Environmental Consulting — M1
ENVIRO1.ENVIRONMC09E.M1
Management track for environmental consulting practitioners who lead teams delivering Phase I/II ESAs, remediation projects, and regulatory compliance services. Distinct from individual-contributor (technical-specialist) environmental consultants in that these roles supervise staff, own project/portfolio budgets and resourcing, and progressively carry client-relationship and business-development accountability rather than primarily performing the technical fieldwork or modeling themselves.
Management track for environmental consulting practitioners who lead teams delivering Phase I/II ESAs, remediation projects, and regulatory compliance services. Distinct from individual-contributor (technical-specialist) environmental consultants in that these roles supervise staff, own project/portfolio budgets and resourcing, and progressively carry client-relationship and business-development accountability rather than primarily performing the technical fieldwork or modeling themselves.
Focus — Environmental Consulting
Management track for environmental consulting practitioners who lead teams delivering Phase I/II ESAs, remediation projects, and regulatory compliance services. Distinct from individual-contributor (technical-specialist) environmental consultants in that these roles supervise staff, own project/portfolio budgets and resourcing, and progressively carry client-relationship and business-development accountability rather than primarily performing the technical fieldwork or modeling themselves.
Responsibilities by level
What this person actually does at each level on the management track — escalating scope, not one generic blob. Your level is highlighted.
- Supervises a unit of field staff and junior scientists conducting environmental field investigations and Phase I ESA tasks, assigning daily work and reviewing data collection for compliance with sampling protocols
- Reviews staff-prepared documentation — regulatory record reviews, site inspection notes, stakeholder interview summaries — for completeness and compliance with applicable environmental regulations before senior review
- Provides administrative support to projects by collecting data, maintaining project documentation, and onboarding new staff
- Tracks billable hours and field expenses against the portion of project budget assigned to the unit, flagging overruns to the project manager
- Trains and provides hands-on guidance to new staff on field equipment, sampling techniques, and ASTM E1527-21 Phase I procedures
- Leads a skilled team of project scientists and field leads across multiple concurrent site investigations, owning tactical delivery outcomes for assigned projects
- Manages project budgets, schedules, and resourcing for site-specific compliance work, making judgment calls within established practices to keep deliverables on track
- Coordinates cross-functional input from GIS analysts, groundwater/air modelers, and drilling subcontractors to assemble Phase I/II ESA and remediation deliverables
- Establishes project needs and monitors work progress to ensure technical deliverables meet client and regulatory requirements before manager sign-off
- Guides field staff using knowledge of sampling protocols and field methods, and mentors junior staff by reviewing work plans and resolving routine technical issues
- Manages the operations and budget of an environmental consulting team or service area, accountable for utilization, profitability, and quality across a portfolio of projects
- Plans, coordinates, and supervises full project lifecycles including budgeting, scheduling, resourcing, quality control, health and safety, and regulatory reporting
- Evaluates diverse technical issues and trends across projects — remediation approach selection (SVE, pump-and-treat, ISCO, bioremediation), groundwater modeling outputs, and regulatory interpretation under CERCLA/RCRA/state VCPs — to guide team decisions
- Manages all aspects of site-specific compliance with state and federal environmental laws across the team's active engagements
- Leads functional and client-facing teams, maintaining client relationships and preparing proposals and funding documents to secure repeat consulting work
- Manages multiple environmental consulting teams or a critical service line, where delivery or compliance failures could jeopardize client engagements and firm liability
- Sets and oversees strategic policies for project delivery, quality assurance, and health & safety across sections
- Oversees the development of technical methodologies and standards used across teams, ensuring consistent application of regulatory frameworks, remediation design, and groundwater/air dispersion modeling practices
- Engages senior client leaders on functional strategy for complex remediation programs and multi-site regulatory compliance portfolios
- Drives business development, preparing proposals, financial documents, and grant/funding applications and cultivating client relationships to grow the practice's pipeline
- Directs the environmental consulting department through subordinate managers, with decisions impacting division-wide operations, revenue, and reputation
- Develops and implements environmental consulting strategies aligned with client and firm objectives, defining the methods and service offerings the practice pursues
- Leads resolution of complex, org-wide issues spanning regulatory risk and large multi-site remediation programs
- Influences executives and major clients on key environmental issues and provides high-level consultancy on complex environmental matters
- Owns the practice's financial performance — preparing and managing budgets, proposals, and grant/funding applications and accountable for division-wide growth targets
Level guidelines
The universal leveling rubric applied to this function — how scope, complexity, collaboration, and experience step up across levels.
| Level | Knowledge & Application | Complexity & Problem Solving | Collaboration & Interaction | Typical Degree & Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Functional expert in environmental field methods, Phase I ESA procedures, and sampling protocols; applies established practices to direct a unit's daily work with some leadership exposure. | Solves limited-scope problems within established field and regulatory procedures; escalates non-routine technical or compliance questions to project managers. | Daily interaction with field staff and peer supervisors to coordinate site work and data collection. | Functional/field expertise (roughly 3–5 yrs) with some crew-lead or leadership exposure. |
| M2 | Applies specialist environmental knowledge to lead a skilled team, exercising judgment within known factors on project delivery and field coordination. | Makes judgments within known factors across multiple concurrent investigations; resolves routine technical and resourcing issues independently. | Cross-functional cooperation with GIS, modeling, and subcontractor groups to assemble deliverables. | 5–7 yrs, including team leadership or senior specialist roles. |
| M3 | Applies broad environmental consulting and regulatory knowledge to run a team/service area's operations and budgets. | Evaluates diverse issues and trends — remediation strategy, modeling results, regulatory interpretation, quality risks — across a project portfolio. | Leads functional and client teams; owns client relationships and subcontractor coordination. | 7–10+ yrs managing professionals and budgets. |
| M4 | Sets strategic policies and technical standards aligned with business objectives across multiple teams or a critical function. | Addresses strategic and high-stakes problems where delivery, liability, or compliance failures could jeopardize business activities. | Engages senior client leaders and internal executives on functional strategy and major program decisions. | 8–10+ yrs of complex team/organizational leadership in environmental consulting. |
| M5 | Defines methods and strategy for the consulting practice with division- or company-wide implications. | Resolves complex org-wide issues spanning regulatory risk, large remediation programs, and service-delivery strategy. | Influences executives and major clients on key environmental issues; provides high-level consultancy externally. | 10+ yrs including second-level management and strategy work. |
Skills
Focus-specific skills the role applies — the relevance layer beyond the occupational base.
- Regulatory frameworks knowledge
- Understanding of CERCLA, RCRA, NEPA, state Voluntary Cleanup Programs, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, EPA and OSHA regulations.
- Phase I/II ESA
- Conducting Environmental Site Assessments per ASTM E1527-21 and E1903 standards, including regulatory record review, site inspection, and stakeholder interviews.
- Technical writing
- Superior ability to produce reports, work plans, and deliverables; repeatedly flagged as decisive in hiring.
- Groundwater modeling
- Using tools like MODFLOW/Visual MODFLOW to model groundwater conditions.
- GIS / spatial analysis
- Producing spatial analysis and clean deliverables using ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro, or QGIS; carries a hiring premium.
- Remediation design
- Designing remediation systems such as SVE, pump-and-treat (P&T), ISCO, and bioremediation.
- Air quality dispersion modeling
- Using AERMOD and similar tools for air quality dispersion analysis.
- Analytical skills
- Evaluating data and reaching conclusions considering a range of methods and solutions.
- Communication skills
- Presenting and explaining findings to varied audiences.
- Project and budget management
- Managing limited budgets and billable time efficiently for clients and project teams.
- Business development
- Generating new consulting business and sales — cultivating client relationships and securing funded engagements through proposals and grant applications.
Provenance
The evidence base behind this profile — every layer is sourced; quality is scored by an adversarial review panel (1–5; passes at ≥4 on the minimum dimension).
Level — M1 — Manager (Team Lead)
Front-line people manager of a single team; owns delivery, coaching, and execution.
- Scope
- A single team
- Autonomy
- Manages within established goals
- Complexity
- Day-to-day delivery and people issues
- Impact
- Team output and health
- Decision rights
- Owns team execution, hiring input, performance
- Leadership
- Direct people management of one team
- Typical experience
- 3–6 yrs
Adjacent roles
Nearest roles by structural coordinates (level + taxonomy). Distance 0 → 1; each carries its 3-state match band. How coordinates work → · Compare side-by-side →
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O*NET / SOC
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