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Senior environmental scientist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Becky A. Ball,
Dr. Eban Goodstein
Senior environmental scientist example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior environmental scientist skills. We ranked the top skills for senior environmental scientists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 6.5% of senior environmental scientist resumes contained environmental compliance as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior environmental scientist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior environmental scientist skills for your resume and career

1. 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 senior environmental scientists use environmental compliance:
  • Developed environmental compliance audit protocols for use during industrial facility audits and trained staff on their applicability.
  • Managed environmental compliance within North America locations for a midstream oil and gas compression services company.

2. 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 senior environmental scientists use oversight:
  • Provide oversight for Cooling Canal System algae mitigation projects to ensure safety while maintaining regulatory compliance.
  • Directed environmental consultants and contractors, as well as oversight of third-party liabilities.

3. Project Management

Here's how senior environmental scientists use project management:
  • Served as Technical Manager, providing regulatory review and concurrency support and project management on all aspects of environmental regulatory issues.
  • Project Management of Exposure Modeling Program to generate EEC values used in deterministic and probabilistic risk assessments.

4. 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 senior environmental scientists 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.

5. Environmental Regulations

Here's how senior environmental scientists use environmental regulations:
  • Developed and planed the technical phases of environmental projects; ensured that city operations comply with applicable environmental regulations.
  • Supported EMS policy development to ensure uniformity with federal, state, and local government environmental regulations.

6. OSHA

Here's how senior environmental scientists use osha:
  • Assessed testing sites utilizing all OSHA regulations to identify potential hazards.
  • Conducted compliance audits for RCRA, OSHA, and internal Health and Safety requirements for commercial and industrial clients.

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7. 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 senior environmental scientists use environmental issues:
  • Advised management concerning technical aspects of environmental issues and wrote, implemented and trained workforce on environmental procedures.
  • Developed lesson plans and conducted training to personnel on health and environmental issues.

8. 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 senior environmental scientists use data collection:
  • Mentored entry-level staff on environmental policy and data collection.
  • Conducted regulatory development research, monitoring data collection, and participation in state, federal, local workgroups, etc

9. Regulatory Compliance

Here's how senior environmental scientists use regulatory compliance:
  • Reviewed environmental plans and procedures to operate the plant within the regulatory approved permit and within regulatory compliance.
  • Provided design review for hazardous material and hazardous waste management projects, annual reporting and regulatory compliance activities.

10. 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 senior environmental scientists use business development:
  • Managed a team of twelve environmental scientists and ecologists with a heavy focus on business development and operations control.
  • Provided sound regulatory and technical guidance to management, operations, business development and engineering.

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 senior environmental scientists use epa:
  • Major accomplishments: o Influenced implementation of new guidelines for assessment of remediation technology maturity by EPA.
  • Developed and managed equipment handling training seminars for EPA personnel.

12. Renewable Energy

Here's how senior environmental scientists use renewable energy:
  • Prepared policy briefs on recommendations for renewable energy adoption in Middle East countries.
  • Prepare reports on energy policies, procedures and programs including the Town'spreparation and adoption of 100% renewable energy goals.

13. 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 senior environmental scientists use technical reports:
  • Prepared technical reports and recommendations regarding findings; prepare detailed correspondence and directives to businesses and individuals regarding results as necessary.
  • Research and review deeds, ordinances, technical reports, municipal, state and federal codes to ensure compliance.

14. 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 senior environmental scientists use gis:
  • Provided GIS mapping support for wetland delineations, restoration projects, biological and cultural surveys, and pipeline routing.
  • Developed and wrote technical white paper for the Kentucky Limestone Investigation using GIS spatial analysis and mapping.

15. GPS

GPS stands from Global Positioning System. It is a navigation system comprising of satellites that helps in determining the location, velocity, and synchronize time data for different modes of travel like air, sea, or land.

Here's how senior environmental scientists use gps:
  • Used Tremble GPS units to record information such as wetlands, streams, and well pads while doing field reconnaissance.
  • Gained survey experience, utilizing Trimble GPS hand-held unit.POSTGRADUATE EXPERIENCE
top-skills

What skills help Senior Environmental Scientists find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on senior environmental 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 senior environmental scientists possess?

Dr. Eban Goodstein

Director, Bard College

Networking.

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

Dr. Eban Goodstein

Director, Bard College

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

What senior environmental 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 senior environmental scientists 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 a senior environmental 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 senior environmental scientist skills to add to your resume

Senior environmental scientist skills

The most important skills for a senior environmental scientist resume and required skills for a senior environmental scientist to have include:

  • Environmental Compliance
  • Oversight
  • Project Management
  • Regulatory Agencies
  • Environmental Regulations
  • OSHA
  • Environmental Issues
  • Data Collection
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Business Development
  • EPA
  • Renewable Energy
  • Technical Reports
  • GIS
  • GPS
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Air Quality
  • Due Diligence
  • Water ACT
  • Environmental Policy
  • Environmental Projects
  • RCRA
  • Environmental Programs
  • Storm Water
  • Technical Support
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Natural Resources
  • SPCC
  • Waste Management
  • EHS
  • Water Quality
  • Pollution Prevention
  • Air Emissions
  • Management System
  • Emergency Response
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • SWPPP
  • Oil Gas
  • Environmental Impact Assessments
  • Title V
  • Cost Estimates
  • Surface Water
  • NPDES
  • USACE
  • DOD
  • Corrective Action
  • Site Investigations
  • Environmental Site Assessments
  • ISO
  • State Agencies

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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