Wind Energy Specialist

Generic role: Scientist/Senior scientist

Profession: Science and Engineering

Three-year fixed-term contract, Full time at Met Office, Exeter

Closing date for applications: 20 September 2011

Background information

The Met Office archives of observed and model winds provide a valuable resource for use in planning for energy generation. An initial capability, the virtual met mast, has been developed and is gaining favour in the market place. However, our offering is facing increasing competitor and customer scrutiny and challenge. It is important that we continue this phase of rapid development and verification to ensure that we are able to realise potential and maintain our position. The effort and skill needed to progress and meet the business plan is such that both resource and market experience are now needed. The Scientific Consultancy team, with their current experience and remit, is the right place to host this additional resource.

Specific job purpose

To develop and verify the scientific content of Met Office planning services for wind energy industry.

Specific job responsibilities

• Pull through our capability in modelling site specific winds into services that meet the needs of the wind energy industry.
• Take freshly developed analytical methods and integrate them into our service offering.
• Take fresh and expanded model data sources and integrate them into our service offering.
• Ensure that our wind energy services provide outputs as specified in Codes of Practice and are in formats suitable for use in proprietary post-processing applications.
• Verify our products against alternative approaches, such as WASP and MCP, and site monitored data as they become available.
• Publicise Met Office capability via reports, articles, meetings and conferences.
• Research and understand the industry and competitor approach to meeting wind energy customer needs.

Qualifications, skills and abilities required

Essential

• A thorough knowledge of the science that underpins wind energy generation assessment including both the underpinning meteorology and the industry specific parameters, such as turbulence statistics, required by the turbine engineers.
• Experience of effectively analysing large quantities of data using statistical methods, with particular emphasis on describing differences between datasets, ideally using the Matlab or R applications.
• An ability to engage with external customers enthusiastically and persuasively, without compromising scientific integrity.
• Confident presentational skills, with an ability to articulate scientific concepts at a level appropriate for the audience.
• A degree in physical science or environmental engineering or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Experience of working for an organisation in a role that addressed wind energy generation.
• Been involved in publishing or presenting material relating to wind energy.
• Been involved, end-to-end, in at least one product development life-cycle.
• Post graduate research activity related to wind or wind energy.

Additional supplementary information

The future of this role will be reviewed towards the end of the fixed term, with the possibility of a business case being prepared to make the post permanent.

Application forms and further information

Please mark your request or returned application form: Wind Energy Specialist 002172 R