Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Program Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking an experienced Wind Farm Program Coordinator to coordinate project delivery across development, construction and operations phases of onshore wind farm programs. The Wind Farm Program Coordinator will be the central point for scheduling, budget tracking, permitting, vendor and contractor management, stakeholder engagement, and risk controls to ensure timely, compliant, and cost-effective delivery. This role requires practical wind energy industry knowledge, strong project controls, excellent communication with landowners and regulators, and fluency with scheduling, reporting, and safety protocols.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Coordinator or Project Controls Analyst in energy or construction
Field Technician, Site Supervisor, or Construction Superintendent in wind or utilities
Environmental Specialist or Permitting Coordinator with renewable energy experience

Advancement To:

Senior Program Manager — Renewables
Wind Development Manager or Construction Manager
Asset Manager / Operations Manager for wind portfolios

Lateral Moves:

Contract and Procurement Manager (Energy Projects)
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager for renewable construction

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate all program-level planning, scheduling, and tracking for multiple wind farm projects, maintaining integrated master schedules (MS Project / Primavera) and communicating critical path activities to leadership and contractors.
Manage program-level budgets and forecasts, perform monthly cost reporting, identify variances, lead corrective actions, and support capital expenditure tracking for project and asset lifecycle phases.
Lead coordination of permitting and regulatory compliance activities, preparing documentation, tracking permit conditions, and liaising with federal, state, and local agencies to ensure timely approvals.
Oversee contractor and vendor selection support, administer requests for proposals (RFPs), evaluate bids, and assist in contract negotiation and scope definition to align with program objectives.
Serve as the primary point of contact for landowner and community relations during development and construction, coordinating meetings, managing commitments, and documenting access and easement requirements.
Coordinate construction mobilization, logistics, and site access for civil, electrical, and turbine installation contractors; ensure sequencing supports safety and schedule targets.
Facilitate daily and weekly construction progress reviews, collect on-site reports, update progress metrics, and escalate schedule or quality issues to project leadership for resolution.
Maintain and enforce health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements across projects, coordinate site safety plans, incident reporting, and ensure contractor compliance with safety standards and training.
Manage quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) processes, coordinate inspections and punch-list activities, and ensure as-built documentation is captured and validated prior to commissioning.
Support commissioning and performance testing coordination, scheduling vendors and OEMs for turbine commissioning, interconnection testing, and acceptance procedures with utilities.
Oversee interconnection and transmission coordination, liaise with transmission owners and utilities, track milestones, and ensure compliance with grid connection requirements and operational readiness.
Administer contract change management: review change orders, assess schedule and cost impacts, secure approvals, and update program controls and forecasts accordingly.
Track and manage procurement schedules for long-lead items (turbines, transformers, substations) and coordinate vendor delivery, storage, and site handling to avoid delays and demobilization costs.
Maintain program-level risk register and issue log, perform regular risk workshops, implement mitigation plans, and provide risk reporting to senior management and stakeholders.
Prepare and deliver executive-level program reporting, dashboards and KPIs (safety metrics, schedule CPI, budget variance, earned value metrics) for internal and external stakeholders.
Coordinate environmental monitoring and mitigation during construction and operations (e.g., wildlife monitoring, noise, habitat restoration), ensuring adherence to permit conditions and mitigation plans.
Manage community benefit programs and local workforce engagement initiatives, coordinating apprenticeships, local hire tracking, and community communications.
Support operations and maintenance (O&M) handover activities, ensure complete turnover packages, technical documentation, spare parts inventory, and training sessions for O&M teams.
Oversee invoice review and payment coordination for contractors and suppliers, ensure documentation compliance, and support accounting with reconciliation and audit materials.
Coordinate technical data collection, SCADA integration support, and performance data handoffs required for asset management and performance optimization.
Liaise with legal, insurance, and finance teams to support contract compliance, insurance claims, bond management, and project close-out procedures.
Manage scheduling and resourcing for program staff and third-party consultants, track deliverables, and ensure alignment with project milestones and corporate governance requirements.
Develop and maintain project-specific GIS, site mapping, environmental baseline datasets, and right-of-way documentation to support planning, permitting and construction logistics.
Lead stakeholder engagement and communications plans, prepare public notices, respond to information requests, and represent the company at community and regulatory meetings.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis of wind farm performance, construction productivity, and cost trends to inform program decisions.
Contribute to the organization's program and data strategy by identifying reporting automation opportunities and recommending process improvements.
Collaborate with business units (development, construction, O&M, finance) to translate operational and regulatory data needs into actionable program requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within cross-functional teams to prioritize delivery of program controls, dashboards, and digital tools.
Assist with preparation of grant and incentive documentation where applicable, supporting financing intake and government reporting requirements.
Provide backup coordination for interdepartmental initiatives such as environmental audits, insurance renewals, and supplier pre-qualification processes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program and Project Controls: integrated scheduling (MS Project, Primavera P6), resource leveling, baseline tracking, earned value analysis (EVM).
Cost Management and Financial Acumen: budget development, forecasting, variance analysis, CAPEX/OPEX tracking.
Permitting & Regulatory Knowledge: local, state and federal permitting processes, environmental compliance, mitigation monitoring.
Construction and Commissioning Knowledge: civil works, electrical balance-of-plant, turbine erection and commissioning processes.
Contract & Procurement: RFP development, bid evaluation, contract administration, change-order management, claims awareness.
SCADA and Performance Data Literacy: familiarity with SCADA systems, performance monitoring, and handing over operational data to O&M teams.
GIS and Mapping: site mapping, layout management, right-of-way and easement documentation using GIS tools.
Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE): construction safety programs, incident investigation, OSHA or local HSE standards in renewables.
IT & Reporting Tools: Excel (advanced), Power BI/Tableau or similar BI tools, SharePoint/Document Control systems, CMMS (e.g., Maximo) familiarity.
Vendor and Stakeholder Management: experience managing OEMs, EPC contractors, utilities, landowners, and community stakeholders.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence contractors, regulators, and community members.
Clear, concise written and verbal communication — experience preparing executive briefings and public-facing materials.
Problem-solving and decisiveness under schedule and budget pressure with a results-oriented mindset.
Excellent organization and multi-project prioritization skills; ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple sites.
Leadership and team coordination: ability to motivate cross-functional teams and follow up to closure.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills for contract and landowner issues.
Attention to detail combined with the capacity to synthesize high-level program status for executive stakeholders.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic construction and permitting environments.
Cultural sensitivity and community engagement skills for effective local stakeholder relations.
Continuous improvement mindset: process-oriented with an emphasis on automation and data-driven decision making.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil, Electrical), Construction Management, Environmental Science, Renewable Energy, Business, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s plus PMP, PgMP, or equivalent project management certification; Master’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or Energy Policy preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil, Electrical, Mechanical or Renewable Energy Engineering
Construction Management, Project Management
Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management
Business Administration with project controls focus

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive responsibility in project coordination, construction, or program delivery within wind energy, power transmission, or heavy civil construction.

Preferred:

5+ years coordinating wind farm development and/or construction programs, demonstrated experience with turbine OEMs, EPC contractors, permitting agencies, interconnection processes and a track record of delivering projects on schedule and on budget.