Top tips for starting a career at the intersection of technology and sustainability

For those looking for a career that combines all that is good about the technology space and leaves the world on a level playing field, Industry 4.0 is a game changer.

For many inside Industry 4.0 type of jobsthere is often no single way to define or define a role. With the advancement of job expectations and technology, many roles have merged, creating hybrid jobs that cover many areas. That’s especially true for ongoing operations that sit at the intersection of business, environmental and technology areas.

Professionals working within a technology-driven sustainability-focused role are often expected to wear many hats to solve the problems of the modern age, in a paradoxically modern way.

With that in mind, what skills are needed for those who envision a career in an environment where business acumen, technical know-how and a passion for a lean, green and clean world meet? And what kind of companies have a need for professionals with this particular skill?

Where can you go?

When job hunting, it can be difficult to find an organization that perfectly aligns with your professional or personal goals, and one that is truly committed to making significant and lasting change. For the most part companies will say and do the right things in the beginning, but the key is to find organizations that have a track record of integrating their sustainability strategies with long-term technology, so you have proof of their commitment. This could be at a large international company or an SME, regardless, be sure to research the company and even ask about its policies and opportunities before fully committing to a role.

It’s also important that, especially in the early days of your career, you don’t put yourself in a box because you can’t find the right title, or because the organization itself is not in the sustainability space. The joy of working in this position is that you become an inspiration for the organization’s commitment to doing better. Therefore roles in areas such as climate data science, renewable energy, creation of AI solutions, digital twins, additive manufacturing, smart manufacturing and more, in different companies, create opportunities to better align the organization with future sustainability goals. It makes an impact.

Round and round

As with any career in the industry that relies on major technological advances, negotiable skills include AI, ML, data analytics, 3D imaging, IoT and so on. But if you’re working in a sustainability-driven Industry 4.0 role, there are additional skills needed to create a strong skill set. Many of those skills fall under what is known as the circular economy.

A circular economy is a system in which global production and consumption is focused on sustainable, low-risk methods such as sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, renewing and renewing existing materials and products for as long as possible. Material life cycle and consumption potential are extended and waste is minimized.

To achieve a circular economy, companies and their employees need to rethink how they interact with the supply chain, production process, energy use, waste disposal and other key areas that lead to a highly wasteful economy that often uses a ‘use and throw away’ type of thinking.

Skills that should be prioritized in this area include systems thinking, which is the ability to better understand how all parts of the value chain, materials, supplies, consumption, waste recovery, policies and infrastructure work together.

Also, think about the skills of circular design, which allow the professional to design and develop things and materials that are durable, repairable and usable, effectively undermining planned obsolescence, which is the practice of deliberately making something fragile, weak or prone to wear and tear, so you have no choice but to replace it, often very quickly.

Voice and face

Another important aspect of jobs in the space of sustainability and Industry 4.0, is the ability to represent the job itself and show its value in a measurable and irrefutable way.

As mentioned earlier, jobs in this area are no longer ‘just one thing’, rather professionals combine strategy, operations, policy, consulting, finance and green technology, often while managing teams and dealing with internal and external communications.

With that in mind, professionals need a critical understanding of how a business works financially, how the budget can accommodate new green initiatives, how to adapt regional climate-focused guidelines, and how to report and disseminate findings, results and other relevant information.

This would require academic commitment, focus leadership and management skills, interdisciplinary research, analytical skills and skills in public speaking and collaboration. If you intend to work as a consultant for an organization or with large institutions and government organizations, presentation skills it would be helpful.

The thing about jobs in this space is that there are many opportunities for qualified and ambitious professionals to make their role a focus. We’ve only scratched the surface here, so if your career is sitting at that crossroads, don’t panic about choosing a path, create your own course.

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