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What does a natural resource manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Helen Mango Ph.D.

A natural resource manager oversees projects involving land use and environmental conservation. In this capacity they are responsible for planning and organizing project responsibilities and resources to ensure a project is done on time and within its budget. They are expected to sustain relationships with clients and project teams, define a project's scope, ensure contractual obligations are met, and ensure the project meets government guidelines and regulations.

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Natural resource manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real natural resource manager resumes:

  • Manage Sharepoint site; develop administrative processes and procedures to facilitate more efficient and effective operations.
  • Manage operations and logistics, coordinating transportation of personnel, equipment, and supplies to ensure on-time arrival/departure.
  • Work with GIS and GPS software to create maps for presentations to leaseholders and government officials.
  • Work closely with project managers to ensure the QA budgets stay on track throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Joint staff representative to DoD efforts to transform financial management business processes.
  • Review, consult and work with reclamation district representatives or their contractors when performing field geotechnical studies and/or geophysical measurements.
  • Utilize computer billing software for Medicaid billable services.

Natural resource manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of Natural Resource Managers are proficient in Business Development, GIS, and Management Plans. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Physical stamina, and Analytical skills.

We break down the percentage of Natural Resource Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Business Development, 13%

    Worked with Business Development Managers to define job roles and responsibilities and to identify qualified candidates to present to client hiring managers

  • GIS, 12%

    Utilized GIS and Arc View for recording and mapping endangered species and sensitive habitats.

  • Management Plans, 12%

    Created management plans for Lyman Woods and Belmont Prairie.

  • Federal Agencies, 8%

    Coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies on NEPA requirements for cell towers.

  • Natural Resource Management, 7%

    Revised natural resource management plan.

  • Environmental Policy, 6%

    Reviewed proposed projects for potential impacts to natural resources to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

Most natural resource managers use their skills in "business development," "gis," and "management plans" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential natural resource manager responsibilities here:

Management skills. One of the key soft skills for a natural resource manager to have is management skills. You can see how this relates to what natural resource managers do because "conservation scientists and foresters must be able to lead the forest and conservation workers and technicians they supervise." Additionally, a natural resource manager resume shows how natural resource managers use management skills: "acted as the agency expert for the hazardous waste management activities of fsa and ccc's former grain storage sites. "

Physical stamina. Another essential skill to perform natural resource manager duties is physical stamina. Natural resource managers responsibilities require that "conservation scientists and foresters may walk long distances in challenging terrain, such as steep or wooded areas, and may work in all kinds of weather conditions." Natural resource managers also use physical stamina in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained flight crew training qualifications and physical requirements in aviation resource management system (arms). "

Analytical skills. natural resource managers are also known for analytical skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to natural resource manager responsibilities, because "conservation scientists and foresters must be able to evaluate results from field tests and experiments to determine potential impacts on soil, forest lands, and the spread of fires." A natural resource manager resume example shows how analytical skills is used in the workplace: "developed projects and coordinated student research to establish longitudinal data collection in the preserve. "

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in natural resource manager job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what natural resource managers do. Natural resource manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "conservation scientists and foresters must convey information to firefighters, forest and conservation workers, landowners, and, sometimes, the public." You can also see how natural resource manager duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "created and maintain the office web page and facebook social media communications pages. "

Most common natural resource manager skills

The three companies that hire the most natural resource managers are:

Compare different natural resource managers

Natural resource manager vs. Generalist

A generalist, also known as a human resource generalist, is responsible for overseeing the operations in a human resource department, focusing on employees' welfare and working conditions. They are primarily involved in the hiring and laying off processes among employees, handing training and benefits programs, and coordinating with every department in the company. Furthermore, a generalist must perform administrative tasks that mostly revolve around producing reports and processing paperwork, conducting research and analysis, and responding to correspondence.

The annual salary of generalists is $25,945 lower than the average salary of natural resource managers.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a natural resource manager are more likely to require skills like "business development," "gis," "management plans," and "federal agencies." On the other hand, a job as a generalist requires skills like "sales floor," "store sales," "customer loyalty," and "sales growth." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Generalists earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $53,008. On the other hand, natural resource managers are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $82,077.generalists tend to reach lower levels of education than natural resource managers. In fact, generalists are 8.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Natural resource manager vs. Office manager of human resources

Primarily, an office manager of human resources (HR) performs tasks in various HR functional areas, including employee recruitment, employee relations, and performance management. As the HR office manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the human resource department and office functions. Your duties and responsibilities may include administering HR plans and procedures, managing the administration of employee benefits, conducting recruitment efforts, and maintaining compliance with federal and state labor laws and regulations. You are also expected to provide recommendations for new policies and procedures and participate in department projects as required.

On average, office managers of human resources earn a $522 higher salary than natural resource managers a year.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that natural resource manager responsibilities requires skills like "business development," "gis," "management plans," and "federal agencies." But an office manager of human resources might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "office procedures," "human resources," "customer service," and "financial statements."

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Office managers of human resources tend to reach lower levels of education than natural resource managers. In fact, they're 9.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for natural resource managers in the next 3-5 years?

Helen Mango Ph.D.

Professor of Geology and Chemistry, Castleton University

Anything with GIS.

Natural resource manager vs. Director of human resources

A human resources director is responsible for managing the overall operations of the human resources department, ensuring smooth operations while meeting the company's goals of successful profitability and services. Human resources directors' duties include providing staff consultation, addressing staffing concerns, managing compensation and benefits plans, reviewing plans for training and development programs, and reporting future actions to the management. A human resources director must have excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to help lead the business to its growth and development.

On average scale, directors of human resources bring in higher salaries than natural resource managers. In fact, they earn a $28,138 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on natural resource managers and directors of human resources resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "oversight," "professional development," and "federal regulations.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, natural resource managers are more likely to have skills like "business development," "gis," "management plans," and "federal agencies." But a director of human resources is more likely to have skills like "performance management," "hris," "employee engagement," and "payroll processing."

Directors of human resources earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $105,626. Comparatively, natural resource managers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $82,077.Most directors of human resources achieve a similar degree level compared to natural resource managers. For example, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Natural resource manager vs. Human resources vice president

Human resources (HR) vice presidents play a vital role in the effective administration and operation of an organization's HR department. These executives are responsible for directing an organization's staffing goals and developing strategies to support the company's profitable and productive business operations. HR vice presidents also perform other duties and responsibilities, including planning payroll and employee benefits, facilitating the enforcement of standardized HR processes, and recommending new measures for employee performance evaluations. The skills and qualifications for this position include previous experience as an HR director, strong leadership skills, and in-depth knowledge of HR processes.

Human resources vice presidents typically earn higher pay than natural resource managers. On average, human resources vice presidents earn a $97,184 higher salary per year.While both natural resource managers and human resources vice presidents complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like business development, oversight, and professional development, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "gis," "management plans," "federal agencies," and "natural resource management" are skills that commonly show up on natural resource manager resumes. On the other hand, human resources vice presidents use skills like employee engagement, succession planning, hris, and payroll on their resumes.The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for human resources vice presidents, with average annual pay of $178,898. Comparatively, the highest natural resource manager annual salary comes from the technology industry.human resources vice presidents reach similar levels of education compared to natural resource managers, in general. The difference is that they're 2.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of natural resource manager

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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