Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Turbine Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Turbine Specialist is a field-based technical expert responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and restoring wind turbine systems to ensure optimal availability, reliability, and safety. This role combines mechanical and electrical skills, condition-monitoring analytics, and hands-on repair work at heights and in confined spaces. The Specialist coordinates with asset managers and operations teams to execute preventive, corrective and predictive maintenance plans, document work in CMMS/ERP systems, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across turbine fleets.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Turbine Technician / Junior Technician
Heavy Mechanical or Electrical Technician (power generation)
Field Service Technician with rope access or tower work experience

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Turbine Specialist / Lead Technician
Site O&M Supervisor / Shift Lead
Reliability Engineer / Condition Monitoring Engineer

Lateral Moves:

Blade Repair Specialist / Composite Technician
SCADA / Controls Technician
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Specialist focusing on wind operations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on wind turbine components including blades, hub, pitch system, gearbox, generator, yaw system, bearings, couplings, and hydraulic systems, following OEM manuals and site-specific procedures to restore or maintain rated performance.
Conduct detailed troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of mechanical, electrical, and control-system faults using multimeters, insulation testers, oscilloscopes, vibration analyzers, and SCADA fault logs; isolate faults and implement timely corrective actions.
Execute blade inspections and repairs (surface damage, leading/trailing edge erosion, delamination, and lightning protection issues) using composite repair techniques, controlled curing processes and documented repair plans, ensuring aerodynamic integrity and longevity.
Perform electrical system diagnostics, repair, and testing on low- and medium-voltage circuits, power electronics (rectifiers/inverters), generator systems, switchgear, transformers and slip rings, while complying with lockout-tagout (LOTO) and high-voltage safety protocols.
Carry out drivetrain and gearbox interventions including oil changes, filter replacements, bearing inspections, and component replacements; monitor lubricant condition and report abnormal wear or contamination using sampling and lab analysis procedures.
Use vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography and other condition monitoring tools to detect early signs of component degradation; interpret results, schedule predictive maintenance, and document trends for reliability improvement.
Execute nacelle and tower mechanical work such as brake system maintenance, yaw bearing adjustments, tower bolting and torque verification, and climb-and-rescue duties, ensuring structural integrity and turbine safety standards.
Operate and interpret SCADA and control-system telemetry: clear alarms, reconfigure controllers, upload parameter changes, and coordinate remote troubleshooting with control room engineers to reduce downtime.
Plan and coordinate field repairs requiring cranes, hoists or external contractors; prepare lift plans, risk assessments, and method statements; supervise third-party vendors to ensure compliance with site HSE and technical standards.
Maintain complete, accurate records of all maintenance activities, incident reports, parts usage and labor in the CMMS (e.g., SAP, Maximo) and support parts reordering and inventory optimization to reduce mean time to repair.
Perform emergency response and rapid-restoration activities for major faults, storms, or component failures to maximize fleet availability and minimize revenue loss; coordinate with emergency services and site leadership as required.
Implement OEM service bulletins, safety alerts and continuous improvement recommendations; adapt procedures to local regulations while tracking implementation and effectiveness across the fleet.
Execute rope access or confined space entries for inspections and repairs when required (in compliance with IRATA/SPRAT standards), including rescue readiness and equipment checks.
Perform end-of-warranty inspections and acceptance testing for newly installed turbines; validate commissioning parameters, run-load tests and confirm handover documentation with project teams.
Lead or participate in technical training sessions, toolbox talks, and on-the-job mentoring for junior technicians to build team capability and institutionalize best practices.

Secondary Functions

Support asset health reporting by compiling maintenance metrics (MTTR, MTBF, availability) and inputting observations into condition-monitoring systems to aid reliability engineering decisions.
Assist in developing and optimizing preventive maintenance (PM) tasks and frequency based on operational data, manufacturer recommendations and actual failure modes observed in the fleet.
Collaborate with procurement and logistics teams to expedite critical spare parts, track warranty claims with OEMs, and manage consigned inventory for high-failure items.
Document and communicate field-devised engineering fixes, temporary repairs and long-term remediation plans for review by engineering teams and stakeholders.
Participate in rotor blade condition surveys and windfarm environmental compliance checks; document potential wildlife interactions or regulatory concerns and escalate when required.
Support analytic efforts for failure mode trend analysis, feeding data into reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) studies and cost-of-failure models to prioritize CAPEX and O&M spending.
Contribute to continuous improvement projects to reduce downtime, improve safety performance, and optimize field workflows (e.g., digital inspection tools, augmented reality guidance, or improved spare kits).
Provide input for budget planning and forecasting by estimating labor, materials and crane/heavy-lift needs for upcoming major overhauls or component exchanges.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wind turbine mechanical maintenance: gearbox, generator, pitch and yaw systems, brakes, bearings and drivetrain.
Electrical systems and high-voltage work: MV/LV troubleshooting, switchgear, transformers, grounding and protective relays.
SCADA and PLC familiarity: fault interpretation, parameter edits, alarm management and basic ladder logic understanding.
Condition monitoring techniques: vibration analysis, oil analysis (spectrometric and ferrous debris), thermography and trend interpretation.
Blade repair and composite repair techniques: sandwich repairs, laminate layup, fairing, resin selection and curing methods.
Rope access and tower access techniques: IRATA or SPRAT certified work at height procedures and rescue.
Safety certifications and procedures: GWO Basic Safety Training, LOTO, first aid and tower rescue.
Use of diagnostic tools: multimeters, insulation resistance testers, oscilloscope, vibration analyzers, borescopes and thermal cameras.
CMMS and ERP proficiency: work-order creation, parts issuance, downtime logging and reporting (e.g., SAP, Maximo, eMaint).
Crane operations and lift planning experience: rigging, lift calculations, slinging and supervising external lifting vendors.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods awareness: ultrasonic, dye-penetrant or eddy current inspection experience preferred.
OEM service and commissioning procedures: adherence to manufacturer specifications during repairs, upgrades and commissioning.

Soft Skills

Strong troubleshooting mindset and analytical problem-solving with attention to root cause and preventive actions.
Clear verbal and written communication for technical reporting, handovers, and client interactions.
Team player with the ability to mentor junior staff and work cross-functionally with operations, engineering and procurement.
Strong safety culture and ability to enforce HSE standards in the field.
Ability to work under pressure in adverse weather, remote locations and at heights while maintaining quality and safety.
Organizational skills and time management to prioritize emergency repairs and planned maintenance.
Adaptability to evolving technologies, digital inspection tools and updates from OEMs.
Customer-focused orientation with the ability to represent the company professionally on-site.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with technical trade certification (mechanical/electrical). Vocational/technical school completion preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Renewable Energy, or similar engineering/technical discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering / Mechanical Technology
Electrical Engineering / Electrical Technology
Renewable Energy Technology / Wind Energy
Mechatronics / Industrial Maintenance
Composite Materials / Aeronautical or Materials Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 8 years of experience in wind turbine maintenance, field service for rotating equipment, or power generation maintenance; minimum 2 years on utility-scale turbines preferred.

Preferred:

5+ years working on onshore wind turbines or in wind farm operations, with demonstrated experience in blade repairs, gearbox interventions, SCADA troubleshooting, and condition monitoring program execution.
Demonstrated experience supervising lifts and coordinating with contractors, plus familiarity with OEM service bulletins and commissioning activities.