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Lea, Chief Consultant at the Municipality of Halsnæs
"Theory is supported by practice and vice versa – and ultimately, you will be able to deliver solutions that work in practice."
What do you do?
My role is to coordinate interdisciplinary projects, where I act as the generalist who combines the specialists’ knowledge in a broader context, and sets long-term goals and provides political presentations and management information based on this. Having a professional background in both nature and society puts me in a strong position to do so.
Having a professional background in both nature and society puts me in a strong position to do so.
I also provide the informal leadership, as I am responsible for coordinating tasks among colleagues, to ensure a long-term sustainable and financial plan for municipal buildings and land, and to monitor that we stick to what we have promised, politically and organisationally.
In other words, I work in the overlap between more strategic general decisions and daily operations. It is therefore very important that the proposed decisions are not only theoretically possible solutions, but also practicable.
How did you end up in your current job?
I started my career at the Danish Nature Agency as an administrative officer in the central part of the agency that is responsible for supporting the rules and frameworks for state-owned forests and nature areas throughout Denmark.
Specifically, I have been involved in sustainability certification of the state-owned forests (FSC and PEFC certifications), interdisciplinary rules for forestry operations – including the ‘Take care map’ (biodiversity map), other income options, extensive agricultural operations (nature conservation) etc. In this position, I became increasingly involved in political reports etc. On that basis, I applied internally within the ministry to the department of the Ministry of Environment (now the department of the Ministry of Environment and Food).
The project led to several organisational changes, which have meant that I have moved into my current role as chief consultant.
I have worked in several offices as an administrative officer. These included green technology and the environment, where my role was to serve as a link between the relevant agency (typically the Danish Environmental Protection Agency) and the political need in relation to issues such as waste sorting, deposits on German cans, soil contamination – including breakwater 42 in Thy.
I have since moved to the office for Nature and Climate Adaptation, where I was responsible for the political negotiation of the first Nature package. My role was again to serve as a link between the agency and the political need. Specifically, to order the correct products – help qualify them etc.
Working in a department is also largely about supporting the democratic process in the Danish Parliament. This includes ensuring that draft responses are formulated to questions from the Danish Parliament, material is prepared for councils and more.
Today I work for the Municipality of Halsnæs as a Project Manager and Chief Consultant in municipal property. I was appointed project manager for an interdisciplinary project to register the condition, use and maintenance requirements over a 30-year period for all property. The primary focus of this registration was to ensure that the maintenance needs of the municipal buildings were in line with the allocated budget. The results revealed a huge maintenance backlog, which must be reduced over a number of years, and in part by selling municipal property.
The project led to several organisational changes, which have meant that I have moved into my current role as chief consultant.
Which academic skills do you use most in your work life?
My master’s programme means that I have both a social-science and natural-science perspective on many tasks. The degree programme has also given me the tools to think long-term, with an economic focus, and has taught me to be aware of the many ‘goods’ that can be assigned value, and that the world must often be weighed from different perspectives.
The strong practical focus of my master's degree also means that it is second nature for me to focus on how a decision ultimately impacts the people and products it targets.
The strong practical focus of my master's degree also means that it is second nature for me to focus on how a decision ultimately impacts the people and products it targets. I feel this is one of the greatest qualities of the Forest and Nature Management master's degree.
Theory is supported by practice and vice versa – and ultimately, you will be able to deliver solutions that work in practice. This is a strength I have taken with me from my study programme, and which I am particularly aware of when I encounter academics who have a more theoretical approach to their field.
A good advice: What do you want to tell a prospective student?
Personally, I think it is important to choose an education based on the following:
Get involved in your studies. It should be fun to study – relationships with teachers and fellow students alike add an extra dimension to the academic element.
- You find it academically interesting – even if you cannot see where it will ‘end’ in terms of job opportunities while you are studying.
- Get involved in your studies. It should be fun to study – relationships with teachers and fellow students alike add an extra dimension to the academic element.
- Get a student job that is relevant or do projects that create relationships with the labour market. This gives you a boost while studying, as you can relate your studies to the business world – but also makes it easier to get your first permanent job.
Apply and read more about the international MSc degree Forest and Nature Management.
