Example Career Paths
- Engineers focusing on design and process engineering are often employed by consulting engineering firms. At first they assist with small portions of an overall planning and design, with their responsibilities increasing as they become more experienced. More experienced engineers are in responsible charge of projects and typically develop client relationships with the goal of business development. Later in their careers, consulting engineers can become involved in management of the firm or serve as an in-house technical expert.
- Engineers employed by public agencies may have responsibility for operation of civil works infrastructure. For example, water supply and flood management agencies will employ environmental engineers as decision makers for operating reservoir systems or systems of aqueducts, pipes, pumps, diversions, and other water control measures. Initially, engineers in these positions will complete analyses with mathematical models and field surveys to provide information for the decision making. Experienced engineers will be responsible for operations that meet multiple, sometimes conflicting, objectives.
- Engineers who want to focus on project management early in their careers can often do so working for municipalities and utilities. Typically, these jobs require a combination of basic design skills, some process knowledge, and an interest in operational challenges. Depending on the size of the utility, the jobs may be more narrowly defined as engineering design, project management; process engineering or environmental. Experienced engineers in municipal and utility positions often advance to management positions, but in larger organizations technical experts do play a role.
- Regulatory agencies have a serious need for well-trained engineers to manage the implementation of increasingly complex regulations. Beginning engineers will likely find that they have a significant level of responsibility very rapidly in regulatory agency positions. These positions can include providing technical assistance to utilities, developing regulations and the guidance for rule implementation, and compliance reviews of regulated entities. Positions at the federal and state level will be slightly different with respect to hands on connection with the regulated community because the state regulators are typically in charge of enforcement. More experienced engineers will be in positions of management and be in responsible charge of developing governmental policies.
- Working for a private industry as an environmental engineer could include responsibility for environmental compliance or development and operation of pretreatment for waste streams produced by the industry.
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