Natural Sciences Managers

Career summary

Natural science is the study of the physical world and the laws of nature. People who study natural science include:

• Biologists
• Chemists
• Geologists
• Physicists

Natural science managers oversee the research of these and other scientists. This includes research for government agencies and for companies that develop products.

Natural sciences managers consult with other scientists to plan research or production projects. Managers set scientific or technical goals and plan how to achieve them. They also consult with business managers who may not have a science background.

Managers plan budgets and write financial reports. They hire scientists and support staff and assign them to carry out parts of a project. They make important decisions about staff training and equipment purchases.

Science managers monitor the progress of projects and research. They may also help with getting patents for products, or deal with other legal requirements.

Most natural science managers are former scientists and some continue to conduct their own research.

Related careers

This career is part of the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Agricultural Scientists
• Animal Scientists
• Architectural and Engineering Managers
• Biologists
• Conservation Scientists
• Environmental Scientists
• University and College Teachers
• Zoologists

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to natural sciences managers.

• Oversee the work of natural scientists, including chemists, biologists, geologists, and physicists.
• Consult with other scientists and managers to plan research or production projects.
• Determine scientific or technical goals and plan how to accomplish them.
• Direct basic research projects or commercial activities.
• Coordinate many phases of research. Direct problem analysis, solution proposals, and testing.
• Schedule and supervise duties of engineers, researchers, technicians, and other staff.
• Review project activities and research, testing, or operation reports.
• Prepare project proposals.
• May conduct their own research projects.
• Prepare and oversee budgets and write budget reports.
• Hire and assign other scientists and support staff to carry out parts of a project.
• Make decisions about staff training, equipment purchases, and work procedures.
• Provide technical assistance to agencies that conduct environmental studies.
• Advise and assist in getting patents or meeting other legal requirements.

Common work activities

Natural sciences managers perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Get information needed to do the job
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Analyze data or information
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Process information
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Use computers
• Document and record information
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Schedule work and activities
• Think creatively
• Evaluate information against standards
• Develop goals and strategies
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
• Develop and build teams
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Teach others
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Coach others
• Monitor and control resources
• Perform administrative tasks

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, natural sciences managers:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a medium level of social contact. They work closely with scientists and support staff but also on their own.
• Communicate on a daily basis by phone, in person, e-mail, letters, and memos.
• Are responsible for the work done by other workers.
• Are sometimes placed in conflict situations with employees or government agencies.
• Almost always work as a part of a research team.
• Are somewhat responsible for the health and safety of other workers.

Physical work conditions

• Often work indoors, but may on rare occasions work outdoors.
• Are occasionally exposed to noisy or distracting sounds.
• May work in an enclosed vehicle or equipment.
• Occasionally wear safety attire.
• Are occasionally exposed to contaminants.

Work performance

• Must be exact and accurate in their work. Errors could cause safety hazards or wasted resources.
• Often make decisions that impact the results of a study and the reputation of the company or institution.
• Set nearly all their daily tasks and goals without talking to a supervisor first.
• Make most of their decisions without consulting a superior.
• Repeat the same activities.
• Must meet monthly deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Work at least 40 hours a week. They occasionally work much longer to meet project deadlines.

Physical demands

Natural sciences managers frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for natural sciences managers to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for natural sciences managers to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.

Skills and abilities

Natural sciences managers need to:

Communicate

• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.

Reason and problem solve

• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.

Use math and science

• Use scientific methods to solve problems.
• Use math skills to solve problems.
• Choose a mathematical method or formula to solve problems.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and correctly.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Teach others how to do something.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Astronomy
• Astrophysics
• Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
• Biological Sciences, General
• Botany
• Cell Biology
• Chemistry
• Ecology
• Entomology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Geochemistry
• Geological and Earth Sciences
• Hydrology and Water Resources Science
• Immunology
• Marine Biology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Natural Resources Policy and Management
• Natural Sciences
• Oceanography
• Physical Sciences, General
• Physics
• Virology
• Zoology and Animal Biology

Other programs of study to consider

• Business Management and Administration
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Studies
• Forestry
• Geophysics and Seismology
• Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
• Natural Resources Conservation
• Range Science and Management
• Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management
• Wildlife Sciences and Management

Training

To work as a natural sciences manager, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have at least a bachelor's degree in science; and
• have more than five years experience as a scientist.

Education after high school

You must have at least a bachelor's degree in science for management positions in applied science. You need a master's or doctoral (PhD) degree in science to be a manager in research.

Many natural sciences managers have a master's degree. Science managers need administrative skills as well as technical skills. A master's in business administration (MBA) is good preparation for non-technical (applied science) management jobs. For technical management jobs, a master's degree or PhD in science plus an MBA is the best preparation.

You should major in the natural science you are most interested in. Computer and management courses are also helpful.

Work experience

You must prove yourself as a scientist before you can move into this occupation. Natural science managers work for several years as chemists, biologists, geologists, or scientists in other fields before becoming managers.

On-the-job training

You should consider participating in an internship while in college. An internship is usually part of a four-year degree program. It offers you a chance to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a work situation. It also allows you to build skills and make contacts with people in the field.

Employers often provide training or pay for college course work. It is important that you update your technical skills and expand your administrative skills.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements. Take as many classes as you can in the areas of science that interest you.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Accounting
• Computer Applications
• Introduction to Business
• Probability and Statistics

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers prefer to hire natural science managers who have good communication and administrative skills.

Costs to workers

Some workers join professional associations, which may have membership fees and annual dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Natural Sciences Managers 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer and the manager's level of experience and responsibility.

Managers usually receive benefits such as paid vacation, sick leave, health insurance, and a retirement plan. In addition, managers sometimes receive extra benefits, especially higher-level managers. Examples include expense accounts, stock option plans, and bonuses.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Research and testing companies
• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Drug manufacturers

National outlook

Demand for this occupation is growing as fast as average. Advances in technology create competition among companies. They must upgrade and improve their products and services more often to compete with each other. This often means they hire more research scientists to work on their products.

Competition for jobs is strong. Job openings will occur as people retire.

Other resources

American Chemical Society 
1155 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
800.227.5558

American Geophysical Union 
2000 Florida Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
800.966.2481
202.462.6900

American Institute of Biological Sciences 
1800 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 400
Reston, VA 20191
703.674.2500

Environmental Career Center 
P.O. Box 3387
Hampton, Virginia 23663

Science Careers 

US Fish and Wildlife Service 

Washington Business Week 
PO Box 1170
Renton, WA 98057
253.237.3545

References

Career cluster

• Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupation

• Natural Sciences Managers (11-9121.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupations

• Chemical Laboratory Chief (022.161-010) 
• Project Manager, Environmental Research (029.167-014) 
• Technical Director, Chemical Plant (008.167-010) 

Holland occupational clusters

• Enterprising/Investigative/Conventional
• Enterprising/Investigative/Realistic

COPSystem

• Business Professional