What does your typical day involve?

My work is mainly project-driven and my day-to-day work often revolves around achieving the necessary consents to enable wind farms to be constructed. Often I need to spend time preparing and reviewing documents such as technical reports or environmental statements. I also spend a lot time meeting regulators and stakeholders to discuss key issues.

As project manager, I need to work with a range of people to ensure that projects are delivered to time and specification, so I often work with and manage contractors in different sites. It’s a busy job!

My job also involves identifying and assessing the feasibility of potential sites and development opportunities around the UK. This involves considering a range of biological, physical and human environmental factors and analysing their relative risks for project development and construction.

It is also important to keep a strategic view of the industry and this means responding to relevant consultations and getting involved with the activities of the industry trade association, the British Wind Energy Association.

What made you decide to work on or around the coast?

I really wanted to work with renewable energy production and large-scale engineering projects. It just happens that the biggest and more interesting projects are often off-shore!

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is that it’s driven by vision: I like the fact that what I deliver will make a real difference to society and the environment.

I really enjoy the diversity of my job too – the variety and the constant challenges it throws up. Also, most of what I do is new because I’m working with a developing technology, which means that it’s always an interesting area to work in.

Finally, there’s a virtually limitless scope for offshore renewable energy and therefore career options for the future, which is really exciting.

What qualifications or experience do you need?

Usually, an environmental or engineering degree would be helpful, although anything that gives you an insight into the economics, environmental impacts or engineering issues surrounding offshore wind would be useful.

Experience working in any of these fields, particularly with an offshore focus, would be relevant to a career in the offshore wind industry.

Can you give any advice to others who might be thinking about following a similar career?

Development work such as this is often project-driven, which means that you need to be prepared to give what it takes to finish the project. The workload’s often changing so it’s rarely a 9-5 job! To get the most out of it, you really need a passion for renewable energy.

You also need to be able to work on your own initiative and to contribute to a team, so it’s important that you learn to be flexible. Finally, in such a quickly evolving industry, it’s important to keep up to date with what is going on, for example by making sure you’re aware of industry developments and policy announcements.

This article was originally published in February 2008

Content last updated: 07/02/2008

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