Mid-Level

Wind Operations Manager

Managing operations across one or more wind facilities โ€” maintenance schedules, technician staffing, performance optimization, environmental compliance. Half operations leader, half asset manager, with availability and capacity factor as the metrics leadership cares about most.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
E
C
R
I
S
A
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Wind Operations Managers
Employment concentration ยท ~382 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Wind Operations Manager

As a Wind Operations Manager, you manage the day-to-day operations of wind energy assets. You're overseeing technicians, coordinating maintenance, monitoring turbine performance, managing vendors, and ensuring wind assets generate power reliably. It's operational leadership in the renewable energy sector.

Your day involves performance monitoring and coordination. You might review overnight availability and production, then troubleshoot a down turbine, then coordinate maintenance scheduling, then work with the OEM on a warranty issue, then report on operational performance. Wind operations requires technical understanding combined with operational management skills.

The hardest part is maximizing availability while managing costs. Every hour a turbine is down is lost revenue. But maintenance costs money too. You're constantly optimizing the trade-off between spending on maintenance and capturing production. The people who thrive here are analytically minded about asset performance and can manage distributed teams effectively.

AchievementHigh
Working ConditionsAbove avg
RecognitionAbove avg
IndependenceAbove avg
RelationshipsAbove avg
SupportModerate
O*NET Work Values survey
StrategyExecution
StructuredAdaptable
ManagingContributing
CollaborativeIndependent
portfolio sizesingle vs multi-siteOEM vs ISPonshore vs offshore
A wind operations manager overseeing a single 200MW site has a different scope than one managing operations across five to ten sites totaling 500MW+. Whether maintenance is handled by an OEM service agreement (Vestas, GE) or an independent service provider changes the vendor management dynamic. The balance between operational and asset management duties varies โ€” some roles are heavily field-focused, while others spend more time on reporting, budgeting, and owner communications.

Is Wind Operations Manager right for you?

An honest look at who tends to thrive in this role โ€” and who might find it challenging.

This role tends to work well for...
This role tends to create friction for...
โœฆ Editorial โ€” written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape โ€” and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Wind Operations Managers (SOC 11-9199.09), not just this title ยท BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Wind Operations Manager career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit โ€” and plan your path forward.
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How many sites and total MW does this role oversee?
What does the maintenance model look like โ€” in-house, OEM service agreement, or hybrid?
How does this role interact with the asset management and finance teams?
What does the technician staffing situation look like โ€” retention, hiring pipeline, training programs?
What are the top operational priorities for the next 12 months?
โœฆ Editorial โ€” career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape โ€” helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$69Kโ€“$228K
Salary Range
10th โ€“ 90th percentile
631K
U.S. Employment
+4.5%
10yr Growth
107K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$110K$107K$104K$101K$99K201920202021202220232024$99K$110K
BLS OEWS May 2024 ยท BLS Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningMonitoringSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel ResourcesWritingPersuasionCoordination
O*NET OnLine ยท Bureau of Labor Statistics
11-9199.09

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) ยท BLS Employment Projections ยท O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.