Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Program Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Farm Program Consultant is an experienced renewable-energy professional responsible for coordinating multi-discipline project teams and driving delivery of wind farm portfolios from late-stage development through construction, commissioning and operational readiness. This role provides technical leadership, commercial oversight and program governance to ensure projects meet schedule, budget and quality targets while satisfying regulatory, environmental and stakeholder requirements. The consultant acts as a trusted advisor to developers, lenders, EPC contractors and asset owners on technical strategy, risk mitigation, contractual structures and performance optimization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Manager — Wind Development or Construction
Senior Development Engineer / Technical Lead
Construction Manager or Site Manager for onshore/offshore wind

Advancement To:

Program Director / Head of Wind Projects
Director of Project Delivery / Head of Renewables
Principal Consultant — Renewable Energy Programs

Lateral Moves:

Asset Manager (Operational Wind Portfolios)
Technical Due Diligence Lead for Finance or M&A

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end program delivery across multiple wind farm projects, establishing program governance, milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure alignment with corporate strategy, financing conditions and stakeholder expectations.
Manage cross-functional teams (development, consenting, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations) to integrate schedules, resource plans and cost controls at the program level and for each project in the portfolio.
Develop and maintain comprehensive program risk registers and mitigation plans covering technical, commercial, environmental, grid and schedule risks; escalate and drive resolution of critical issues to senior stakeholders.
Oversee interfaces between developers, EPC contractors, turbine suppliers, transmission system operators (TSOs), consultants and regulators to ensure smooth technical integration and contractual compliance.
Provide technical due diligence and constructability reviews for turbine selection, foundation design, inter-array cabling, export cables, substations and onshore grid connections to validate assumptions and reduce delivery risk.
Coordinate consenting and permitting strategy, including environmental impact assessments, marine licenses (for offshore projects), land rights, cultural heritage assessments and stakeholder consultation plans to secure timely approvals.
Lead commercial negotiations for major EPC and supply contracts, including interface schedules, payment milestones, performance guarantees, liquidated damages and warranty regimes to protect owner interests.
Produce and present executive-level program reports, board packs and lender-facing documentation demonstrating progress against schedule, budget, technical milestones and environmental compliance.
Drive cost control and forecasting processes for the program, perform variance analysis, and recommend corrective actions to bring projects back on track financially and operationally.
Define commissioning and testing strategies, oversee system integration and Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) / Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), and manage pre-commissioning and commissioning plans to ensure safe and timely handover.
Implement HSE and quality assurance frameworks across projects, ensuring contractor compliance with safety plans, environmental mitigation measures and site-specific procedures during construction and commissioning.
Advise on grid connection and transmission reinforcement strategy, coordinate point-of-connection agreements, grid code compliance, system impact studies and integration testing with TSOs and utilities.
Lead supply chain and logistics planning for turbine components, foundations, large transformers and cable installations, optimizing transport, staging, port operations and installation windows to minimize schedule risk.
Coordinate geotechnical, geophysical and metocean studies to inform foundation and cable design, installation methodologies and operational limits, and ensure designs are grounded in robust site data.
Support development of O&M strategy and transition-to-operations plans, including spare parts provisioning, warranty management, SCADA integration, remote monitoring and performance optimization for life-cycle cost reduction.
Conduct performance modelling, energy yield assessments and wake-loss analyses to validate revenue forecasts, refine layout decisions and support financing and insurance requirements.
Deliver technical training, handover documentation and asset management interfaces to ensure operations teams have full visibility of design intent, as-built documentation and commissioning records.
Drive continuous improvement through lessons-learned workshops after key project phases, applying best practices across the program and standardizing processes to improve predictability and efficiency.
Provide independent engineer (IE) style support for lenders and investors when required, delivering impartial technical assessments, construction progress verification and milestone certification.
Support claims management and dispute resolution activities by compiling technical evidence, schedule impact analyses and commercial assessments in coordination with legal and commercial teams.
Coordinate community and stakeholder engagement activities to manage social license to operate, respond to local concerns, and integrate mitigation measures into project execution.
Monitor regulatory and market developments (renewable policy, grid codes, permitting changes) that impact program delivery timelines, costs or technical requirements, and recommend strategic responses.
Lead valuation and procurement of specialist services (marine contractors, cable installers, heavy-lift vessels) and supervise procurement timelines, bid evaluation and contract award processes.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Mentor junior consultants and project engineers, supporting skills development in technical disciplines, contract management and stakeholder engagement.
Represent the company at industry events, regulatory consultations and stakeholder meetings to build relationships and market presence.
Assist in business development by preparing proposals, technical scopes and cost estimates for new wind farm projects or advisory assignments.
Support environmental monitoring programs during construction to ensure mitigation measures are implemented and reporting obligations are met.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program and project management for utility-scale wind farms (onshore and/or offshore), including portfolio-level planning, scheduling and earned-value tracking.
Deep knowledge of wind turbine technology, foundations (monopile, jacket, gravity), inter-array and export cable systems, HV substations and grid connection engineering.
Experience with EPC contract structures, BOOT/BOO contracts, turnkey delivery models and supply agreements for major equipment and installation services.
Technical due diligence and constructability review experience for investors, lenders or owners, including preparation of independent engineer reports.
Proficiency in scheduling tools (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project) and program management software for integrated schedule and resource planning.
Financial modelling and cost control skills: capex/opex forecasting, change control, cashflow management and commercial close processes.
Knowledge of permitting, consenting and environmental impact assessment processes relevant to wind projects, including marine licensing for offshore projects.
Competence in HSE management systems, site safety oversight and environmental compliance during construction and commissioning.
Grid connection and electrical system expertise: grid code compliance, dynamic modelling, protection systems and SCADA/telemetry integration.
Familiarity with geotechnical, geophysical and metocean data interpretation as it relates to foundation design and installation risk.
Experience with procurement strategy and bid evaluation for specialist contractors (installation vessels, cable lay, heavy-lift services).
Understanding of warranty regimes, performance guarantees, testing protocols (FAT/SAT) and commissioning acceptance criteria.
Proficiency with technical documentation tools and document control systems (SharePoint, Aconex, Primavera Contract Manager).
Data analysis and performance modelling skills: energy yield assessment, wake modelling and production forecasting using tools like WindPRO, WAsP or OpenFAST.
Experience in claims management, schedule impact analysis (time impact analysis) and dispute support.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management and political acumen — able to navigate developer, community, regulator and contractor relationships.
Clear, persuasive communicator able to prepare executive summaries, board-level presentations and lender reports.
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate high-level business objectives into executable delivery plans.
Excellent negotiation skills for commercial contracts and contractor performance arrangements.
Leadership presence and team-building capability to align cross-functional teams and motivate delivery under pressure.
Problem-solving orientation with comfort handling complex technical, commercial and schedule trade-offs.
Adaptability to operate across onshore and offshore environments and multiple jurisdictions.
Attention to detail for technical reviews, compliance checks and quality assurance.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Mentoring and coaching ability to develop junior staff and transfer program knowledge.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Offshore), Renewable Energy, Project Management or a closely related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Offshore Engineering, Structural/Electrical Engineering, or MBA with energy sector focus.
Professional certifications such as PMP, Prince2 Practitioner, Chartered Engineer (CEng) or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil / Structural Engineering
Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineering
Electrical Power Systems / High Voltage Engineering
Offshore Engineering / Marine Engineering
Environmental Science / Coastal & Marine Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7–15 years of progressive experience in wind farm development, construction and program management, with demonstrable experience delivering multi-disciplinary projects.

Preferred:

At least 5 years in a program-level or senior project management role coordinating multiple wind projects or major EPC contracts.
Experience across the entire project lifecycle (development → construction → commissioning → operations).
Demonstrated experience working with lenders/investors, independent engineer processes and major contracting stakeholders.
Track record delivering projects in the relevant jurisdiction(s) with knowledge of local permitting, grid and environmental frameworks.