Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Specialist is a technical subject-matter expert responsible for wind resource assessment, turbine performance optimization, condition monitoring, and technical support across development, construction and operational phases of wind farms (onshore and/or offshore). This role bridges field operations, data analytics and engineering to maximize energy yield, reduce downtime, support asset management decisions and ensure compliance with industry standards such as IEC 61400. The Wind Specialist partners with project developers, OEMs, operations teams, and external consultants to deliver safe, cost-effective and regulatory-compliant wind projects.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Technician / Turbine Technician transitioning into analytical or engineering responsibilities
Renewable Energy Engineer with a focus on resource assessment or asset performance
Meteorologist or Wind Resource Analyst with practical site experience

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Specialist / Lead Wind Engineer
Asset Manager or Operations Manager (Wind)
Head of Wind Performance / Technical Director, Wind

Lateral Moves:

Site Manager or Commissioning Manager
Resource Assessment Engineer / Wind Farm Designer
Condition Monitoring or Reliability Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and conduct comprehensive wind resource assessments and energy yield studies, including site screening, long-term wind data analysis, Weibull fitting, sector-based yield modeling and uncertainty quantification to support project feasibility and financing.
Design, specify and supervise deployment of wind measurement campaigns using met masts, LiDAR and sodar systems; manage data collection, sensor calibration, QA/QC processes and instrument maintenance plans for accurate site characterization.
Analyze SCADA, supervisory control and data acquisition time series and firmware outputs to diagnose turbine faults, identify performance anomalies, quantify availability and recommend corrective actions to improve energy capture.
Develop and maintain power curve analysis, binning procedures, and reference performance baselines; calculate wake loss estimates using CFD or engineering wake models and propose layout or control changes to optimize plant output.
Perform structural and dynamic fatigue assessments using measured or simulated load data to support life extension, warranty claims and load mitigation strategies in collaboration with structural engineers and OEMs.
Implement condition monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies using vibration analysis, oil debris analysis, thermography and gearbox/drive-train diagnostics; prioritize interventions to minimize unplanned outages and O&M cost.
Prepare, review and negotiate technical specifications, test plans and acceptance criteria for turbines, balance-of-plant equipment and control systems during procurement and commissioning phases.
Lead root-cause investigations for significant production losses or equipment failures, compile technical reports with findings, corrective recommendations and lessons learned for stakeholders and insurers.
Support permitting and environmental assessments by providing wind resource data, noise modeling inputs and cumulative impact information required for regulatory approvals.
Execute wake steering and curtailment optimization studies, integrate farm control strategies into turbine control systems and validate yield gains using measured production data.
Collaborate with data engineering and analytics teams to structure, clean and interpret large datasets (SCADA, met mast, LiDAR), build dashboards and automated alerts for real-time performance monitoring.
Conduct site-specific turbulence intensity and extreme gust analyses to inform turbine selection, certification compliance and operational limits under IEC standards.
Manage relationships with OEMs, service providers and subcontractors to coordinate warranty claims, performance guarantees and technical service agreements.
Lead pre-construction and commissioning checks including alignment checks, nacelle and rotor inspections, and system acceptance tests to ensure equipment meets performance specs.
Provide technical input to commercial teams for contractual performance guarantees, energy yield guarantees and pricing decisions; quantify risk and uncertainty for investors and lenders.
Develop asset life-cycle improvement plans including retrofit, repowering and component upgrade strategies to maximize long-term value of wind assets.
Train operations, site and maintenance teams on data interpretation, performance KPIs, health & safety requirements and recommended operational best practices for turbines and balance-of-plant.
Design and run field inspection programs (rope access, drone inspections, visual and NDT checks) for blades, towers and electrical systems and document findings in inspection reports with recommended remediation.
Drive HSE compliance in all field activities, enforce safe work procedures, review risk assessments and ensure contractors meet safety and environmental requirements.
Participate in R&D pilots and technology evaluations (e.g., advanced sensors, energy storage integrations, control system upgrades) to test and scale performance improvements.
Support commercial operations and energy trading teams with accurate production forecasts, loss modeling and outage schedules to reduce imbalance exposure and optimize revenue.
Prepare clear, executive-level reports and technical appendices for stakeholders, lenders and regulatory bodies that summarize performance, risks and proposed mitigation actions.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for cross-functional teams (commercial, finance, O&M, asset management).
Contribute to the organization's wind data strategy and roadmap, including metadata standards, sensor inventories and cloud-based storage practices.
Collaborate with business units to translate wind performance and measurement needs into engineering and procurement requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within performance engineering, data science, or asset management teams to prioritize technical initiatives and deliverables.
Provide subject-matter input to marketing and investor materials such as performance case studies, due diligence packages and technical appendices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wind resource assessment and energy yield modeling (WAsP, WindPRO, OpenWind, WindFarmer) with statistical uncertainty analysis.
SCADA analysis and time-series data processing (ability to work with large datasets, binning, filtering, normalization).
LiDAR and met mast data management and QA/QC; experience with remote sensing instruments and alignment/calibration procedures.
Blade, gearbox and drive-train condition monitoring techniques including vibration analysis, oil particle analysis (ferrography) and thermography.
Turbine performance engineering: power curve verification, wake loss modeling, turbulence and extreme gust analysis (IEC 61400 familiar).
Experience with SCADA historian tools and analytics platforms (OSISoft PI, AWS/GCP/Azure cloud analytics, SQL).
Scripting and data analysis (Python, MATLAB, R) for automated reporting, data cleaning and custom analytics.
Structural dynamics, fatigue and loads analysis; familiarity with multi-body dynamics tools and fatigue life prediction methods.
Commissioning, testing and acceptance procedures for turbines and balance-of-plant electrical systems.
Condition-based maintenance strategies, CMMS platforms and O&M optimization.
Offshore-specific competencies (if applicable): DP operations understanding, marine logistics, offshore survival training awareness.
Knowledge of industry standards and regulations (IEC 61400 series, local grid codes, environmental permitting processes).
GIS and spatial analysis for site layout, wake studies and environmental planning.
Technical report writing, preparing technical appendices for lenders and insurers, and creating executive summaries.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and structured analytical thinking to diagnose complex performance issues and propose pragmatic solutions.
Excellent verbal and written communication with experience presenting technical content to non-technical stakeholders (commercial, finance, investors).
Project management capability: prioritize tasks, manage multiple stakeholders and deliverables under tight timelines.
Collaboration and influencing skills to work with OEMs, field teams, regulators and commercial groups.
Attention to detail and quality orientation in data handling, reporting and safety-critical field activities.
Adaptability and resilience in field environments with changing priorities or adverse weather conditions.
Time management and organizational skills to manage measurement campaigns, inspections and reporting schedules.
Leadership and mentoring ability to train junior engineers, technicians and operations staff.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Meteorology, Applied Physics or another relevant technical field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Wind Energy, Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Engineering, or Atmospheric Science.
Professional engineering license (PE, PEng) or equivalent preferred for senior roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wind Energy / Renewable Energy Engineering
Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
Atmospheric Science / Meteorology
Data Science / Applied Physics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 - 12 years of relevant experience, depending on seniority (mid-level 3–6 years, senior 7+ years).

Preferred:

5+ years hands-on experience in wind farm development, operations or performance engineering.
Demonstrable track record with SCADA analysis, LiDAR/met mast campaigns, and performance improvements or warranty claims.
Experience with onshore and/or offshore wind projects, including exposure to construction and commissioning phases.
Practical field experience with turbine inspections, condition monitoring and coordination with service providers.
Familiarity with stakeholder engagement, permitting processes and preparing technical documentation for financing and insurance.