Careers
WTG Primary Steel Engineer (Senior/Principal Engineer)
Summary
Do you have experience leading primary steel packages for WTG foundations design projects? Are you looking for a role combining a small-company ethos with cutting-edge technical capabilities and expertise? Due to ongoing success and growing demand from our clients, SLPE are seeking a motivated and forward-thinking Senior or Principal Engineer to expand our world-leading primary steel design capabilities for WTG foundations.
Who we’re looking for:
The ideal candidate will have multiple years of experience in primary steel design for offshore wind turbine foundations. This will involve significant experience in the structural design/analysis processes for monopile foundations and/or jacket foundations for WTGs, including time-domain simulation, structural optimisation processes, integrated aero-elastic analysis, etc. In addition to the main structural analysis processes, you will also have an appreciation of related primary steel design aspects such as finite element analysis of attachments, transport and installation analyses, and assessment of accidental load cases such as ship impact. It is likely that you will already be fulfilling a “primary steel lead” role on WTG foundation design projects.
As this is a senior position, it is expected that the successful candidate will have experience of technical leadership, and be comfortable managing the work of others as part of a project delivery team. Confidence engaging with clients is essential, as well as a collaborative and supportive approach to team working. This role is likely to involve a blend of technical specialism and managerial responsibility, depending on the candidate’s experience and desired career path.
What we offer:
This role offers an opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest engineers in our industry, as part of a supportive and collaborative team dedicated to innovation and excellence. SLPE has some of the most advanced primary steel design capabilities in the sector, founded on the expertise and vision of our existing team, and this is an opportunity to be part of our ongoing development and success. This position offers the chance to help shape the primary steel discipline within SLPE, as well as being a key part of delivering our most high-profile projects.
You will have the opportunity to shape this role depending on your interests and desired career path. This role could progress towards a technical specialist role, or towards a technical leadership or project leadership role, depending on your strengths and preferences. A discussion on potential career development routes will be part of the recruitment process.
SLPE deliver world-leading projects, based on cutting-edge design processes and capabilities, and we have fun doing it. If you are motivated, enthusiastic, and willing to learn, this could be the role for you.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
• Leading the primary steel design scopes for WTG foundations design projects at concept and detailed design phases, in collaboration with our existing team
• Learning from our experts and developing your skills and experience to apply cutting-edge design processes
• Working closely with our existing team to integrate various aspects of primary steel design and deliver collaboratively on project objectives
• Contributing to the development of our primary structures design capabilities, including supporting junior engineers and assisting with in-house R&D and software development
• Supporting the delivery of projects to deliver optimum solutions, on time and to budget, including liaising with clients and third parties and managing relevant project interfaces
• Working collaboratively with other technical disciplines involved with our design projects, such as secondary steel and geotechnical
• Preparation of high-quality design deliverables, including both written design reports and 2D drawings (supported by SLPE’s CAD team)
Essential Experience:
• Extensive experience in the design and analysis of primary structures for monopile and/or jacket foundations for offshore wind turbines
• Proven knowledge of structural dynamics, WTG aerodynamic loading, and hydrodynamic loading on foundation structures.
• Familiarity with design processes for wind turbine foundations at both concept and detailed design phases.
• Ability to develop cost, time, resource estimates and project schedules for structural engineering scopes of work.
• Ability to manage small teams of engineers and designers to deliver specialist services to our clients, sometimes within tight timeframes.
• Extensive use of structural analysis / FEA software, e.g. SESAM, SACS, BLADED, Ansys, ABAQUS, etc.
• We anticipate a minimum of 5 years’ engineering experience working specifically in design of offshore wind turbine foundations
• A Masters degree in Civil / Structural / Mechanical Engineering, or a suitable equivalent
• A Chartered Engineer, or working towards chartership
Desirable Experience:
• Experience of developing and implementing software tools to solve complex analytical / numerical problems in an efficient manner, e.g. using MATLAB, VBA, Python or C#.
• Familiarity with fracture mechanics assessment.
• Working knowledge of aero-elastic analysis methods (blade element momentum, wake modelling, and WTG control systems), and implementation of integrated load analyses.
• Experience guiding and mentoring junior engineers, and overseeing their work in relation to project deliverables
• Proven communication skills, including interacting confidently with clients
• Demonstration of excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and a rigorous approach to the management of quality
Competencies and Soft Skills:
• Excellent interpersonal and technical skills, with a strong focus on collaboration
• Be self-motivated, well organised, and a team player
• Think creatively to solve problems, while keeping an awareness of practicalities
• Excellent report writing skills with the ability to self-check and produce accurate work
• Excellent technical comprehension, with the ability to quickly understand technical issues and explain them to others
Additional Information:
• This role will be based in either London or Bristol. SLPE currently operates on a hybrid working basis, with staff typically expected to attend the office a minimum of 2-3 days per week. For a Bristol-based candidate, regular travel to SLPE’s main office in central London will be required, for which expenses will be reimbursed.
Rewards & Benefits:
On top of a competitive basic salary, we offer a number of additional core benefits. These include:
• Flexible annual leave starting at 25 days a year
• Annual discretionary bonus scheme
• Professional subscriptions, training, and support
• A flexible contributory pension scheme
• Private medical and dental insurance
• Income protection insurance
• Life assurance cover
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Generous parental leave