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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Engineer

💰 $75,000 - $140,000

Renewable EnergyWind EnergyEngineeringOperations & MaintenanceProject Management

🎯 Role Definition

A Wind Farm Engineer is responsible for the technical delivery, performance optimization and safe operation of onshore or offshore wind farm assets throughout development, construction, commissioning and operations phases. This role blends electrical and mechanical engineering, wind resource assessment, grid connection design, condition monitoring, vendor management and regulatory compliance to maximize availability, energy yield and lifecycle value of wind turbines and electrical balance-of-plant systems.

Key keywords: wind farm engineer, wind turbine technology, O&M engineer, asset performance, wind resource assessment, SCADA integration, electrical systems, foundation and civil engineering, grid connection, condition monitoring.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Wind Turbine Technician / Wind Turbine Operator
  • Junior Mechanical or Electrical Engineer (renewables)
  • Field Service Engineer (turbine OEM)

Advancement To:

  • Senior Wind Farm Engineer / Lead Engineer
  • Asset Manager / Operations Manager
  • Project Manager — Wind Farm Development
  • Technical Director — Renewable Assets

Lateral Moves:

  • O&M Specialist / Condition Monitoring Engineer
  • Renewable Energy Consultant
  • Commissioning Engineer / Grid Connection Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead technical design and engineering for wind farm projects, including turbine selection, array layout, micrositing, wake-loss analysis and optimization to maximize energy yield while meeting environmental and permitting constraints.
  • Conduct comprehensive wind resource assessments, energy yield modeling and long-term production estimates using software such as WindPRO, WAsP, WindFarmer or OpenWind; validate assumptions and present P50/P90 analyses for financial modeling and investor due diligence.
  • Design and specify electrical balance-of-plant (BOP) systems including collector circuits, cable sizing, MV/HV substations, transformer selection and SCADA architecture; coordinate protection and control schemes with network operators.
  • Produce civil and foundation engineering input: geotechnical integration, foundation type selection, access roads, crane hard-standing design and erosion control measures in collaboration with structural and geotech teams.
  • Lead feasibility studies and technical due diligence for acquisitions, refinancing or brownfield optimization — identify failure modes, performance degradation, retrofit needs and estimate CAPEX/OPEX impacts.
  • Supervise engineering deliverables during procurement and fabrication: prepare technical specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, perform technical clarifications, and approve materials and drawings to ensure compliance with project requirements.
  • Manage construction and installation engineering activities on-site: provide technical supervision, resolve RFIs, coordinate third-party contractors and subcontractors to ensure quality, safety and schedule adherence.
  • Oversee commissioning, testing and handover activities: develop FAT/SAT procedures, witness functional testing of turbines, substations and SCADA, manage punch lists and verify performance guarantees prior to commercial operation date.
  • Implement and maintain condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programs using SCADA analytics, vibration analysis, oil debris monitoring, thermography and other CMMS tools to increase uptime and reduce unscheduled downtime.
  • Perform root cause analysis on turbine failures (gearbox, generator, blade, yaw/ pitch systems) and lead corrective action plans, liaising with OEMs and service providers to secure warranty and repair outcomes.
  • Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for asset performance, availability, energy production, and operational expenditure; prepare monthly/quarterly technical reports and dashboarding for internal stakeholders and investors.
  • Coordinate grid connection studies, network impact assessments, reactive power and harmonics mitigation, and relay coordination; support interconnection application processes with transmission system operators and utilities.
  • Ensure regulatory and environmental compliance during all project phases: support permitting, environmental monitoring, bird and bat mitigation measures, and community engagement to minimize operational risks and reputational exposure.
  • Lead lifecycle planning and asset integrity programs including retrofit strategies (e.g., blade or drivetrain retrofits), repowering assessments and end-of-life planning to optimize long-term returns.
  • Drive health, safety and environmental (HSE) compliance on site and in design, including HAZID/HAZOP facilitation, method statements, permit-to-work systems and contractor safety assurance.
  • Manage budgets, cost controls and resource allocation for engineering workstreams; produce cost estimates, change order evaluation and support commercial negotiations with suppliers and contractors.
  • Integrate digital systems and data engineering priorities into asset operations: define SCADA data models, telemetry architecture, cloud ingestion, and data governance requirements to support analytics and ML-driven optimization.
  • Mentor and lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, provide technical training, and coordinate external consultants to ensure consistent engineering standards and knowledge transfer across projects.
  • Maintain documentation control: approve engineering drawings, calculation packages, commissioning records and O&M manuals; ensure traceability for warranties and performance claims.
  • Engage with stakeholders including landowners, local authorities, network operators, OEMs and financiers; translate technical information into accessible deliverables for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Evaluate and implement reliability improvements and continuous improvement initiatives, including spare parts strategy, remote diagnostics, and lifecycle cost reduction programs.
  • Support emergency response and outage management for wind farm incidents; coordinate mobilization of specialist crews and manage communications and remediation to restore safe operations quickly.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide input to commercial teams during bid, procurement and contract strategy development to ensure technical risks are appropriately priced and mitigated.
  • Contribute to R&D and pilot programs for advanced turbine technology, energy storage integration, or hybridization with solar assets.
  • Assist with training programs for operations staff and development of technical onboarding materials.
  • Support marketing and sales with technical content for proposals, tender responses and customer presentations.
  • Maintain relationships with OEM technical account managers to leverage engineering improvements, firmware updates and fleet improvements.
  • Investigate opportunities to integrate energy storage, grid-forming inverters, or reactive power services to increase revenue streams and grid compatibility.
  • Participate in industry working groups and standards committees to keep the company aligned with evolving technical and regulatory practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep understanding of wind turbine technology: drivetrain, generator, power electronics, pitch/yaw systems and blade aerodynamics.
  • Wind resource assessment and energy yield modeling using WindPRO, WAsP, WindFarmer, OpenWind, or equivalent.
  • Electrical power systems knowledge: MV/HV design, cable routing, transformer selection, switchgear, protection relays and earthing systems.
  • SCADA, telemetry and condition monitoring systems: architecture design, alarm handling, data acquisition and analytics (experience with SCADA platforms and IoT telemetry).
  • Structural and foundation engineering basics for turbine bases and civil infrastructure; ability to read and check structural drawings.
  • Grid connection studies and network code compliance, grid-forming/firming technologies and reactive power control strategies.
  • Software and analysis tools: AutoCAD, MicroStation, PVsyst (for hybrid studies), MATLAB/Simulink, Python/R for data analysis and performance modeling.
  • Familiarity with vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography and other predictive maintenance techniques.
  • Experience with asset management systems and CMMS (Maximo, SAP PM, Infor EAM or similar).
  • Technical specification and procurement expertise: preparing SOWs, evaluating technical proposals and managing technical contract terms.
  • Root cause analysis and failure investigation methodologies (FMEA, 8D, RCA).
  • HSE compliance knowledge relevant to construction and O&M of wind farms; certifications such as NEBOSH or equivalent are a plus.
  • Offshore experience (if applicable): marine operations, cable laying, turbine installation processes and offshore logistics.
  • GIS and site layout tools for micrositing and access design.

Soft Skills

  • Strong oral and written communication — able to translate complex engineering concepts into clear reports and presentations for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Leadership and team management — experience leading multidisciplinary engineering and field teams.
  • Problem-solving mindset with analytical rigor — able to structure technical investigations and recommend pragmatic solutions under time pressure.
  • Stakeholder management and negotiation skills — liaising with OEMs, utilities, regulators and local communities.
  • Project management capability — planning, prioritization, and delivering engineering milestones on time and on budget.
  • Attention to detail and documentation discipline for safe handover and regulatory compliance.
  • Adaptability and resilience — comfortable working in field conditions and dynamic project environments.
  • Commercial awareness — balancing technical integrity with cost, schedule and contractual considerations.
  • Coaching and mentoring skills to grow junior engineers and field technicians.
  • Ethical judgment and high integrity in safety-critical decisions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Wind Energy, Power Systems or Structural Engineering.
  • Professional certifications: Chartered Engineer (CEng), Professional Engineer (PE) or equivalent.
  • Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) and safety certifications (NEBOSH, ISO 45001) are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical / Power Engineering
  • Civil / Structural Engineering
  • Renewable Energy Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–10 years of relevant industry experience, depending on seniority of the role.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of hands-on experience in wind farm engineering, construction, commissioning or operations & maintenance.
  • Demonstrated experience with onshore or offshore wind projects, SCADA and condition monitoring implementations, and grid connection processes.
  • Proven track record managing vendor technical interfaces, onsite commissioning activities and delivering performance improvements on operational assets.
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