Field Technician - Mt. Morris, NY

The Company

First Wind is an independent wind energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind energy projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind has developed and currently operates wind energy projects in the Northeast, the West and Hawaii.  First Wind is committed to the communities it works with to achieve the most efficient and economic wind generation projects in North America. 

Job Purpose

This position will perform wind equipment quality assurance, maintenance and installations as needed to support First Wind operations, development and construction.   The tasks will be divided between the MET team and the QA team and will include reports, mechanical walk-down inspections, commissioning inspections, major discrepancies, photographic records, equipment, inventory and parts usage. This position will also work on erecting and installing sensors on permanent meteorological (met) towers along with tilt up towers.  Ensure that the tower communicates properly and all sensors communicate properly with the logger (programming). This is a traveling position requiring travel up to 60 – 80% of the year or as required.

We are hiring two Field Technicians. 

Principal Responsibilities

• ·         Perform day to day inspections, maintenance or other work required of all wind and met tower equipment at FW project sites. 
• ·         Assist in developing and insuring implementation of work instructions and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in the field, as well as providing engineering support as needed.  Will review technical bulletins and manufacturer reports; gather technical data in the field. 
• ·         Provide on-going safety awareness.  Attend scheduled safety trainings and implement training in the field.   Provide administrative support to the crew as required.
• ·         Interface on a daily basis with First Wind contractors to verify compliance with contract performance standards related to delivery, inspections, storage and installations of FW Equipment.  
• ·         Interface on a daily basis with on-site FW construction, FW O&M site management and Technical Field Support management regarding equipment/parts availability, proper construction and any issues related to Technical Field Support tasks.  
• ·         Perform Technical Field Support quality assurance acceptance inspections.  Technical Field Support  tasks to include;  mechanical walk-down inspections, commissioning inspections and reports, major discrepancy reports, photographic records, equipment, inventory, parts usage reports, programming and installation of met towers, as well as other mechanical or electrical tasks that may be required.
• ·         Coordinate with Technical Field Support management for error reports, provide daily feedback to Technical Field Support management, and attend department meetings and other functions as directed.

Qualifications

• ·         The successful candidate will possess a minimum of an Associate’s degree in Engineering, or possess equivalent experience in a technical field that applies.
• ·         1-3 years of related experience required, which can include classroom/lab, internship or prior employment. Electrical generation and or synchronous machine experience preferred.
• ·         Energy Industry field service or maintenance experience desired. Experience in Met Towers, GE or United Technologies wind turbines a plus.
• ·         Computer skills including MS Office, Excel, Adobe, Internet Explorer, Outlook required. Ability to create quality reports and documentation in Excel, Word, etc. 
• ·         Self-starter with ability to manage daily activities and work independently.  Team builder who can communicate effectively and provide direction to the on-site team.
• ·         Comfortable working at heights and the ability to perform essential physical functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation; this includes climbing wind turbines or met towers at heights of at least 250 feet, lifting 50 lbs. above head, and meeting the weight requirement of safety gear, 310 lbs. or less.  
• ·         Ability to travel up to 60 – 80% comfortable working at construction sites in remote locations, deployment to a site/field for up to 6-8 weeks at a time. 
• ·         Valid driver’s license.