Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Operations Supervisor

💰 $80,000 - $140,000

Wind EnergyOperationsRenewable EnergySupervisionMaintenance

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Farm Operations Supervisor leads day-to-day operations and maintenance activities at an onshore or offshore wind farm, ensuring safe, reliable and cost‑effective power production. This role supervises technicians and contractors, manages preventive and corrective maintenance strategies, monitors SCADA and turbine performance, enforces HSE and regulatory compliance, and drives continuous improvement to maximize availability and reduce O&M costs. Ideal candidates combine technical turbine knowledge, field leadership experience, proven contractor management, and a strong safety-first mindset.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Wind Turbine Technician / Lead Technician
  • Field Service Engineer (wind turbines)
  • Maintenance Supervisor in heavy industry or utilities

Advancement To:

  • Operations Manager / O&M Manager
  • Asset Manager (Renewables)
  • Regional Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Construction Commissioning Supervisor (wind)
  • Technical Account Manager / Client Relations (asset owner)
  • Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Leadership in Renewables

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead, supervise and mentor a team of wind turbine technicians and field staff to safely execute daily operations and maintenance tasks while maintaining high team morale and clear performance expectations.
  • Plan, prioritize and oversee scheduled preventive maintenance and condition-based maintenance activities in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and asset management plans to maximize turbine availability.
  • Manage and coordinate all corrective maintenance and outage activities, including diagnosis, troubleshooting, work execution, and validation of repairs to minimize unplanned downtime and restore generation quickly.
  • Monitor SCADA, turbine controllers and plant-level telemetry to identify performance degradation, alarms and trends; initiate investigations and corrective action plans to recover lost energy capture.
  • Develop, track and report key operational KPIs such as availability, mean time to repair (MTTR), mean time between failures (MTBF), and lost production; present results to senior management and owners.
  • Coordinate and manage outsourced contractors and third-party service providers (mechanical, electrical, rope access, crane services, blade repair) including scope definition, work sequencing, quality assurance and safety oversight.
  • Ensure strict compliance with all HSE regulations, site permits and company safety programs; lead toolbox talks, incident investigations, near‑miss reporting and corrective action implementation.
  • Oversee spare parts management and inventory controls, working with procurement to maintain critical parts stock levels and to reduce AOG (Aircraft on Ground equivalent) lead times that impact site availability.
  • Develop and manage annual operations and maintenance budgets, control OPEX spend, track cost-to-repair metrics and support CAPEX planning for major component replacements (gearboxes, generators, blades).
  • Lead root cause analysis for recurring failures and implement reliability improvement initiatives (design changes, firmware updates, maintenance strategy optimization) to reduce repeat events and lifecycle costs.
  • Plan and supervise complex lifting operations and heavy maintenance activities including mobilization/ demobilization of cranes, compliance with lifting plans and verification of lift equipment certification.
  • Manage site access, logistics, and scheduling for technicians, contractors and visitors; ensure welfare, site induction and emergency response capabilities are in place and exercised.
  • Interface with grid operators, regulatory agencies and stakeholders to coordinate curtailments, islanding events, performance reporting and compliance submissions.
  • Oversee commissioning checks, post‑installation inspections and performance validation for new turbines, retrofits or turbine control upgrades to ensure contractual performance targets are met.
  • Implement and maintain a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to schedule tasks, capture work histories, track labor and parts usage, and support data-driven maintenance decisions.
  • Drive continuous improvement projects such as predictive maintenance program roll‑outs (vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography), process standardization, and digitalization initiatives to improve reliability and reduce costs.
  • Develop and deliver competency training and certification programs for technicians on safe work procedures, rescue techniques, electrical isolation, and manufacturer-specific maintenance practices.
  • Maintain accurate operational and technical documentation including O&M manuals, inspection records, shift logs and compliance files; ensure document control and versioning in line with audit requirements.
  • Coordinate environmental monitoring and compliance (e.g., protected species mitigation, noise monitoring, site restoration) to ensure adherence to permit conditions and local regulations.
  • Lead emergency response, major incident management and black-start restoration planning; act as site incident commander when required and liaison with emergency services.
  • Manage performance testing and warranty claim processes by compiling failure evidence, cost-to-repair documentation, and coordinating with OEMs and legal/contract teams to recover costs where appropriate.
  • Provide clear and timely communication to asset owners, investors and corporate stakeholders on operational status, risk profile, budget variances and major work plans.
  • Oversee night-shift or 24/7 operations where applicable, ensuring shift handovers, fatigue risk management and continuity of work instructions across teams and shifts.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting, energy forecasting reconciliation and performance analytics to assist asset managers and trading desks in production estimates.
  • Contribute to the site’s digital transformation by piloting condition monitoring tools, data pipelines and analytics that enable predictive maintenance.
  • Assist procurement and supply chain teams in vendor qualification, RFIs/RFPs evaluation and contract performance monitoring for O&M services and parts supply.
  • Participate in monthly/quarterly owner meetings and investor due diligence, preparing operational summaries, risk registers and improvement roadmaps.
  • Support environmental and community engagement efforts including local stakeholder communications, site tours, and complaint resolution related to operations.
  • Help develop business continuity plans and seasonal readiness programs (storm preparation, winterization) to protect assets and personnel from extreme weather.
  • Coordinate with engineering and technical services for turbine upgrades, software patches and life-extension programs to improve plant economics.
  • Support budgeting & forecasting cycles with detailed inputs for labor plans, spare parts consumption and expected downtime for major works.
  • Assist in the recruitment, onboarding and competency assessments of new field technicians and supervisory staff.
  • Participate in cross-site standardization projects to harmonize O&M procedures, safety protocols and reporting formats across multiple assets.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep understanding of wind turbine systems (rotor/blades, gearbox, generator, power electronics, yaw/pitch systems) and practical experience managing their operation and maintenance.
  • Proficient with SCADA systems, alarm management, data trending and remote diagnostics to monitor plant performance and execute corrective actions.
  • Experience using CMMS platforms (e.g., IBM Maximo, SAP PM, Infor EAM) to plan, schedule and document maintenance work.
  • Strong electrical knowledge up to medium/high voltage systems, switchgear, transformers and earthing principles relevant to wind farm operations.
  • Proven ability to manage contractor scope, track work quality, negotiate service levels and enforce contractual SLAs for O&M providers.
  • Familiarity with condition monitoring techniques (vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography, acoustic monitoring) and predictive maintenance programs.
  • Knowledge of HSE management systems, incident investigation, risk assessments, lifting plans, confined space and rope access safety standards.
  • Budgeting and financial management skills for O&M, including cost control, CAPEX/OPEX planning and warranty claim management.
  • Experience with performance optimization strategies: curtailment minimization, availability improvement, and firmware/control tuning.
  • Competence in emergency response planning, major incident command and coordinating multi-agency response.
  • Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, electrical schematics and manufacturer service manuals.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel for KPI dashboards, PowerPoint for stakeholder reporting, Word for documentation) and familiarity with basic SQL or data extraction tools is advantageous.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and team management skills with the ability to coach, motivate and hold technicians and contractors accountable.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear reporting to owners, regulators and cross-functional teams.
  • Decisive problem-solver with demonstrated ability to prioritize under pressure and manage multiple concurrent outages or projects.
  • High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management—able to build trust with OEMs, contractors, regulators and local communities.
  • Strong organizational skills with attention to detail, documentation discipline and follow-through.
  • Continuous improvement mindset with curiosity for data-driven decisions and operational excellence.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for handling contractor disputes, warranty negotiations and labor issues.
  • Flexibility and adaptability to work varied shifts, be on-call for emergencies and travel between sites as required.
  • Safety-first attitude and the ability to embed HSE culture across teams through visible leadership.
  • Analytical thinking with the ability to synthesize telemetry and inspection data into actionable maintenance strategies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy, or related technical discipline; equivalent technical apprenticeship with substantial field experience will also be considered.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or Energy Systems, or professional certifications in wind energy/O&M, asset management or HSE (e.g., NEBOSH, IOSH, Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Renewable Energy Engineering
  • Industrial Maintenance
  • Offshore Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–10+ years in wind farm operations and maintenance or related power generation experience, with 3+ years in a supervisory or lead role.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years O&M experience in wind farms with demonstrated leadership in managing multi-discipline teams, contractors and performance improvement initiatives; experience with both onshore and offshore assets is a plus.
Explore More Careers