Profession in Focus: Policy Analyst

Continuing on our coverage of the many roles within the environmental job market, today's focus is the role of a Policy Analyst. Most policy analysts hold masters' degrees and have a history of working in the environmental services field, whether it be nonprofits, for the government or private sector environment-friendly consumer products companies.

Vault.com spoke to Chitra Kumar, who is a policy analyst in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water--a division of the Office of Water--in Washington, D.C. Ms. Kumar holds a master's degree in city planning, focusing on environmental issues. Below is a typical day in her life at the EPA.

8:30 a.m.: Check in. You arrive at your desk and gear up for the day's round of meetings.

9:00 a.m.: Day's first meeting. Managers in your division report to your director on the status of their projects. As part of your director's staff, you sit in on this meeting.

9:30 a.m.: Budgeting billions. The bulk of your day is spent in back-to-back meetings. Your next meeting is with the director of your office, to discuss the status of projects being funded by Stimulus Plan money. The EPA received over $7 billion of Stimulus spending, of which $6 billion went to the Office of Water—to revitalize aging infrastructure, among other things. You meet to discuss the disbursement of funds for these infrastructure projects.

Continue reading on our Articles homepage, where you can access many more Day in the Life accounts, career advice, industry overviews, Day in the Life: Sustainability Consultant

Day in the Life: Ecology Professor

Day in the Life: Regional Planner at a Nonprofit

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