Get a part-time job or internship with a company that provides landfill gas collection services. Ask your school's career services office for help with tracking down employment opportunities. Learn more about the different types of jobs and companies involved in methane/landfill gas collection systems by visiting the career section of the National Waste & Recycling Association's Web site, https://jobs.wasterecycling.org/jobseekers. Join a professional association for access to education, networking, and other resources that can enhance your career in landfill gas collection. For example, the Solid Waste Association of North America offers various levels of membership, including student membership and young professionals membership. Find information at https://swana.org/membership. Another way to gain insights into this field is by conducting an informational interview with a methane/landfill gas collection system operator. Your school's career services office can help you find an operator who is interested in discussing their career and sharing advice.

Methane/landfill gas collection system operators oversee the extraction of methane and carbon dioxide from landfills. They monitor the extraction systems and make sure the gas collection equipment and systems are operating correctly. They read meters, gauges, and automatic recording devices and identify and resolve problems as they arise. Operators keep records of their work and prepare reports on collection system operations and productivity. They make sure that permits for the landfills are up to date. 

The job entails a variety of tasks, from monitoring the landfill gas collection operations to supervising landfill employees as well as related workers. The methane/landfill gas collection system operator's workday can include any combination of the following duties: reviewing and recommending improvements to the process and scheduling of soil removal from landfill sites; coordinating the maintenance of equipment and diesel engines used in landfill operations; preparing soil reports in accordance with regulatory and permitting agencies; preparing and managing budgets for landfill collection systems; inspecting landfill sites to make sure safety and environmental regulations are met; developing procedures for the normal operations of starting, setting up, and shutting down methane/landfill gas collection systems. 

Methane/landfill gas collection system operators are responsible for operating the computerized control panels that manage gas compression operations. They keep track of the emissions data, which includes the levels of biomethane and nitrous oxide. They oversee gas collection landfill operations that include leachate and gas management or rail operations. System operators keep records of the volume and weight of landfill waste. They maintain daily logs and evaluate the landfill gas collection service requirements to make sure they align with operational plans and goals. 

Operators use various computer software programs to review and analyze data, create reports, and communicate with other employees and gas collection project workers. They use analytical or scientific software such as LandTec System Software LFG Pro; enterprise resource planning software such as SAP and WorkTech MAXIMO; facilities management software, e-mail software, and spreadsheet software.