Business careers and jobs in the environmental industry are available in both the government and private sectors.
The environmental industry has the same business opportunities as most other industries: directors and managers, marketing and advertising professionals, accountants and bookkeepers, IT and general support staff, etc. What sets the industry apart is its focus on sustainability of the planet. Environmental career opportunities and other green job search sites divide the industry into four core sectors.
Environmental Education
Schools and universities offer two primary categories of environmental teaching: higher education and outdoor ed. The North American Association for Environmental Education posts job openings for instructors on many levels, from summer camp instructors and environmental education interns to environmental education program managers and university professors. In the business sector of environmental education, the organization lists support staff positions, including receptionist and administrative assistant, program coordinator, fundraising database manager, director of media relations, social media and content management staff, admissions director and more. Outdoor education positions are primarily instructor-based, but field-operations support positions are available.
Environmental Science and Engineering
The Partnership for Public Service indicates that that as of May 2010, the U.S. federal government has 17,366 natural resources management jobs, 11,157 forestry science positions, 6,367 soil conservation and science conservation openings, 5,942 environmental protection specialist positions, 4,384 environmental engineering opportunities and 1,263 ecology careers listed. These positions are with the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Commerce, Veterans Affairs, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. All of these departments fill business support staff positions from administrative to financial, communication to project management.
Environmental Resources and Conservation
Most states have a department of conservation and natural resources. The agency in Montana has nine commissions and committees overseeing five bureaus, including field operations and forestry, which are supported by many business-management divisions including: financial development, procurement and contracting, human resources and information technologies. The Virginia Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, as another example, hires business support staff in the areas of aquaculture, fisheries management, wildlife management and law enforcement.
Environmental Law, Regulation and Policy
Earth Justice, one of the world's largest nonprofit law firms dedicated to protection of the planet's resources and all living things, has offices in Alaska, California, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Colorado, among other areas. Staff positions include major gifts acquisition, office management, program information analyst, accounting management, web and IT development and maintenance, communications, litigation assistant and more.
Tags: support staff, environmental education, business support, business support staff, Environmental Education
