Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Turbine Program Technician

🎯 Role Definition

As a Wind Turbine Program Technician you will be the field-facing technical lead who ensures wind turbine generators (WTGs) operate safely, reliably, and efficiently. Reporting into the Asset/Operations Manager or Program Manager, you will execute preventive and corrective maintenance, lead inspections, support commissioning and outage work, coordinate crane and lift operations, and implement reliability improvements across the fleet. This hands-on role requires strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, proven experience working at heights, OEM familiarity (Vestas, GE, Siemens Gamesa or similar), and a disciplined focus on safety, documentation, and continuous improvement.

Key keywords: wind turbine technician, wind turbine program technician, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, SCADA, CMMS, blade inspection, gearbox, generator, HV systems, commissioning, reliability, vibration analysis, fall protection.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Turbine Technician / Turbine Technician I
Electrical or Mechanical Field Technician with renewables experience
Diesel/Industrial Maintenance Technician transitioning into wind

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Turbine Technician / Lead Technician
Wind Farm Crew Lead or Site Supervisor
Program Manager, Asset Manager, or Reliability Engineer

Lateral Moves:

SCADA / Control Systems Technician
Blade Repair Specialist / Composite Technician
Safety Coordinator / Training Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform scheduled preventive maintenance and corrective repairs on wind turbine components including blades, hub, gearbox, generator, yaw system, pitch system, nacelle, tower, and associated electrical cabinets following OEM manuals and company procedures to maximize availability.
Execute detailed visual and hands-on inspections of blades, towers, nacelles, and foundations; document defects, prioritize remediation, and initiate work orders in the CMMS (e.g., SAP, Maximo).
Troubleshoot mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical faults using structured diagnostic processes, schematics, multimeters, insulation testers, and handheld tools to restore turbine operation safely and efficiently.
Operate SCADA and local PLC control interfaces to monitor turbine performance, retrieve event logs, perform remote diagnostics, and validate control changes during commissioning and troubleshooting.
Lead gearbox, generator and drivetrain inspections and interventions, including oil sampling, oil analysis interpretation, fluid changes, filter replacement, and torque verification to support reliability programs.
Conduct vibration analysis, thermography inspections (infrared), and ultrasonic testing as part of predictive maintenance programs; interpret results and recommend corrective action or condition-based interventions.
Plan and execute turbine commissioning and decommissioning tasks, including pre-commissioning checks, SATs, system energization, protection relay testing, and final performance verification against factory acceptance criteria.
Manage and supervise crane lifts, hoist and rigging operations for nacelle or major component replacement; coordinate lift plan, slinging, operator communications, and toolbox talks to ensure safe lifts.
Perform high-voltage (HV) isolation, grounding and re-energization procedures up to the site’s rated voltage while following lockout/tagout (LOTO), substation switching orders and authorized electrical safety work practices.
Conduct rope access and rope descent inspections and repairs (if certified) or safely work under rope access teams; apply fall protection systems and rescue plans for work at height.
Write clear, actionable work orders, maintenance reports and root-cause analyses using CMMS and internal documentation tools; ensure accurate parts usage, labor entries and job close-out.
Coordinate spare parts requisitioning, inventory management and kitting for outages to optimize first-time-fix rates and minimize turbine downtime.
Support outage planning and execution by preparing scope-of-work, materials lists, specialized tooling, and subcontractor coordination to meet scheduled outage deliverables.
Conduct on-site training, mentoring and competency assessments for junior technicians, contractors and seasonal crews on safe work practices, task execution and OEM procedures.
Communicate with operations, asset management, OEM field service, and engineering teams to escalate repeated failures, implement reliability upgrades, and track warranty or supplier claims.
Implement and maintain safety programs, perform pre-shift safety briefings, conduct hazard assessments and continuously enforce PPE, fall-arrest and rescue protocols in accordance with OSHA, local regulations, and company standards.
Execute emergency response duties, including turbine rescue, first aid/CPR, spill response, and coordination with emergency services when required.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives: identify recurring failure modes, propose design or procedural changes, document lessons learned, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Lead or assist with environmental and regulatory compliance activities such as noise monitoring, avian reporting, erosion controls and permit inspections during field operations.
Support electrical commissioning, calibration of sensors, and testing of protection systems, including current transformers (CTs), voltage testing and verification of grounding integrity.
Perform structural and torque inspections of bolted connections, yaw and pitch drives; replace bearings, seals, couplings and other drivetrain components following torque and assembly specifications.
Analyze and act on SCADA alarms and performance trends—identify underperforming turbines, investigate root causes and recommend reliability or performance tuning actions to improve energy capture.
Supervise and coordinate vendor or OEM field service teams on complex repairs and warranty work to ensure scope adherence, cost control and quality compliance.
Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work area and vehicle, ensuring all tools are accounted for, service tags updated, and specialized equipment calibrated per schedule.

Secondary Functions

Assist the Reliability and Asset Management teams with data collection for long-term health and performance modeling of turbines.
Participate in project kickoff meetings and provide technical field input for new site installations and layout reviews.
Support procurement and cost-control initiatives by validating parts usage, identifying alternative suppliers and providing technical justification for purchases.
Help develop and refine technical procedures, standardized work instructions, and job aids based on field experience and OEM guidance.
Participate in community or landowner outreach as a technical subject matter expert when required for site activities or inspections.
Contribute to training program development and delivery for apprentices, new hires, and seasonal technicians.
Assist the safety team with incident investigations, near-miss reviews and corrective action implementation.
Provide on-call support rotation for emergency turbine issues and after-hours troubleshooting.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Hands-on mechanical troubleshooting and repair of wind turbine components: gearbox, generator, bearings, yaw/pitch drives and blades.
Electrical troubleshooting and maintenance including low-voltage controls and high-voltage systems, transformer and switchgear work, and grounding procedures.
SCADA systems operation and remote diagnostics; ability to read event logs and basic PLC logic relevant to turbine controls.
Experience with CMMS tools (e.g., SAP, IBM Maximo, IFS) for creating, updating and closing work orders and parts management.
Vibration analysis and condition monitoring interpretation (data collection and trending).
Infrared thermography and electrical/thermal inspection techniques.
Fluid sampling and oil analysis (particle counts, spectrometric analysis, viscosity).
Crane, rigging and heavy lift coordination skills; knowledge of lift planning and signaling.
Fall protection, rope access techniques, and turbine rescue; relevant certifications (e.g., IRATA, SPRAT, or equivalent) preferred.
Familiarity with OEM manuals and service procedures (Vestas, GE, Siemens Gamesa, Nordex, etc.).
Ability to read electrical schematics, hydraulic and pneumatic diagrams, and torque specification charts.
Lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, and safe working practices for electrical and mechanical systems.
Basic weld inspection/understanding and mechanical fastening best practices.
Experience with commissioning protocols, acceptance testing, and start-up verification.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication; able to produce clear reports, handovers and root cause documents.
Safety-first mindset and ability to influence peers and contractors to follow safe work practices.
Problem-solving orientation with methodical diagnostic approach and persistence.
Time management and ability to prioritize multiple work orders during outages and reactive calls.
Team leadership and mentorship; comfortable training junior staff and coordinating multi-disciplinary crews.
Adaptability to changeable weather, remote locations, and rotating shift/on-call schedules.
Attention to detail when following procedures and documenting work to ensure regulatory and warranty compliance.
Customer-facing professionalism when coordinating with landowners, OEMs, and stakeholders.
Collaborative cross-functional skills to work with operations, engineering and procurement teams.
Continuous improvement mindset—identifies systemic issues and drives corrective actions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED plus technical trade school certificate (electrical, mechanical, or industrial maintenance).

Preferred Education:

Associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Renewable Energy Technology, or equivalent technical diploma.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Electrical Technology / Electrical Engineering Technician
Mechanical Technology / Mechatronics
Renewable Energy Technology / Wind Technician Programs
Industrial Maintenance / Hydraulics & Pneumatics
Safety & Occupational Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–6 years of field experience in wind turbine maintenance, industrial mechanical/electrical maintenance, or renewable energy operations.

Preferred:

3+ years specifically as a Wind Turbine Technician or Wind Turbine Program Technician.
Demonstrated experience with SCADA operations, CMMS, and OEM field service procedures.
Certifications and training such as OSHA 10/30, First Aid/CPR, rescue and fall protection, HV safety, and rope-access (IRATA/SPRAT) are strongly preferred.
Experience working on large-scale wind farm outages, commissioning projects, and executing major component replacements.

If you’d like, I can tailor this document to a specific OEM (Vestas, GE, Siemens Gamesa) or adjust the seniority/compensation range to match your location and labor market.