Case studies: Environment management team leader: Nick

More case studies

Nick received a Bachelors degree in environmental biology. He now works for the Environment Agency.

I first became interested in the environmental profession many years ago, as I’ve always had a longstanding interest in the environment. The varied nature of my current job, which includes a good mix of field work and office-based work, is particularly appealing.

I received a Bachelors degree in environmental biology from Liverpool University where I learned broad knowledge of environmental issues and an awareness of how to tackle them. I had a variety of environmental posts before joining the Environment Agency (EA). I love the variety of this profession and enjoy seeing real, tangible environmental benefits from the work I do.

My role has changed and developed over the years. The Environment Agency is increasingly moving towards delivering environmental outcomes rather than specific tasks and focusing on higher risk environmental issues. Improving our service to our customers is also a massive part of the job that has become more prominent.

I find that every day is different. The job offers a good mixture of people management issues (which can be very time consuming), work planning and technical issues. I still find that the best days involve getting out of the office to see the issues myself.

My advice for anyone considering this profession is to understand that personal capabilities such as communication, influencing skills, decision-making and work planning are just as important as the technical qualifications of the job. You must be able to demonstrate these in addition to having the right formal qualifications.

I work in an ever-changing organisation, and over the next few years, increasing financial pressure on the public purse and a need to address new demands such as climate change will have a significant impact on our organisation. However, meeting these challenges is part of the attraction of the job.

AGCAS