General Manager, Wind Engineering
Job Description
Role:
The Wind Engineering Team Leader will lead all wind engineering activities across the full lifecycle of Vena Energy’s onshore wind projects in Japan, from origination to operations.
This role requires strong technical expertise, leadership, and strategic oversight in wind resource assessment, project design, wind turbine technology, certification, transportation, installation, construction, and operational performance analysis.
While the primary focus is on onshore wind, this role will also support offshore wind development, specifically but not limited in Wind resource, Layout optimization, Wind measurement, Metocean, Turbine certification.
The Wind Engineering Team Leader will manage a team of specialized engineers across different disciplines:
• Wind Engineer (focused on wind resource assessment, layout optimization, CAPEX, and engineering coordination)
• Wind Measurement Engineer (met mast and LiDAR campaign design, procurement, construction, commissioning, maintenance, data collection, and analysis)
• Wind Transportation & Installation Engineer (ensuring safe and cost-effective transportation and installation)
• Wind Turbine Design & Certification Engineer (handling turbine technology selection, certification, and compliance)
This role requires strong collaboration with internal stakeholders, including Business Development, Development, EPC, Investment, Project Managers, and other function managers, to ensure projects meet feasibility, budget, and schedule targets.
Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Development
Lead and mentor the Wind Engineering team, ensuring alignment with Vena Energy’s strategic goals.
Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and workflows to optimize collaboration and execution.
Ensure continuous monitoring of team tasks, deadlines, and project progress, with a focus on CAPEX follow-up and reporting.
Develop technical training programs and promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Foster a strong department culture focused on good communication, collaboration, ownership, quality, and proactiveness.
Ensure the team delivers high-quality technical outputs in line with internal standards and industry best practices.
Technical Oversight & Engineering Excellence
Oversee wind resource assessment, including site selection, met mast & LiDAR data analysis, and uncertainty quantification.
Ensure accurate and high-quality energy yield estimations (AEP) using industry-standard tools.
Lead selection and suitability assessment of wind turbines, ensuring compliance with site conditions, certification, and performance requirements.
Review and validate wind farm layouts, including wake loss assessments, noise simulations, shadow flicker analysis, and extreme wind speed analysis.
Oversee transportation and installation feasibility studies, optimizing routes, logistics, yard design, and crane lifting strategies.
Ensure close collaboration with Civil Engineering, Grid & Electrical Engineering, and GSI Engineering teams for optimal project design.
Conduct internal reporting, documentation management, project design reviews, and lessons learned sessions to optimize engineering processes.
Ensure all engineering designs, calculations, and reports align with industry best practices.
Project Lifecycle Management
Provide technical leadership across all project phases: origination, development, construction, and operations.
Support Business Development and Development teams in feasibility assessments and early-stage engineering inputs.
Closely monitor and optimize project schedules, budgets, and CAPEX estimations, ensuring cost efficiency.
Oversee benchmarking of CAPEX estimations for turbine procurement, installation, and transportation.
Ensure alignment between wind resource assessments and financial modeling to optimize project investment cases.
Stakeholder & External Partner Management
Serve as the primary technical contact for OEMs, third-party consultants, certification bodies, and engineering service providers.
Work closely with Business Development, Development, EPC, and Investment teams, ensuring engineering decisions support project feasibility and financial viability.
Lead technical negotiations for turbine procurement, wind measurement campaigns, and engineering service contracts.
Negotiate and manage NDA, SA, RFQ, WO, contracts, warranties, and performance guarantees with external stakeholders.
Represent Vena Energy in technical discussions, industry forums, and regulatory engagements.
Risk Management & Compliance
Identify and mitigate technical risks associated with wind resource assessment, turbine selection, and installation.
Ensure compliance with grid codes, environmental regulations, and safety standards.
Oversee turbine certification processes (IEC, DNV, and Japanese regulations) to ensure compliance.
Conduct continuous project feasibility reviews, ensuring projects remain technically and financially viable.
Manage power curve verification testing and long-term operational performance monitoring.
Innovation & Process Optimization
Enhance internal databases, tools, and engineering procedures to improve efficiency.
Introduce new turbine technologies and materials to improve energy production and cost-efficiency.
Promote best practices in transportation, installation, and O&M strategies to reduce downtime and operational risks.
Continuously refine and optimize internal processes to improve project execution.
Pre-requisites:
At least 10+ years of experience in wind energy engineering, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
Strong expertise in wind resource assessment, turbine technology, and transportation & installation.
Experience working with cross-functional engineering teams and leading complex projects.
Familiarity with certification requirements, regulatory standards (IEC, DNV, grid codes), and safety protocols.
Strong budgeting and CAPEX estimation experience.
Business-level English required; Japanese proficiency is a strong plus.
Are you ready to engineer a greener future?