Local Environment Skills

Job and Career Opportunities in Local Environmental Management

A wide range of services are delivered within Local Environmental Management (LEM), and the roles vary from manual to strategic direction.

Employers in the sector generally own, or have responsibility for, land assessable to the public. The responsibilities include managing environmental problems such as litter and waste, graffiti, abandoned vehicles – in fact anything that impacts the attractiveness of the places we all live, work in or visit.

Although the majority of land to which the public has access is managed by local authorities, there are also sizeable areas that are managed by Registered Social Landlords, commercial estate owners, and some Trusts.

Organisations tackle LEM in a number of ways. There are reactive services that clean up and improve areas such as street cleansing, but local authorities in particular are becoming more adept at preventing problems. This provides opportunities to work creatively in service areas such as environmental education and community engagement. Local authorities also have powers available to tackle those who cause local environmental problems and enforcement action is an increasingly used option for LEM.

So what opportunities are there in local environmental management?

If you are considering a career in this sector, contact your local authority’s Environmental Services Department and ask about the various types of roles that they have established. The sector carries opportunities at all levels of seniority and accommodates those who enjoy dealing face to face with the public, those with a flare for managing people and those who enjoy planning and strategic thinking.

The table below indicates levels of seniority within local environmental management and typical job roles for each level.

Job/Career Level	Typical Job Titles
Frontline Operative	Street Cleansing Operative, Street Warden, Grounds Maintenance Operative
Frontline Supervisor/Chargehand	Street Cleansing Supervisor, Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Enforcement Officer
Officer/Junior Manager	Environmental Officer, Street Scene Officer, Monitoring Officer, Neighbourhood Services Manager (Junior)
Service Manager	Neighbourhood Services Manager, Streetscene Manager, Street Cleansing Manager, Grounds Maintenance Manager, Project Manager
Strategic Director	Head/Director of Neighbourhood Services, Head/Director of Environmental Services

The skills diagnostic tool provides substantial details of the functions undertaken within the sector. The charts below give an overview of which skills are required for each level of seniority. If you are considering a vocation in local environmental management, look to see the level that suits your skills. If you already work within the sector, use the charts to identify the types of skills that you may require to take that next step on the career ladder.