We at the Ministry of the Environment want to ensure a better environment for future generations. At the Ministry of the Environment, you can have an impact on environmental matters, building, housing and biodiversity. Work in environmental administration is varied and has a strong impact on society.
Doing meaningful work together
The thriving environment of the future is built in the present, and we at the Ministry of the Environment play an important role in this work. We are committed to working on behalf of the environment together with other experts and to helping each other succeed. We work in a variety of interest groups, so open exchange of information and well-flowing communication are essential for our work. This means not only transparency in research and drafting of legislation, but also an interactive, responsible way of working in different groups and communities. At the Ministry, equality and non-discrimination are basic requirements for a well-functioning work community, and we work actively to advance these values. Our work environment is network-based and non-hierarchical. This way, we can ensure that things are handled smoothly and information flows quickly.
A work environment that supports development
We value each other’s strong expertise and are interested in developing and improving ourselves continuously. As an expert organisation constantly in a state of renewal, we feel that personal development is an integral part of our work and we encourage everyone to find their own unique way of deepening and broadening their expertise. Our supervisors encourage independent ways of working and personal development through training, networking and interesting tasks.
Work-life balance
Wellbeing at work is important to us, and we work to ensure that Ministry of the Environment employees can balance their work and everyday life as smoothly and fairly as possible. Our modern workspace in downtown Helsinki provides a varied, ergonomic work environment. We support flexible work by offering opportunities for staff rotation and study leave, supporting remote work and encouraging family leave. We also participate in Bring Your Child to Work Day. In addition, the Ministry of the Environment organises recreational activities and supports employees’ physical activity and cultural interests.
Who are we?
More than 260 public officials work at the Ministry of the Environment. Many of us work with global environmental matters, drafting of legislation, environmental and housing policy and administrative expert and assistant positions. We value wide-ranging expertise and work experience. Employees at the Ministry include architects and Masters of Science (Technology), and many have studied law, agriculture and forestry, geography, political science and administrative science. Women account for 70% of the Ministry's staff, while men make up 30%. The average age of Ministry employees is slightly under 50 years.
Employment relationship and salary
The majority of employment relationships at the Ministry are fixed-term positions. The terms of employment relationships are governed by the national legislation concerning public officials and the Collective Agreement for State Civil Servants and Employees Under Contract.
The Ministry has its own pay system. The positions are divided into difficulty classes that each have their own pay grade. The pay is made up of the task-specific pay component based on the difficulty of the job and the individual pay component based on the employee’s performance at work.