained site personnel on Universal Waste and empty HazMat container procedures.
  • Conduct HAZMAT emergency response operation for the US military in Northern Iraq.

13. Emergency Response

Here's how environmental specialists use emergency response:
  • Supervised an environmental emergency response team, responsible for containing, mitigating, and cleaning accidental chemical and petroleum spills.
  • Provide technical environmental and historic preservation expertise during the emergency response and recovery phases of disasters.

14. Government Agencies

Here's how environmental specialists use government agencies:
  • Coordinate with other government agencies and private organizations to develop and maintain plans and procedures to comply with the environmental requirements.
  • Provide technical assistance to regulated entities including industry, consultants, and government agencies to comply with environmental regulations.

15. Environmental Issues

Environmental issues refer to a number of harmful events and effects as a result of human activity. This includes pollution, deforestation, endangering specific species, and any other issue caused by humans. Environmental issues are commonly studied by environmental organizations and research laboratories, one side providing the scientific evidence of humans' harmful effects and the other promoting the research and studies.

Here's how environmental specialists use environmental issues:
  • Reviewed documents, gathered technical and scientific information, and prepared reports and correspondences related to diverse environmental issues.
  • Advised landowners and contractors on County environmental policies and environmental issues within a project site.
top-skills

What skills help Environmental Specialists find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on environmental specialist 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 specialists possess?

Dr. Eban Goodstein

Director, Bard College

Networking.

What hard/technical skills are most important for environmental specialists?

Dr. Eban Goodstein

Director, Bard College

Solid natural science background, esp ecology, and biogeochemical cycles.

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

Dr. Mike Mooring Ph.D.Dr. Mike Mooring Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor, Point Loma Nazarene University

The attached paper is an excellent resource to answer that question, but I would recommend that they get experience in any of the following nonacademic skills: written and oral communication, project management, leadership, and field biology skills for those careers in which that is important.

What type of skills will young environmental specialists need?

Meghann Jarchow Ph.D.Meghann Jarchow Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

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 specialist stand out to employers?

Dawn King Ph.D.Dawn King Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Faculty Fellow, Senior Lecturer, Director of Undergraduate Studies - Environmental Studies and Sciences, Brown University

I find that many technical skills can be taught, so employers often look for candidates with drive and those who can demonstrate they have good time management skills. Further, employers often ask me to speak to the candidate's ability to work well independently and as part of a team.

List of environmental specialist skills to add to your resume

Environmental specialist skills

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

  • Hazardous Waste
  • Environmental Compliance
  • Hazardous Materials
  • EPA
  • Customer Service
  • HAZWOPER
  • RCRA
  • Safety Regulations
  • OSHA
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Agencies
  • Hazmat
  • Emergency Response
  • Government Agencies
  • Environmental Issues
  • Water Quality
  • Management System
  • GIS
  • Project Management
  • Profiling
  • Air Quality
  • Environmental Programs
  • Data Collection
  • Public Health
  • SPCC
  • Pollution Prevention
  • GPS
  • EHS
  • ISO
  • Corrective Action
  • Federal Environmental Regulations
  • Technical Reports
  • Oil Gas
  • SWPPP
  • NPDES
  • Asbestos
  • Recovery ACT
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Title V
  • Technical Assistance
  • EMS
  • Environmental Laws
  • Water Samples
  • Water ACT
  • Construction Sites

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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