Senior Environmental Technician

Note: This profile provides a market aligned view of this job’s typical core requirements, informed by Korn Ferry’s Success Profile methodology, and will evolve over time.

Supports a range of environmental field and monitoring activities with growing autonomy and technical confidence. Produces accurate samples, observations and documentation that inform project outcomes. Collaborates with environmental scientists and engineers to apply GHD methods, procedures, and safety protocols effectively. Develops proficiency through hands‑on experience and expanding technical and digital skillsets.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities describe the typical accountabilities and scope of work for this job, while recognising that individual objectives are set with the manager and may vary over time.

• Data Collection and Analysis: Extract relevant data from information provided by others, and input it into spreadsheets or standard formats.
• Engineering Drawings: Carry out a range of activities under the guidance of more senior colleagues to create engineering drawings for the communication, evaluation, and implementation of engineering solutions.
• Engineering Solutions Design: Implement feasibility testing of proposed engineering solutions, under supervision, to provide feedback and contribute to validation of the design.
• Health, Safety, and Environment: Follow the organization's health, safety, and environment (HSE) policies, procedures, and mandatory instructions to identify and mitigate risks and to safeguard the environment and the well-being of self and others.
• Operational Compliance: Develop knowledge and understanding of the organization's policies and procedures and of relevant regulatory codes and codes of conduct to ensure own work adheres to those standards. Obtain authorization from a supervisor or manager for any exceptions from mandatory procedure.
• Personal Capability Building: Develop and maintain excellent process or technical skills by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching.
• Solutions Analysis: Find the most effective ways to respond to routine functional inquiries. Involves following procedures and precedents.
• Technical Troubleshooting: Perform basic tasks in technical troubleshooting, such as identifying evident technical issues with equipment and experiments and assisting in basic diagnostic actions.
• Testing: Develop testing standards and procedures under the direction of professional colleagues.
• Waste Management: Conduct routine operations in waste management, including basic waste segregation and preliminary waste storage operations.

Competencies

Competencies describe the observable behaviours that differentiate effective performance in this job and guide expectations, feedback, and development discussions.

• Collaborates – Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. For example, finds many ways to add value to the team; probes to draw out richer input from others; is a valued resource who goes out of the way to help others.
• Decision Quality – Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. For example, knows when to act independently and when to escalate issues. Integrates various inputs, decision criteria, and trade-offs to make effective decisions. Typically makes good independent decisions.
• Ensures Accountability – Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. For example, accepts responsibility for own work, both successes and failures. Handles fair share and does not make excuses for problems. Usually meets commitments to others.
• Manages Complexity – Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. For example, gathers basic information to understand a problem and find a solution. Seeks to understand and apply systematic problem-solving methods; distinguishes symptoms from underlying problems.
• Optimizes Work Processes – Knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement. For example, generally follows defined and communicated standards, methods, and procedures. Seeks advice and finds ways to work better within processes. Makes some reasonable suggestions to improve work methods.
• Organizational Savvy – Maneuvers comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. For example, has a firm grasp on organizational culture and politics; connects with key stakeholders and knows when to bring something to their attention.

Skills

Skills reflect the technical, professional, and functional capabilities required to perform the job effectively at the expected level, and guide assessment and development.

• Analytical Process Techniques – Works at an intermediate level to apply appropriate analytical processes and procedures to support research schedules. Typically works with guidance.
• Data Collection and Analysis – Works at an intermediate level to determine and analyze trends from data that is collected to assist in compiling reports that will help in decision-making. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Design – Works at an intermediate level to apply appropriate method, tools, processes and software to execute engineering design activities. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Development – Works at an intermediate level to apply appropriate method, tools, processes and software to achieve engineering development outcomes. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Implementation – Works at an intermediate level to implement, evaluate and refine engineering design outcomes. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Specification – Works at an intermediate level to produce technical engineering specifications and related materials. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Technical Operations Support – Works at an intermediate level to identify, diagnose and resolve operational problems through the development of engineering outcomes. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Technology – Works at an intermediate level to exploit new and advancing technology to create engineering outcomes. Typically works with guidance.
• Engineering Testing – Works at an intermediate level to test, evaluate and replan engineering outcomes. Typically works with guidance.
• In-Depth Questioning – Works at an intermediate level to probe and explore complex subjects thoroughly, extracting comprehensive information through insightful questioning to enhance understanding and decision-making processes. Typically works with guidance.
• Measure Solution Performance – Works at an intermediate level to identify appropriate measures for assessing solution performance and limitations, validate with key stakeholders, and collect appropriate performance measures to assess overall solution performance to recommend specific actions to increase solution value. Typically works with guidance.
• Project Testing – Works at an intermediate level to design, create and administer the test scripts associated with the delivery of the project, ensuring that the requirements are being met from a functional, design and user experience perspective. Typically works with guidance.
• Questions Strategically – Works at an intermediate level to employ purposeful and insightful questioning techniques to gather targeted information, promote critical thinking, and guide decision-making processes strategically. Typically works with guidance.
• Review and Reporting – Works at an intermediate level to create reports, and review reports created by others, for various audiences as relevant, in a lucid and effective manner, keeping in mind the purpose of reports. Typically works with guidance.
• Systems and Tools - Engineering – Works at an intermediate level to effectively utilize and apply a variety of engineering software, hardware, and methodologies to solve complex technical problems across various engineering disciplines. Typically works with guidance.

Education

• Post-Secondary Non-Tertiary Education

Experience

• General Experience: Sound experience and understanding of straightforward procedures or systems (7 to 12 months)
• Managerial Experience: Very limited (0 to 3 months)