Mindset, Mentorship, and Meaning: My Early Career in Environmental Consulting

After years in academia, Tristan Cox joined Ramboll as an environmental consultant to pursue meaningful, hands-on work that makes real-world impact. In this feature, Tristan shares his career journey, lessons learned from the field, and how his experiences have shaped his professional growth and passion for sustainable remediation.

Q: Can you tell us about your career journey and what inspired you to become an environmental consultant?

Tristan: Before joining Ramboll, I spent six years at university, including time tutoring and lab demonstrating. Between degrees, I mostly travelled and spent time living in Warsaw Poland, which was a great and enriching experience. My university studies culminated in a master’s degree by research, supported by a scholarship from an open-cut coal mine to investigate topsoil quality on a freshly rehabilitated area of the mine.

While I enjoyed the flexibility of postgraduate studies and being able to focus on one problem in great depth, I was drawn to the broader exposure and professional development offered by industry. Environmental consulting appealed. It not only offered the opportunity to leave a positive impact on the community, but also challenges that would see me develop professionally and personally. The mix between field and office work was also hugely appealing, giving me exposure to different sites, environmental issues and a range of clients. Doing varied and dynamic work was a strong consideration for me, and I felt environmental consulting would be an excellent fit for this.

Q: You presented at the recent EcoForum on lessons learned from a landfill closure project. If you could choose one, what was the most valuable insights or experiences you took away from that project?

Tristan: Presenting on the Astra St landfill project was a highlight for me at the conference. I spent 18 months on-site, working closely with numerous contractors, consultants and project managers. This taught me the value of good working relationships, not only for the efficiency of the project, but also for job satisfaction.

Some of my fondest memories from the project were standing on-site, staring at a leachate seep with the engineers and other consultants, discussing how to solve the problem. It was really rewarding coming together as a team, discussing problems as they arose, and seeing the solutions implemented. Taking time to develop those working relationships made the project extremely enjoyable and rewarding. For me, this is a lesson I will carry throughout my career.

“Maintaining a positive mindset during times of adversity and change will help you to learn and grow from challenging situations, which you’ll no doubt encounter.”

Q: How do you see the role of environmental consultants evolving as Australia moves toward more sustainable land and resource management practices?

Tristan: As Australia transitions towards renewable energy, large industrial-scale site closure projects will become increasingly common, requiring effective and sustainable remediation options. Environmental consultants have a crucial role to play in offering expertise and working with clients to demonstrate the economic, cultural and social benefits of sustainable remediation.

In sustainable resource management, there is huge potential for material recycling and repurposing, sourced from materials generated during site demolition and closure. Working with contractors to develop sustainable demolition methods, where material reclamation will lead to less disposal in landfills and facilitate more onsite reuse will be crucial. Overall, the expertise offered by environmental consultants will become increasingly valuable in ensuring that sustainability is at the forefront during the green energy transition.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting a career in the environmental consulting industry?

Tristan: Enjoy what you do, take opportunities, and embrace diversity. Environmental consulting is a rewarding career with great potential for both personal and professional development, but with that comes challenges. Recognising that mistakes and setbacks are part of any career, and deriving lessons from these is important, though not always easy. Maintaining a positive mindset during times of adversity and change will help you to learn and grow from challenging situations, which you’ll no doubt encounter.

Being proactive with tasks and professional development is also key. If you procrastinate certain tasks, whether it be an email to a client or a report section you aren’t confident with, they will likely take up much more headspace than necessary. Often, the tasks that are a source of anxiety will give you the most growth and satisfaction once you complete them.

Lean on your colleagues, soak up as much advice and knowledge as you can, and back yourself to succeed!

Q: What’s one thing that makes Ramboll a great place to work for you?

Tristan: For me, it’s the readiness of colleagues to offer advice or guidance, whether that be for project work, professional development, or managing work-life balance. From my experience, this holds true across all levels from junior staff to management, and is a testament to the culture within the company. I’ve learned a great deal from my colleagues, which gives me the utmost confidence that the potential for technical and professional growth within Ramboll is immense.

Being a global company also gives the opportunity to learn from people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, something I have experienced during my participation in the APAC Care Ambassador programme. Knowing that Ramboll facilitates connections with people from all over the globe is of tremendous value to me.

Contact

Tristan Cox
Consultant

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Tristan speaking at the Ecoforum Brisbane

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Tristan speaking at the Ecoforum Brisbane

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