Jobs in Focus - Environmental Management
Jobs in Focus - Environmental Management
Officer at Cumberland Council
Working for
a Council is a unique experience. With a strong focus on community interests
and a wide variety of divisions and job types, a Local Government organization
is unlike anything you’ll find in the private sector.

With a
population of over 200,000, Cumberland Council is one of our bigger advertising
partners. Having recently been formed in 2016 as a result of three Council
amalgamations, Tim and his team are determined to bring environmental awareness
and sustainability to the forefront of the organizations culture. With the
threat of climate change, rapid urban development and biodiversity loss, the
work Tim and his team do is more crucial than ever.
A Diverse Career So Far
Having
graduated with a Bachelor of Business, Tim started his career as a graduate
with Sydney Water working
as a Community Relations Officer. The role allowed him to learn the in’s and outs
of a wide variety of business units. More importantly, Tim got his first taste
of working directly with the community, which sparked a lifelong passion.
It was in
this role that Tim started working directly with environmental scientists on a
variety of different projects; including water quality, air testing and
assessing environmental plans. He developed an appreciation for environmental
science and proceeded to start studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in
Environmental Management.
Tim’s
passion for community engagement led him to a career in Local Government.
Starting out as a Governance Officer at Marrickville Council, he soon moved to
London to work as a Resource and Recycling Officer. Finally, after a few years
abroad, Tim returned home to take on the role of Environmental Management
Officer at Cumberland Council.
Having
worked across a variety of roles within Local Government, Tim understands the
nature of the Council as an organization. He understands the challenges
associated with large organizations but has found himself in a role that allows
him to drive environmental change throughout the entire council.
So, What Does an Environmental Management
Officer Do?
As an
Environmental Management Officer, Tim and his team are focused on five key
areas of environmental management; biodiversity, water and energy efficiency,
waste and litter, water and air quality and corporate sustainability.
To be more
specific, Environmental Management is the decision-making process that guides
an organisation towards desirable environmental outcomes. This is achieved
through recognising challenges and constraints and identifying the most
feasible options for achieving environmental goals. Tim and his team strive to
incorporate ecologically sustainable development principles into Council’s decision-making
processes to help Council address current and emerging environmental issues.
For Tim,
that means his team is responsible for a wide variety of tasks and projects.
He’s regularly involved in writing strategies and frameworks that direct the
community and organization to move towards an environmental vision of a clean,
green and sustainable environment for current and future generations. Much of
what Tim does is overseeing and advising on projects to ensure they deliver
their long-term Environmental Management Framework. Prior to the council
amalgamation, neither council had ever had any document like this. The document
outlines a range of principles that will help the council make environmental
decisions going forward, with the objective of striving for a ‘clean and green’
community.
Exciting Projects in The Works
While
Cumberland Council may still be a young council, it certainly isn’t waiting
around for other councils to do the grunt work. Tim is heavily involved in a
number of grassroots community projects that seek to inform the public about
sustainability and preserve the local environment. From the free plant giveaway
initiative, to partnering with UNSW to deliver Citizen Science projects, to the
habitat stepping stones program and sustainability events, it’s safe to say
Cumberland Council are proactive about environmental sustainability.
Perhaps the
most exciting project Tim is delivering, is the development of Council’s
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. While many of us don’t consider the
state of our ecosystem’s biodiversity on a daily basis, Tim is working on a
strategy to help protect biodiversity over the next 10 years. Biodiversity is
the variety of all living things, which he likes to call ‘the spice of life’.
This forms part of the ecosystem we live in and is what gives us the benefit of
clean air, clean water, healthy plants and healthy native animals.
What Should a Job Seeker Know?
When asked
for a piece of advice for job seekers looking to get into local government, Tim
stressed that he feels it is important to get your foot in the door, even if
it’s not your first choice. Within councils, there is always potential for
movement between divisions of the organizations. In fact, that’s what Tim has
done regularly throughout his career. So, the message is clear, if you aren’t
successful in applying for your dream job, try applying for a similar role or
for the council you want to work for. Long-term, you’ll be much more likely to
be able to move within the council than externally.
Once you
get in to a local government role however, you can anticipate a great work
environment with plenty of health and wellbeing benefits. Of course, like many
of the local government staff we’ve spoken to, Tim spoke highly of the work-life
balance and flexibility. On top of that, Tim was glowing in his praise of the
experienced members of his team. Not only are his team members always eager to
share their wisdom, other councils in their network are always happy to provide
feedback and advice on projects they’re working on.
While Tim
doesn’t have an official mentor, he’s got a strong support network of senior
staff that are willing to provide support and technical expertise for his
projects. At Cumberland Council, it’s about doing good things for the
community, not about who’s doing it.
We hope
that sharing Tim’s success has given you a deeper understanding of what it’s
like to work in Environmental Management at a Council. By now, you’ve probably
realized the potential impact you could have by working in local government.
So, what
are you waiting for? Head to our subscriber page now to setup your subscription to free CouncilJobs
alerts to start making an impact on your community.
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