Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Program Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

As a Wind Program Consultant you will provide expert technical, commercial and regulatory support throughout the full life cycle of wind projects — from early site evaluation and resource assessment to permitting, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. You will combine deep industry knowledge (onshore and/or offshore) with strong stakeholder engagement, risk management and programme delivery skills to accelerate project timelines, de-risk consenting pathways, optimize project economics (LCOE) and ensure compliance with local and international regulations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Project Engineer or Development Engineer with 2–5 years of wind project delivery experience.
Environmental / Permitting Consultant specializing in EIA, stakeholder engagement or consenting.
Asset Engineer or Operations Engineer from O&M teams transitioning to development or advisory.

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Program Manager / Principal Consultant (programme responsibility for multiple projects).
Head of Wind Development / Director of Renewables (regional leadership).
Development Director or Technical Director at energy developer or consultancy.

Lateral Moves:

Technical Due Diligence Consultant for investors and banks.
Asset Manager for operational wind farm portfolios.
Commercial Manager or EPC Contracts Lead.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end wind project development activities including site selection, screening, feasibility studies, wind resource assessment, and concept design to produce investment-ready project packages that reduce LCOE and de-risk timelines.
Manage consenting and permitting strategies: prepare permitting roadmaps, oversee Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA/EIS), coordinate with environmental specialists, and lead submissions for local, regional and national permits and licenses.
Perform and validate wind resource and energy yield assessments using met-mast and LiDAR data, Weibull analysis, long-term correction, uncertainty quantification, and convert results into robust financial models for revenue forecasting.
Coordinate grid connection studies and interconnection applications, liaising with transmission system operators, consultants and utilities to secure point of connection, understand grid code requirements and model system impacts.
Lead technical due diligence and feasibility reviews for M&A, financing rounds and partnership negotiations, producing clear risk registers and remediation plans for technical, environmental and commercial risks.
Oversee EPCI and EPC tender processes: develop technical scope, evaluate bids, lead bid clarifications, support commercial negotiations and recommend contractor selection to optimize cost, schedule and performance.
Develop and maintain project schedules, resource-loaded cost estimates, and cashflow models; control baselines with change management, milestone tracking and reporting to senior stakeholders and investors.
Design and review turbine layout, micro-siting, inter-array cable routing and export cable concepts for onshore and offshore projects to minimize losses, mitigate wake effects and reduce environmental footprint.
Provide specialist advice on turbine technology selection, nacelle and rotor specifications, foundation types (monopile, jacket, gravity base), and floating solutions, assessing technical fit and supply chain readiness.
Manage stakeholder engagement and community consultation programs, lead public hearings, negotiate community benefit agreements, and maintain constructive relations with local authorities, regulators and indigenous groups.
Coordinate marine surveys and metocean investigations (bathymetry, geotechnical, UXO, habitat surveys), integrate findings into foundation and cable design recommendations and update risk assessments.
Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts including power purchase agreements (PPAs), engineering contracts, supply agreements and O&M contracts; highlight critical contractual risk and propose mitigations.
Lead environmental monitoring and mitigation planning during construction and operation phases, ensuring compliance with permit conditions, marine mammal/avian monitoring programs and habitat restoration requirements.
Develop O&M strategies and lifecycle plans, including maintenance windows, spares strategy, warranty management, and performance monitoring regimes tied to SCADA analytics and reliability engineering.
Conduct SCADA data analysis to support performance optimization, identify turbine or farm-level anomalies, quantify wake losses and validate returns against resource forecasts.
Prepare and present high-quality technical reports, board-level briefings and investor pack materials that translate complex engineering, environmental and commercial data into actionable recommendations.
Implement HSE and quality assurance plans across development and construction phases: perform risk assessments, ensure compliance with local HSE regulations (OSHA-equivalent), lead toolbox talks and monitor contractor performance.
Lead multi-disciplinary teams (engineering, environment, legal, commercial) and external consultants in a matrix environment to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Apply permitting strategy knowledge (e.g., NEPA, EIA, Habitats Directive, Marine Planning regimes) to identify statutory requirements, timelines and potential showstoppers, and proactively develop contingency plans.
Manage technical interfaces between parties (developer, grid operator, turbine OEM, cable supplier, port and marine logistics providers) to avoid scope gaps and drive coordinated decision-making.
Conduct cost and risk benchmarking, sensitivity analysis and LCOE optimisation to inform capital allocation, PPA pricing strategies and investment approval decisions.
Support financing activities: produce independent engineer-style reports, answer lender and investor queries, and participate in project finance meetings to secure debt and equity.
Monitor supply chain constraints and procurement timelines for long-lead items (turbines, foundations, cables, transformers), propose mitigation strategies and maintain supplier relationship management to protect delivery.
Provide advisory support on emergent policy, tariff and regulatory changes affecting wind project economics, grid access and consenting; synthesize implications for project pipelines and corporate strategy.
Lead commissioning and handover activities, define acceptance testing protocols, witness commissioning tests and ensure contractual performance guarantees are met prior to commercial operation date (COD).

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for development, investor or operational queries.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap, advising on data collection standards for metocean and SCADA systems.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements and decision-support deliverables.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team to prioritize analytics features that support project delivery.
Mentor junior engineers and consultants, provide technical training and foster a continuous improvement culture across project teams.
Keep abreast of market trends, technology advances (e.g., larger turbines, digital twins), and regulatory changes; prepare briefing notes and training sessions for internal teams.
Support public affairs and communications teams with technically accurate content for press releases, community updates and stakeholder FAQs.
Represent the company at industry conferences, consortia and regulatory working groups to shape best practice and expand professional networks.
Validate and approve vendor deliverables (design drawings, calculation packages, geotechnical reports) and issue technical clarifications and non-conformance notices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of wind resource assessment methodologies, including LiDAR/SoDAR met data processing, Weibull statistics, long-term correction and energy yield modelling (e.g., WindPro, OpenWind, WindFarmer).
Experience with SCADA data analytics and performance assessment tools; ability to analyze turbine performance, identify anomalies and quantify wake losses.
Competence in electrical systems for wind farms: onshore/offshore substation design, HV AC and HV DC export solutions, grid code compliance and power quality studies.
Strong background in geotechnical and foundation engineering basics for monopile, jacket, gravity and floating foundations; ability to interpret survey and geotech data.
Practical experience in permitting and consenting frameworks (EIA, NEPA, Habitats Directive, marine permits), including preparation of permit applications and stakeholder consultation plans.
Familiarity with marine operations planning, mobilization logistics, cable installation, and offshore construction sequencing; knowledge of metocean constraints and vessel selection.
Commercial and contractual acumen: drafting and negotiating EPC/EPCI, O&M, PPA and supply contracts; understanding of FID, bankability criteria and developer/investor concerns.
Proficiency with project controls tools: MS Project, Primavera P6, cost estimating software, schedule risk analysis (PERT/Monte Carlo).
Skilled in technical due diligence and independent engineering assessments for financings, M&A and portfolio acquisitions.
Competence with GIS tools (ArcGIS / QGIS) for spatial analysis, siting, and route planning; ability to produce maps and spatial overlays for stakeholders.
Financial modelling skills including NPV, IRR, LCOE calculations and sensitivity analysis; capable of producing investor-ready financial summaries.
Knowledge of HSE regulations, permit conditions monitoring and developing safety management plans for construction and operations.
Experience with engineering tools and scripting languages such as MATLAB, Python or R for data analysis, model automation and custom reporting.
Familiarity with turbine OEM specifications, FAT/HAT procedures, commissioning sequences and warranty management.
Understanding of biodiversity assessment and mitigation measures, marine mammal and avian monitoring protocols, and environmental monitoring strategies.

Soft Skills

Strong communicator: able to translate complex technical and regulatory information into clear messages for executives, communities and non-technical stakeholders.
Leadership and team-building: proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams, mentor staff and coordinate external consultants.
Stakeholder management and negotiation: effective at building consensus across regulators, landowners, utilities and supply chain partners.
Problem-solving and critical thinking: pragmatic approach to identify root causes and propose commercially viable technical solutions.
Project management and organization: excellent prioritization, time management, and ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams.
Influencing and presentation skills: confident presenter at board and investor meetings with polished report-writing capabilities.
Adaptability and resilience: thrives in dynamic regulatory and market environments and navigates ambiguity with sound judgement.
Attention to detail and quality focus: rigorous review of technical deliverables, contracts and compliance documentation.
Cultural sensitivity and community engagement: experience negotiating with local communities and indigenous groups across jurisdictions.
Commercial awareness and business acumen: understands drivers of project economics, procurement strategies and investor expectations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Marine Engineering, Environmental Science, Renewable Energy, or a closely related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MSc or MEng) or MBA in Renewable Energy, Offshore Engineering, Environmental Management, Project Management or related field.
Professional certifications desirable: PMP, CEng, Chartered Engineer status or equivalent; NEBOSH/IOSH safety certification; relevant environmental accreditation.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical, Electrical or Civil Engineering
Renewable Energy or Wind Energy Technology
Marine Engineering or Oceanography (for offshore roles)
Environmental Science / Ecology (permitting-heavy roles)
Project Management / Business or Finance (value-add)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–12 years of progressive experience in wind energy development, engineering, or consulting. (Senior consultant roles often require 7–15 years.)

Preferred:

8+ years with demonstrable experience delivering onshore and/or offshore wind projects from early development through permitting, contracting and commissioning.
Proven track record of successful permitting and stakeholder engagement in multiple jurisdictions, or experience completing technical due diligence for financing rounds.
Experience working with major turbine OEMs, grid operators and EPC contractors, and familiarity with international best practices and standards.