Principal Engineer – Wind Turbine Blade Structure Modeling

As the Principal Engineer Wind Turbine Blade Structure Modeling, you are responsible for the overall technical underwriting and acceptance of development and implementation associated with blade structure modeling in wind turbine blades. You will support defining rigor for acceptance of the design decisions for blade structure that will result in safe, high-quality products and services that meet customer needs.

The areas associated with blade structure modeling includes structure design/analysis, design method creation/application, design reviews, design output for production etc. For these areas, you will support Senior Principal Engineers(SPEs)and Chief Engineers(CEs)to set and execute a strategy associated with design processes, field issue resolution, and design tools and technology.

You will collaborate with design teams, component team, cross-functional teams and other designated experts across blade & system organization to achieve desired outcomes, sometimes executing the work yourself. You will mentor and develop engineering talent, creating technical depth within the blade structure domain.

This is a leadership position and requires technical proficiency and adept problem-solving skill while developing fundamental capabilities for organizational advancement.

As the Principal Engineer Wind Turbine Blade Structure Modeling, your curiosity, problem-solving skills, and ability to lead design teams will be crucial in ensuring we can technically underwrite that our products and services are of high quality and meet customer needs. Your passion for innovation, your capacity to solve technical challenges head-on, and your ownership to develop technical talent will drive your success in OneWind Engineering.Job Description

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to the design teams involved in blade structure modeling within the OneWind engineering team across all stages of the project lifecycle, spanning from conceptualization and design development to product launch and ongoing fleet operations.
• Accountable for overall technical underwriting of blade structure modeling along with results output and consequently, accountability for the design itself.
• Identify and drive development/improvement of design methods, tools & processes for structure modeling that yields high-quality blade products.
• Provide technical guidance on utilizing available tools & applications, development of modeling methods for new technology, complex fleet event/issues, and non-standard manufacturing deviations linked to structure modeling.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement in engineering design processes, design practices for structure modeling to enable engineering design execution that results in safe, high-quality products and services by working with design teams, Control Title Holders(CTHs), and cross functional teams.
• Influence technical rigor for acceptance of design decisions, Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), design methods and tools.
• Assist the design team and sometimes execute the optimization of the design of blade structure ensuring compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and internal requirements for design & manufacturing.
• Stay informed and participate in relevant industry regulations, Intellectual Property and standards committees to influence the outcome of regulations and standards.
• Provide insight to SPEs, CEs and Functional Managers to identify technology needs in blade structure modeling domain and support technology development to address those needs.
• Cultivate a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth through coaching & mentoring for controlled title holders and broader engineering team in your discipline.
• Work with people leaders and CTHs to mentor and develop technical talent.

Qualification / Requirements

• Bachelors degree from an accredited university or college in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, or equivalent with 12+ years of experience working in composite structure modeling domain.
• Expertise in Finite Element Analysis & simulation tools such as CATIA, ABAQUS/ ANSYS and familiarity with MATLAB/PYTHON/VBA programming.
• Recognized expert in composite structure modeling domain with experience in blade structure design process & new product development.
• Ability to influence & build consensus with cross functional team & stakeholders.
• Prior relevant technical leadership experience guiding teams through the design process to deliver safe, high-quality products.

Desired Characteristics

• Post graduate degree from an accredited university or college in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, or equivalent.
• Strong technical expertise in wind turbine blade composite structure with demonstrated ability to design and own engineering outcomes regarding safety, quality, and fulfillment of customer needs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, including remote teams, through design assessments and root cause assessments.
• Experience in complex issue resolution by coordinating cross-functional teams and demonstrating analytical problem-solving skills utilizing tools such as failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), RCA 8D process, etc.
• Knowledge of wind turbine rotor blade full scale manufacturing, testing and component level tests & process trials.
• Knowledge of wind turbine industry standards and regulations as it pertains to blade structure.
• Experience in project management by creating a clear, executable path from high level objectives, and demonstrating operational execution rigor by ensuring the objectives are realized.
• Proactive, well organized, self-motivated, and able to lead improvements across the organization.
• Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and concisely to individuals at all levels of the organization while ensuring transparency and gaining alignment with internal/external stakeholders.
• Proven track record of curiosity and a strong passion for identifying and turning new ideas, technologies, and methodologies into product differentiated outcomes.
• Ability to influence & build consensus with cross functional team & stakeholders
• Experience with coaching, mentoring, and developing technical engineering talent to guide their professional growth and career advancement.