Environmental Manager

An Environmental Manager develops, implements, and oversees environmental policies, programmes, and compliance systems within an organisation or across multiple sites. They assess environmental risks, ensure adherence to Commonwealth and state environmental legislation, manage sustainability initiatives, and coordinate remediation or pollution control activities. They report to senior management on environmental performance and liaise with regulatory authorities including the EPA, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, and local councils.

Develop and review environmental management systems aligned with ISO 14001 standards and Australian environmental legislation. Ensure compliance with Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, state-based environment protection acts, and Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Conduct environmental impact assessments and due diligence audits on facilities, operations, or land holdings. Prepare and lodge environmental licence applications, reports, and notifications with relevant state and federal regulators. Manage contaminated land investigation and remediation programmes in accordance with state environmental protection authority guidelines. Design and deliver environmental training and induction programmes for staff across all levels. Monitor air, water, and waste discharges; analyse environmental monitoring data; and respond to exceedances or incidents. Develop waste management and recycling programmes; coordinate contractor selection for waste treatment and disposal.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need to get across complex, constantly changing legislation across multiple states and the Commonwealth. Compliance work is detail-heavy and mistakes can cost organisations serious money in penalties. The role often involves pushing back against business units who see environmental requirements as obstacles, which creates ongoing tension. Automation risk is medium: regulatory reporting is increasingly digitised.

Most roles are office-based in metro areas, though some involve site visits to regional operations. Remote work is possible for reporting and compliance work, but site audits and stakeholder meetings usually require being on-ground.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 1399, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Negotiationcore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Attention to Detail
• Community Development
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Correspondence Drafting
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Policy and Procedure Adherence
• Record Management
• Reporting and Analytics
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026