IES webinar: A day in the life of an EIA professional

This webinar series, "A day in the life", shares stories and perspectives from environmental professionals working across specialisms and sectors. The series highlights the breadth of environmental careers and the diversity of routes into the sector. 

In this webinar, Alison Morrissy, Technical Director in EIA at Binnies, shares insights into the following areas:

• What a typical day of work looks like, from coordinating technical specialists and navigating planning policy to undertaking site visits and shaping project design through evidence‑based assessment.
• The range of projects and stakeholders she works with — including planners, ecologists, engineers, local authorities, and community representatives — and how collaboration underpins every stage of the EIA process.
• Her academic and early‑career journey, including how she found her path into environmental assessment, and the skills that proved most valuable along the way.
• Practical advice for anyone considering a career in EIA or the wider environmental sector.

If you are interested in presenting a webinar as part of our "A day in the life" series and sharing your career journey and passion for the sector with the next generation of environmental scientists, please get in contact with Ethny Childs (ethny@the-ies.org). 

Our speaker

Alison Morrissy has been working in environmental consultancy and construction environments for almost 20 years. Alison has built her career delivering environmental assessment for major road, rail, water and energy projects, having studied Environmental Science and Environmental Impact Assessment at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Alison has worked at several engineering consultancies and for a major contractor, and is now focussing primarily on the water sector at Binnies.

Alison’s role is varied, requiring a continually changing focus on a daily or sometimes hourly basis – getting involved in design, planning, stakeholder engagement, project and risk management – and of course Environmental Impact Assessment!

Up next: National Careers Week

To celebrate National Careers Week (2nd-9th March), we’ll be hosting a series of webinars exploring the breadth of careers in the environmental sector. Across themed days, starting with an overview of environmental careers, followed by Land, Air, Water, and ending with Climate and Nature, the week will spotlight the diverse roles, pathways, and skills shaping our environment and future. Additional webinars will be shared soon, so keep an eye on our events webpage for updates.

Header image credit: © Duncan Andison