ICT environmental manager

ICT environmental manager article illustration

Description

ICT environmental managers know the green ICT legal framework, understand the role of the ICT network configurations in the economy and energy resources deployment, and evaluate the impact of the CO2 footprint of each ICT resource in the organisation’s network. They plan and manage the implementation of environmental strategies for ICT networks and systems by conducting applied research, developing organisational policy, and devising strategies to meet sustainability targets. They ensure that the whole organisation uses ICT resources in a way that is as friendly as possible for the environment.

ICT environmental managers typically perform the following duties:

  • Conduct assessments to analyze the environmental impact of ICT operations, products, and services, considering factors such as energy consumption, resource use, and electronic waste generation.
  • Develop and implement strategies to optimize energy efficiency in ICT infrastructure, including data centers, servers, and network systems, to reduce carbon footprint.
  • Formulate and implement green ICT policies and guidelines within organizations to ensure sustainable practices in procurement, operations, and technology use.
  • Perform life cycle assessments on ICT products and services, evaluating environmental impacts from raw material extraction to disposal, and recommending improvements.
  • Implement e-waste management programs, including responsible disposal and recycling initiatives for electronic equipment, to minimize the environmental impact of electronic waste.
  • Explore and integrate renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into ICT operations to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy and promote sustainability.
  • Develop and implement strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of ICT operations, including travel, telecommuting options, and virtual meetings.
  • Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards relevant to the ICT industry, staying abreast of changing requirements.
  • Provide training and awareness programs for ICT staff, vendors, and stakeholders on green ICT practices and the importance of environmental sustainability.
  • Collaborate with suppliers to promote environmentally responsible sourcing, encouraging using sustainable materials and manufacturing processes in ICT products.
  • Prepare environmental reports, documenting progress, key performance indicators, and environmental achievements within the ICT domain.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to ICT environmental manager:

information and communication technologies environmental manager
information technologies environmental manager
ICT environment managers
ICT environment manager
IT environmental manager

Working conditions

ICT Environmental Managers work in various settings, including corporate offices, data centers, and research institutions. The role may involve collaboration with cross-functional teams, including ICT professionals, sustainability experts, and environmental consultants.

Minimum qualifications

To become an ICT Environmental Manager, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in environmental science, environmental management, information technology, or a related field is typically required. Specialized knowledge in green ICT practices, energy management, and sustainability is essential. Practical experience gained through internships, certifications, and projects related to green ICT initiatives contributes to the development of ICT Environmental Managers. Continuous learning, staying updated on environmental regulations, and engaging with the evolving landscape of green technologies are crucial for success in this role. Strong communication, project management, and leadership skills are essential for driving sustainable practices in the ICT sector.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

ICT environmental manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

ICT environmental manager career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to ICT environmental manager.

ICT operations manager
green ICT consultant
telecommunications manager
ICT business development manager
ICT project manager

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of ICT environmental manager.

  • Green computing: The use of ICT systems in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner, such as the implementation of energy-efficient servers and central processing units (CPUs), reduction of resources and correct disposal of e-waste.
  • Product life-cycle: The management of the life-cycle of a product from the development stages to the market entry and market removal.
  • Waste management: The methods, materials and regulations used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of waste. This includes recycling and monitoring of waste disposal.
  • Hardware materials: The characteristics, applications and environmental effects of materials used to develop hardware.
  • Cost management: The process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.
  • Environmental management monitors: The hardware and equipment suitable for measurement and live monitoring of environmental parameters.
  • ICT market: The processes, stakeholders and dynamics of the chain of goods and services in the ICT market sector.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of ICT environmental manager.

  • Provide technical documentation: Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition so that it is understandable for a wide audience without a technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements: Guarantee compliance with established and applicable standards and legal requirements such as specifications, policies, standards or law for the goal that organisations aspire to achieve in their efforts.
  • Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
  • Ensure compliance with waste legislative regulations: Implement and monitor company procedures for the collection, transport and disposal of waste, in compliance with all regulations and legal requirements.
  • Manage ICT project: Plan, organize, control and document procedures and resources, such as human capital, equipment and mastery, in order to achieve specific goals and objectives related to ICT systems, services or products, within specific constraints, such as scope, time, quality and budget.
  • Provide cost-benefit analysis reports: Prepare, compile and communicate reports with broken-down cost analysis on the proposal and budget plans of the company. Analyse the financial or social costs and benefits of a project or investment in advance over a given time.
  • Ensure compliance with company regulations: Guarantee that employees’ activities follow company regulations, as implemented through client and corporate guidelines, directives, policies and programmes.
  • Develop environmental policy: Develop an organisational policy on sustainable development and compliance with environmental legislation in line with policy mechanisms used in the field of environmental protection.
  • Carry out environmental audits: Use equipment to measure various environmental parameters in order to identify environmental problems and investigate manners in which they can be resolved. Perform inspections in order to ensure compliance with environmental legislation.
  • Analyse environmental data: Analyse data that interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.
  • Conduct environmental surveys: Conduct surveys in order to collect information for analysis and management of environmental risks within an organisation or in a wider context.
  • Report on environmental issues: Compile environmental reports and communicate on issues. Inform the public or any interested parties in a given context on relevant recent developments in the environment, forecasts on the future of the environment, and any problems and possible solutions.
  • Perform security vulnerability assessments: Execute types of security testing, such as network penetration testing, wireless testing, code reviews, wireless and/or firewall assessments in accordance with industry-accepted methods and protocols to identify and analyse potential vulnerabilities.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT environmental manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Systems development life-cycle: The sequence of steps, such as planning, creating, testing and deploying and the models for the development and life-cycle management of a system.
  • Network management system tools: The software or hardware tools that enable monitoring, analysis and supervision of individual network components or network parts within a larger network system.
  • Embedded systems: The computer systems and components with a specialised and autonomous function within a larger system or machine such as embedded systems software architectures, embedded peripherals, design principles and development tools.
  • Emergent technologies: The recent trends, developments and innovations in modern technologies such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics.
  • Crowdsourcing strategy: The high-level planning for managing and optimising business processes, ideas or content by gathering contributions from a big community of people, including online groups.
  • Outsourcing strategy: The high-level planning for managing and optimising external services of providers to execute business processes.
  • ICT infrastructure: The system, network, hardware and software applications and components, as well as devices and processes that are used in order to develop, test, deliver, monitor, control or support ICT services.
  • Insourcing strategy: The high-level planning for managing and optimising business processes internally, usually in order to maintain control of critical aspects of work.
  • Ict power consumption: The energy consumption and types of models of software as well as hardware elements.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT environmental manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Coach employees: Maintain and improve employees’ performance by coaching individuals or groups how to optimise specific methods, skills or abilities, using adapted coaching styles and methods. Tutor newly recruited employees and assist them in the learning of new business systems.
  • Design computer network: Develop and plan ICT networks, such as wide area networks and local area network, that connect computers using cable or wireless connections and allow them to exchange data and assess their capacity requirements.
  • Maintain internal communication systems: Maintain an effective internal communication system among employees and department managers.
  • Develop ICT workflow: Create repeatable patterns of ICT activity within an organisation which enhances the systematic transformations of products, informational processes and services through their production.
  • Promote environmental awareness: Calculate the carbon footprint of business processes and other practices in order to promote sustainability and to raise awareness for the environmental impact.
  • Apply procurement: Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal organizational payoff.
  • Coordinate technological activities: Instruct colleagues and other cooperating parties to achieve the desired outcome of a technological project or achieve set goals within an organisation dealing with technology.
  • Give live presentation: Deliver a speech or talk in which a new product, service, idea, or piece of work is demonstrated and explained to an audience.
  • Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the prospective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.

ISCO group and title

2143 – Environmental engineers


References
  1. ICT environmental manager – ESCO
  2. Featured image: Photo by Lisa Fotios
Last updated on January 21, 2024