Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Farm Specialist is a field- and office-based renewable energy professional responsible for maximizing availability, safety, and energy yield of onshore wind farms. This role combines hands-on turbine and substation oversight, SCADA and condition-monitoring analysis, health & safety leadership, vendor coordination, and stakeholder engagement to ensure reliable operation, compliance with regulatory requirements, and delivery of commercial performance targets.

Key search terms: wind farm specialist, wind operations, turbine maintenance, SCADA engineer, O&M specialist, commissioning specialist, asset management, wind energy technician.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Turbine Technician / Field Service Technician
Commissioning or Test Engineer (renewables)
Site Operations or Maintenance Coordinator

Advancement To:

Asset Manager / Senior O&M Manager
Operations Manager, Wind Portfolio
Head of Renewable Operations or Regional O&M Lead

Lateral Moves:

Health & Safety Manager (Renewables)
Project Manager (Wind Construction and Commissioning)
Technical Sales / OEM Field Service Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead day-to-day monitoring of wind farm performance using SCADA and condition monitoring systems to detect performance deviations, diagnose faults, and drive corrective actions that recover lost production and reduce downtime.
Plan and supervise preventative and corrective maintenance activities across turbines, substations, transformers, and balance-of-plant equipment, ensuring alignment with OEM manuals, service level agreements, and health & safety protocols.
Manage site commissioning and acceptance testing for new turbines and substation equipment, including witnessing functional tests, verification of control and protection settings, and coordination of third-party testers.
Conduct root cause analysis and failure investigation for recurring faults or major component failures, developing and implementing mitigation plans, reliability improvements, and spare-parts strategies to reduce mean-time-to-repair (MTTR).
Coordinate and contract-manage external service providers and OEM field teams, preparing scopes of work, evaluating performance, controlling costs, and ensuring contractual KPIs such as availability and response times are met.
Oversee and optimize crane and lift operations for major component exchange, including method statements, lift plans, lifting equipment certification checks, and on-site scheduling with contractors to minimize production impact.
Maintain and update technical documentation, maintenance records, and asset registers in CMMS/ERP systems; ensure accurate logging of work orders, parts usage, and lessons learned for continuous improvement.
Perform regular site inspections and technical audits of turbine towers, blades, pitch and yaw systems, hydraulic systems, gearboxes, generators, and electrical cabinets to identify hazards, wear, or defects and prioritize interventions.
Lead wind resource and energy yield analysis, including assessment of met mast and LiDAR data, wake losses, and curtailment events to optimize turbine curtailment strategies and commercial dispatch.
Manage grid interface and substation operational activities, including protection relays, SCADA RTU configuration, fault clearing coordination with the network operator, and enforcement of grid code compliance.
Implement condition-based maintenance programs by leveraging vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography, and nacelle inspections to extend component life and reduce unscheduled outages.
Drive continuous improvement projects such as reliability upgrades, software/firmware updates, and retrofit campaigns to deliver cost savings and availability improvements across the wind farm portfolio.
Prepare, present, and own regular operational performance reporting for stakeholders, including availability, production vs. forecast, incident root causes, safety metrics, and financial impacts to senior management and asset owners.
Ensure regulatory, environmental, and planning conditions are met on site (noise, shadow flicker, protected species, archaeological constraints) and liaise with regulators and local authorities on compliance matters.
Execute emergency response and incident management for site events (fires, major faults, extreme weather), coordinating field teams, contractors, and emergency services and delivering post-event investigation and recovery plans.
Develop and administer site-specific health & safety procedures, toolbox talks, and HSE training for internal teams and contractors, promoting permit-to-work discipline, confined space entry controls, and fall protection practices.
Coordinate logistics and inventory management for spare parts, consumables, and special tools, optimizing on-site stock levels to balance downtime risk against capital tied in inventory.
Support commercial functions such as energy trading, curtailment negotiations, and outage planning by providing technical input to maximize revenue and minimize imbalance charges.
Supervise site environmental monitoring and mitigation measures during construction and operation phases, ensuring erosion control, waste management, and habitat protection measures remain effective.
Mentor, train, and coach junior technicians and new field hires on turbine systems, safe work practices, troubleshooting techniques, and company procedures to build a resilient field team.
Conduct interface management with landowners, local communities, and stakeholders to address operational concerns, manage access agreements, and maintain a positive social license to operate.
Lead the technical preparation and implementation of seasonal maintenance campaigns including winterization, blade erosion mitigation, and cold-weather lubrication management.
Ensure cybersecurity and data integrity for SCADA and OT systems by coordinating patching, access controls, and vendor security requirements in line with corporate policies and industry best practice.
Collaborate with the asset management and finance teams to prepare OPEX and CAPEX forecasts, justify lifecycle investments, and evaluate the technical and economic viability of major component replacements.

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 subject-matter input to proposals, due diligence, and technical-commercial assessments for new wind farm acquisitions or divestments.
Assist in development and roll-out of digitalization initiatives (predictive analytics, digital twin pilots) supporting predictive maintenance and remote operations.
Participate in cross-functional project teams for grid reinforcement, repowering, or hybridization projects (battery storage integration).
Support seasonal workforce planning, certification tracking, and licensing renewals for all field personnel.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong experience with SCADA systems (e.g., OSIsoft PI, SCADA historian, Siemens Spectrum, GE SCADA) for alarm management, remote setpoints, and performance analytics.
Deep technical knowledge of wind turbine systems (electrical drivetrain, gearbox, pitch and yaw systems, hydraulics, control systems) across OEM platforms (Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE/Envision, Nordex).
Proven ability with condition monitoring tools (vibration analysis, oil particle counting, thermography, ultrasonic inspection) and interpreting CM data for maintenance decision-making.
Hands-on competence in medium voltage electrical systems, protection relays, transformer diagnostics, switchgear, and substation operation.
Competency in using CMMS/ERP systems (SAP PM, IBM Maximo, IFS) for work order management, spare parts tracking, and maintenance planning.
Familiarity with wind resource assessment tools and energy yield modeling (WindPRO, WAsP, Meteodyn, OpenWind) and understanding wake loss impact on energy production.
Experience with fault diagnosis and PLC/RTU logic review, and ability to work with control software, firmware updates, and turbine controllers.
Data analysis skills using Excel (advanced), SQL, and preferably Python or MATLAB for performance analysis, KPI development, and automation of reports.
Knowledge of asset management principles, lifecycle cost analysis, and OPEX/CAPEX budgeting for renewable assets.
Understanding of grid codes, interconnection requirements, and experience coordinating with transmission system operators during commissioning and outages.
Practical experience with lifting operations, crane coordination, and offshore/onshore transport logistics for major component swaps.
Familiarity with environmental management requirements, permitting conditions, and community engagement best practices.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills for effective reporting, stakeholder management, and cross-functional coordination.
Proactive problem-solving mindset with an ability to prioritize tasks under pressure and make technically sound decisions.
Leadership and people management skills to supervise contractors, mentor technicians, and run safe, high-performing field teams.
Attention to detail coupled with the ability to take a systems-level view of asset performance and reliability drivers.
Excellent organizational and time-management capabilities for planning outages, maintenance campaigns, and spare-parts logistics.
Negotiation and commercial awareness for managing supplier contracts, service agreements, and cost control.
Adaptability and resilience to operate in remote and variable weather conditions, including travel flexibility and shift pattern work.
Strong safety culture with ability to lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
Collaborative team player comfortable working with engineering, commercial, HSE, and external stakeholders.
Analytical curiosity to drive continuous improvement through data-driven insights and digital initiatives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Renewable Energy Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Renewable Energy, Electrical Power Systems, Mechanical Engineering, or an MBA with technical focus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering
Electrical / Power Engineering
Renewable Energy / Sustainable Energy
Control Systems / Mechatronics
Civil Engineering (for foundation/erection oversight)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–8 years of experience in wind farm operations, maintenance engineering, commissioning, or field service roles.

Preferred:

5+ years of progressive experience in onshore wind operations with demonstrable responsibility for turbine availability, maintenance planning, and vendor management; track record of delivering reliability improvements and cost reductions.

Certifications often requested: NEBOSH/IOSH or equivalent safety qualification, relevant OEM turbine training certifications, driving license, and any required electrical authorizations or MV qualifications.