Auditor: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire an environmental manager?

An environmental manager oversees a company’s sustainability strategies and compliance with environmental regulations. They manage programs to reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, address environmental risks, and promote sustainable resource use, helping businesses operate responsibly while maintaining productivity.

Contributions of a great environmental manager:

• Development and implementation of sustainability initiatives for long-term environmental impact
• Compliance with environmental laws and standards, minimization of legal risks
• Reduced operational inefficiency, lower costs, and resource conservation

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance environmental manager

When hiring a full-time environmental manager or a freelance contractor, consider your business’s needs and long-term objectives. Freelance environmental managers are well-suited for short-term or project-based tasks, such as compliance audits, environmental impact assessments, or drafting temporary sustainability plans. This option offers cost savings and flexibility for businesses with limited ongoing needs. A full-time environmental manager can benefit companies requiring consistent oversight of sustainability initiatives, employee training, regular monitoring of regulatory compliance, or continuous development of environmental strategies.

They can build a stronger understanding of your operations and implement long-term improvements. A full-time manager improves internal collaboration and drives consistent progress toward sustainability goals. This approach can easily integrate into businesses with expansive or ongoing environmental objectives.

What are the different types of environmental managers?

Environmental managers operate in the public and private sectors, overseeing projects that reduce environmental impacts while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Their responsibilities typically include managing sustainability initiatives, fostering environmental awareness, engaging with communities, and driving corporate social responsibility programs. They frequently lead teams and train staff on ecological matters. To be effective in this role, environmental managers usually have a solid foundation in environmental issues and practical experience in managing complex projects, navigating legislation, and driving long-term sustainability strategies.

Common environmental manager roles include:

• Environmental compliance manager: This role focuses on ensuring businesses adhere to environmental laws and regulations, including managing audits and permits and ensuring compliance with standards like ISO 14001.
• Environmental health and safety manager: Responsible for monitoring workplace safety and ensuring compliance with environmental laws related to employee health, hazardous materials, and waste management.
• Sustainability manager: A sustainability manager develops and implements strategies for reducing a company’s environmental footprint, focusing on energy efficiency, and waste reduction, and promoting sustainability initiatives across operations.
• Environmental impact manager: This role focuses on assessing the environmental impact of a company’s activities, conducting environmental assessments, and recommending strategies to mitigate negative environmental effects.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager: Often linked to sustainability efforts, CSR managers focus on how a business can improve its social, environmental, and economic impacts on society, including community outreach and environmental stewardship.

Where to find environmental managers?

Environmental managers work across various sectors in Canada. You can find them in federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal government positions, as well as in conservation organizations, manufacturing, oil and gas, and forestry industries. Environmental consulting firms, non-profits, and NGOs also offer opportunities for professionals to manage sustainability and compliance projects.

To find the right environmental manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Industry events: Networking opportunities at conferences like CANECT (Canadian Environmental Conference and Tradeshow) can connect businesses with experienced environmental managers.
• Trade associations: The Canadian Environmental Auditing Association offers directories and job boards specifically for environmental professionals.
• Educational institutions: Recruiting graduates from programs at universities such as UBC or McGill can ensure candidates have qualifications in environmental science and management.
• Internal promotions: Employees in adjacent fields like sustainability or engineering can transition into managerial roles.

Post your job online: Try posting your environmental manager job on Indeed to find and attract quality environmental manager candidates.

Skills to look for in a great environmental manager

A great environmental manager candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Regulatory knowledge: Expertise in environmental laws and standards ensures compliance and prevents legal issues.
• Project management: Skill in planning and overseeing sustainability projects from start to finish.
• Analytical thinking: Ability to interpret environmental data and develop actionable strategies.
• Communication skills: Effectively educates teams and stakeholders about environmental initiatives.
• Leadership: Guides teams to meet sustainability goals while motivating collaboration.
• Problem solving: Quickly identifies and resolves environmental challenges to minimize risks.

Writing an environmental manager job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified environmental manager candidates. An environmental manager job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your environmental manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on environmental manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Environmental
• Sustainability
• Environment
• Environmental science
• Biology
• Conservation
• Coordinator
• Environmental coordinator
• Project coordinator
• Environmental manager

Interviewing environmental manager candidates

Strong candidates for environmental manager positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience conducting environmental audits, handling compliance checks and identifying areas for improvement
• Knowledge of environmental regulations, applicable laws and how they impact operations
• Sustainability strategy development, designing and implementing initiatives that reduce environmental impacts
• Team leadership and training, managing teams and educating staff on environmental practices
• Data analysis for environmental monitoring, interpreting metrics to ensure adherence to environmental goals.

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of environmental manager interview questions for examples (with sample answers).