Senior Mechanical Wind Turbine Specialist

EDP Renewables North America LLC; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

EDP Renewables North America LLC seeks a Senior Mechanical Wind Turbine Specialist to provide expert leadership on major wind turbine mechanical systems. You will drive reliability, maintenance strategy, and lifecycle improvements across the fleet, working with Operations, Asset Management, OEMs, and suppliers to resolve technical issues and enhance performance.

The role requires 5+ years in wind energy, deep component knowledge, and experience in root cause investigations and repairs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in technical wind energy
• Thorough knowledge of wind turbine components
• Experience diagnosing mechanical failures with data
• Experience supporting component repair and refurbishments
• Ability to lead root cause investigations (8-D) and corrective actions
• Knowledge of reliability analysis and lifecycle optimization

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for gearboxes, bearings, blades, drivetrains, hydraulics, yaw systems
• Diagnose failures using operation data, inspections, and analysis
• Lead or support root cause investigations and corrective actions
• Develop fleet-wide reliability, maintainability, repair, and life-extension strategies
• Support component inspections, repairs, refurbishment, and return-to-service decisions
• Collaborate with Operations, Asset Management, OEMs, and suppliers to improve performance
• Translate reliability findings into practical maintenance and lifecycle recommendations
• Monitor failure patterns and prioritize actions by risk and lifecycle value

Skills

Wind turbine knowledge

Root cause analysis

Reliability improvement

Independent worker

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

CRE certification

Lean Six Sigma

Tools

Weibull++

ReliaSoft

Minitab

R

Python

Power BI

Job description

The Senior Mechanical Wind Turbine Specialist, serves as a subject matter expert for major mechanical systems across EDPR NA's renewable generation fleet. This highly independent role provides technical leadership and engineering support for the reliability, performance, maintainability, repair, replacement, and life‑cycle management of wind turbine mechanical components. The position works closely with Operations, Asset Management, Maintenance Materials and Systems, OEMs, suppliers, and other internal stakeholders to resolve technical issues, improve fleet performance, and support long‑term reliability objectives.

Main Accountabilities:

• Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise for wind turbine gearboxes, bearings, blades, drivetrains, hydraulic systems, yaw systems, and related mechanical equipment.
• Diagnose complex equipment failures using operational data, inspections, condition monitoring information, maintenance history, and engineering analysis.
• Lead or support structured root cause investigations and develop corrective actions that prevent recurrence across the fleet.
• Develop and implement fleet‑wide reliability, maintainability, repair, retrofit, and life‑extension strategies for major mechanical components.
• Provide technical support for major component inspections, repairs, replacements, refurbishment, and return‑to‑service decisions, including evaluation of repair quality and component condition.
• Partner with Operations, Asset Management, Maintenance Materials and Systems, OEMs, repair providers, and suppliers to resolve technical issues and improve equipment performance.
• Translate reliability analysis and field experience into practical maintenance strategies, technical standards, work instructions, and lifecycle recommendations.
• Monitor component performance and recurring failure patterns, communicate technical risk, and recommend prioritized actions based on reliability, safety, operational impact, and lifecycle value.

Direct reports: None

Travel: Up to 25%

Employment type: Full‑Time

Work site: Hybrid Model

What we are looking for:

• 5+ years of relevant technical experience, including at least 3 years in the wind energy industry
• Thorough practical and technical knowledge of wind turbine major components and power generation equipment
• Experience diagnosing and troubleshooting mechanical component failures using operational data, inspections, condition monitoring data, maintenance records, and engineering analysis
• Experience supporting major component repair and replacement activities, including both uptower repair techniques and shop‑based refurbishment and rebuild processes
• Experience evaluating repair quality, failure mechanisms, and component condition for gearboxes, bearings, blades, drivetrains, hydraulic systems, and related wind turbine equipment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) certification or equivalent reliability engineering credentials.
• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent continuous improvement training preferred.
• Experience with Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodologies and maintenance program development.
• Experience leading structured root cause investigations and 8-D problem‑solving methodologies.
• Knowledge of reliability statistics and life data analysis including Weibull analysis, reliability growth analysis, and risk assessment methods.
• Experience with condition monitoring technologies including vibration analysis, oil analysis, borescope inspection, thermography, and SCADA‑based diagnostics.
• Experience developing fleet‑wide reliability improvement initiatives and major component life extension strategies.
• Experience working directly with OEMs, repair providers, and suppliers to resolve complex technical and reliability issues.
• Knowledge of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Design Review Based on Failure Modes (DRBFM), or similar risk assessment methodologies.
• Experience with gearbox, bearing, blade, drivetrain, hydraulic, and yaw system failure analysis.
• Experience with asset management, fleet reliability programs, and lifecycle optimization of wind turbine major components.
• Knowledge of reliability analysis software and engineering analysis tools such as Weibull++, ReliaSoft, Minitab, R, Python, Power BI, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to translate reliability findings into practical maintenance, repair, retrofit, lifecycle extension, and operational improvement strategies.

Behavioral Requirements:

• Demonstrates strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong collaboration and influence skills across technical and operational teams.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Physical demands & working conditions:

• Sitting/Standing/Flexibility: Ability to stand and sit for 8 or more hours when in an office environment
• Walking: Ability to walk .5 to 2 miles per day, including across unpaved and rough surfaces when on project sites.
• Speech/Reading: Ability to speak, read, and write English proficiently and deliver a variety of instructions furnished in written verbal, diagram, or scheduled form
• Lifting: Ability to lift items weighing up to 10 pounds
• Vision/Hearing: Ability to understand a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal, diagram, or schedule form

More than academic knowledge and technical skills, we are looking for ambitious people who are enthusiastic about the future and who bring human skills aligned with our purpose.