Description
Plan, design, permit, and manage systems for solid waste collection, transfer, processing, recycling, and disposal. Engineer landfills and related facilities, oversee operations and monitoring, and ensure regulatory compliance, environmental protection, and cost-effective performance.
- • Prepare, review, or update solid waste engineering studies, design reports, and recommendations.
- • Obtain and maintain landfill, transfer station, composting, and waste-to-energy permits and operating plans; update SOPs.
- • Provide technical support on solid waste regulatory applicability, corrective action, and closure/post-closure programs.
- • Monitor progress of waste diversion, recycling, and landfill gas and leachate management programs.
- • Inspect solid waste facilities and collection programs for operational effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
- • Collect operational data, prepare project documentation, and train staff on solid waste procedures.
- • Set project objectives for capacity, diversion, and compliance and report progress to stakeholders.
- • Attend solid waste and recycling conferences to share information and stay current with industry practices.
- • Advise agencies or operators on waste screening, special waste acceptance, and contamination control.
- • Advise municipalities and private operators on solid waste regulations, standards, and best practices.
- • Communicate solid waste program requirements and environmental impacts to staff and the public.
- • Assess environmental impacts of landfills, transfer stations, and processing facilities on air, water, and land.
- • Assist with budgeting, cost estimates, and lifecycle cost analyses for solid waste projects.
- • Develop site-specific health and safety, odor, litter, and vector control plans and spill/transport procedures.
- • Manage solid waste engineering projects and construction quality assurance and control programs.
- • Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local officials on solid and hazardous waste program requirements.
- • Prepare special waste profiles and manifests and ensure land disposal restriction documentation when required.
- • Develop and deliver solid waste compliance and operations training.
- • Develop solid waste management, zero-waste, and materials recovery programs.
- • Lead waste characterization studies and audits and oversee screening and acceptance.
- • Prepare bid packages and procure contractors, equipment, and consultants for solid waste projects.
- • Support route optimization, regulatory analysis, and data systems for collection and facility operations.
- • Design landfill liners and covers; leachate, stormwater, and sediment control systems; and landfill gas collection and control.
- • Direct installation and operation of groundwater, landfill gas, and stormwater monitoring systems and oversee data collection.
- • Prepare and present public briefings on solid waste projects and services.
- • Write technical memos, public notices, and web content on solid waste initiatives.
- • Collaborate with planners, geotechnical engineers, operations staff, regulatory and legal experts, and recyclers.
- • Develop QA plans, safety inspections, and sampling protocols for landfill and transfer station operations.
- • Prepare and maintain CQA plans, operations plans, and quality procedures.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
