Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Program Director

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking an experienced Wind Program Director to lead multi-project wind portfolios, drive strategic development and commercialization of wind assets (offshore and onshore), and deliver on aggressive production, permitting, construction, and commissioning timelines. The Wind Program Director will combine deep technical knowledge of wind technologies and site development with proven program and stakeholder management skills to oversee site selection, permitting, environmental compliance, commercial negotiations, procurement and construction oversight. This role reports to senior leadership and partners closely with finance, legal, engineering, operations, external regulators and community stakeholders to turn strategy into buildable, bankable projects.

Key SEO keywords: Wind Program Director, offshore wind development, wind project portfolio, permitting & compliance, project finance, EPC management, PPA negotiation, renewable energy leadership.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Project Manager — Offshore Wind Development
Head of Development / Development Director (Onshore or Offshore)
Principal Engineer / Program Manager in Renewable Energy

Advancement To:

Vice President, Renewable Energy Development
Chief Development Officer (CDO)
Head of Offshore Wind / Director of Global Wind Programs

Lateral Moves:

Director of Construction & Commissioning (EPC oversight)
Director of Asset Development & Operations (O&M transition)
Head of Permitting & Regulatory Affairs

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end program management for a portfolio of wind projects — from strategic site identification and feasibility through permitting, interconnection, financing, procurement, construction and commercial operations — ensuring milestones, budgets, and performance targets are met or exceeded.
Develop and execute the multi-year program plan and roadmap for wind development, aligning technical schedules, commercial activities, stakeholder engagement, and financial close readiness across multiple projects simultaneously.
Direct permitting, environmental review and stakeholder engagement strategies, including NEPA/state EIS coordination, biological and cultural resources studies, and mitigation planning to secure timely regulatory approvals and minimize litigation risk.
Build and manage an interdisciplinary team of developers, engineers, environmental scientists, commercial leads, land/sea rights specialists, and construction managers; provide coaching, resourcing, and performance management to deliver project objectives.
Drive commercial strategy for project offtake and revenue, including negotiation and execution of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), capacity agreements, transmission and interconnection agreements, and merchant strategy where applicable.
Lead financial structuring and commercial readiness efforts required for bankability: oversee financial models, term sheet negotiations, investment memoranda, and coordination with lenders, sponsors and equity partners to achieve financial close.
Oversee selection, negotiation and management of EPC/EPCM and major equipment procurement (turbines, foundations, substations, cables), ensuring contract structures allocate risks appropriately and procurement is aligned with schedule and cost targets.
Manage interface with utilities, ISO/RTOs, transmission developers and grid operators to secure interconnection service, queue positions, curtailment mitigation and commercial terms required for project viability.
Define and enforce technical design and engineering standards (turbine selection, foundation types, electrical systems, geotechnical and metocean requirements), and coordinate third-party engineering review, value engineering, constructability and HAZOPs.
Execute risk management plans across the portfolio: identify, quantify and mitigate schedule, cost, environmental, regulatory, supply chain, and stakeholder risks through robust governance and contingency planning.
Lead health, safety, security and environmental (HSSE) compliance during development and construction; set expectations for contractor safety culture and incident reporting to meet company and regulatory standards.
Establish and maintain strategic supplier relationships for long-lead items (nacelles, blades, substations, vessels) including global vendor sourcing, contract negotiations, and schedule management to avoid supply-chain bottlenecks.
Represent the company with federal, state, and local agencies, elected officials, regulators and coastal/maritime authorities; develop advocacy strategies and maintain collaborative relationships to advance permitting and siting objectives.
Oversee community and stakeholder engagement programs, including local hiring initiatives, community benefits agreements, indigenous/traditional owner consultations, and grievance mechanisms to build social license to operate.
Coordinate project commissioning, testing and handover plans, including performance testing, reliability trials, warranty management and transition to operations and maintenance (O&M) teams.
Monitor project performance KPIs (schedule variance, cost to complete, availability, capacity factor estimates) and deliver regular executive-level reporting, dashboards and risk briefings to sponsors and board-level stakeholders.
Lead cross-functional gating reviews (investment decisions, go/no-go, financial close readiness), prepare board and investment committee materials, and present technical and commercial justifications for key decisions.
Champion sustainability, lifecycle carbon impact assessment, and circularity initiatives across project development and supply chains to meet corporate ESG goals and investor expectations.
Drive continuous improvement across the program by capturing lessons learned, implementing project controls, and standardizing processes, templates and best-practice playbooks for scalable wind program delivery.
Manage multi-jurisdictional legal and contractual obligations, coordinate with in-house or external counsel on regulatory compliance, risk allocation clauses, insurance, force majeure and dispute resolution matters.
Oversee budget creation and financial stewardship for the program office, tracking forecast variances and instituting corrective actions to maintain program-level cost discipline.
Coordinate international expansion opportunities when applicable — evaluate market entry, regulatory regimes, permitting timelines, and commercial frameworks across target regions to inform strategic decisions.

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.
Provide technical input to grant applications, public funding proposals, and state/federal incentive programs to maximize project economics.
Mentor and develop junior staff; design career pathways and succession planning for the development organization.
Support vendor due diligence, supplier audits and factory inspections for major equipment to ensure quality and compliance.
Coordinate logistics for marine operations, vessel mobilization and seasonal construction windows to minimize weather-related schedule impacts.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven program management of large-scale wind projects (onshore/offshore) with demonstrated ability to deliver projects through permitting, construction, and commissioning.
Deep knowledge of offshore wind technical systems: turbines, foundations, dynamic cabling, offshore substations, HVDC/AC systems, and metocean/geotechnical analysis.
Expertise in permitting and regulatory frameworks (NEPA, state EIS, Marine Mammal Protection Act, coastal zone management, fisheries consultation) and experience navigating multi-agency reviews.
Strong commercial and financial modeling skills including project cashflow modeling, LCOE analysis, sensitivity analysis, and preparation of investment memoranda for lenders and investors.
Contract negotiation and management experience with EPC/EPCM, turbine suppliers, O&M providers, subcontractors and vessel charters; familiarity with FIDIC/NEC and customized commercial terms.
Experience with PPA negotiation, interconnection agreements, transmission planning and dealings with RTOs/ISOs or central dispatch authorities.
Proficiency in project controls and scheduling tools (Primavera P6, MS Project), cost management systems, and portfolio-level dashboarding (Power BI, Tableau or equivalent).
Familiarity with HSSE standards and construction health & safety plans, plus experience establishing contractor oversight and safety KPIs.
Understanding of supply chain dynamics for wind components and experience managing long-lead procurement and logistics for global vendors.
Technical due diligence experience for project finance, including capacity factor assessment, resource assessment (met towers/LiDAR), and energy yield forecasting.
Practical experience with environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) processes and community consultation best practices.
Working knowledge of relevant codes, standards and certifications (IEC standards for wind turbines, local building codes, marine safety standards).
Experience with digital tools for asset monitoring and O&M handover, including SCADA basics and reliability-centered maintenance planning.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and ability to set vision and translate strategy into executable program plans across multiple projects.
Exceptional stakeholder management and political acumen: adept at influencing regulators, elected officials, community leaders and commercial partners.
Excellent written and verbal communication; able to produce clear executive summaries, board materials, and technical- commercial briefs.
Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills across commercial, community and regulatory stakeholders.
High emotional intelligence and people management ability to hire, mentor and retain high-performing cross-functional teams.
Problem-solving orientation with the ability to synthesize complex technical and commercial inputs into pragmatic decisions under uncertainty.
Resilient under pressure and adept at prioritizing competing demands while maintaining rigorous attention to safety, quality and schedule.
Collaborative mindset: builds trust with internal teams (finance, legal, engineering, operations) and external partners (vendors, regulators).
Cultural sensitivity and experience engaging with indigenous communities and local stakeholders in project geographies.
Entrepreneurial spirit with a bias for action and continuous improvement orientation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science, Ocean Engineering, Business (MBA) or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Management, Energy Systems, or an MBA with focus on energy/finance.
Professional certifications in project management (PMP), program management or relevant engineering licensure (PE) preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Renewable Energy / Wind Engineering
Civil, Mechanical, Electrical or Ocean Engineering
Environmental Science / Marine Biology
Business Administration / Finance
Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10–20+ years of progressive experience in energy project development, with at least 5–10 years in wind-specific roles and multiple years in leadership/ program management positions.

Preferred:

Demonstrated track record delivering commercial-scale wind projects (≥50 MW onshore or MW-scale offshore farms), including successful permitting, PPA closing, and financial close.
Experience navigating federal/state permitting processes, working with RTO/ISO or transmission owners, and interfacing with maritime/coastal management authorities.
Prior responsibility for managing multi-disciplinary teams, program budgets in the hundreds of millions to billions, and oversight of major construction phases.
Experience in international markets and cross-border project execution is a strong plus.
Established network across turbine OEMs, banking and project finance communities, EPC contractors, and regulatory agencies.