| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Environment, Health and Safety |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Environment Manager |
| Direct reports | Environment Officer |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years in environmental engineering |
Environment Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Environment Engineer
Department: Environment, Health and Safety
Reports to: Environment Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Environment Engineer operates and maintains a plant's pollution control systems and runs environmental monitoring. They run the effluent and sewage treatment plants, monitor emissions and effluent, manage waste, and keep environmental records for compliance. The role reports to the Environment Manager. A good environment engineer keeps treated effluent and emissions within limits every day, runs the treatment plants reliably, keeps accurate monitoring and waste records, and supports consents and inspections with solid data.
Key responsibilities
- Operate and maintain the effluent and sewage treatment plants to meet norms.
- Monitor effluent, emissions, ambient air and noise and record the results.
- Adjust treatment plant dosing and process to keep output within limits.
- Manage hazardous and solid waste storage, records and authorised disposal.
- Maintain environmental monitoring equipment and keep its calibration up to date.
- Prepare data and records for statutory returns and consents.
- Support pollution control board inspections with records and site readiness.
- Identify and support projects to reduce water, waste and emissions.
- Respond to spills and environmental incidents and record them.
- Train operators on treatment plant operation and safe chemical handling.
Requirements
- Degree or diploma in environmental engineering
- Chemical engineering background is accepted
- Knowledge of treatment plant operation
- 2 to 5 years in environmental engineering
KRAs and KPIs for a Environment Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Discharge compliance | Treated effluent and emissions within limits on every monitoring result |
| Plant reliability | Treatment plants run reliably with unplanned downtime below the target |
| Monitoring records | Environmental monitoring records complete and accurate for reporting |
| Waste handling | Waste stored and disposed through authorised channels with full records |
| Inspection readiness | Site and records ready for pollution control board inspections |
| Reduction support | Support delivered for water, waste or emission reduction projects |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Effluent treatment plant, pH and dissolved oxygen meters, Emission monitors, Dosing systems, Monitoring records.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Environment Engineer, Environment Manager, EHS Engineer
Interview questions for a Environment Engineer
- How do you keep treated effluent within norms when the inlet load changes?
- How do you adjust dosing in an effluent treatment plant?
- How do you manage hazardous waste storage and disposal correctly?
- How do you maintain and calibrate monitoring equipment?
- How do you respond to a chemical spill in the plant?
- Tell me about a treatment plant problem you solved.
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What does an environment engineer do?
An environment engineer operates and maintains a plant's pollution control systems and runs environmental monitoring. They run the effluent and sewage treatment plants, monitor emissions and effluent, manage waste, and keep records for compliance. They keep discharges within limits every day and support consents and inspections with solid data.
What qualifications do you need to be an environment engineer?
Most environment engineers hold a degree or diploma in environmental engineering, and a chemical engineering background is often accepted. Employers look for knowledge of effluent and sewage treatment plant operation, environmental monitoring, waste management and safe chemical handling, plus the ability to keep accurate records for statutory compliance.
What is an effluent treatment plant?
An effluent treatment plant, or ETP, treats the wastewater a factory produces so it meets discharge norms before release or reuse. It uses physical, chemical and biological processes to remove pollutants. An environment engineer operates the ETP, adjusts the process to keep output within limits, and keeps records that prove compliance.