Technical & Engineering Director

The Company

Buchan Offshore Wind is the developer of a major floating offshore wind farm 75 km to the northeast of Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast. With an anticipated capacity of close to 1GW and a connection date of 2033, the project would feature up to 70 turbines and has the potential to generate the equivalent of the annual power needs of some 1.4 million British homes.

A dynamic, committed and focused project team has seen the project deliver on its key milestones to date, with offshore surveys completed and offshore and onshore scoping reports both submitted. Importantly, the survey programme to date has reinforced our belief that there are no major barriers to securing a consent for the site, and the team is now working towards submitting the full planning application in the first half of 2025 and delivering on the project’s engineering roadmap.

The project’s selection of BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® floating substructure has the potential to both accelerate delivery and generate significant levels of employment in Scotland, with BW Ideol actively working to establish a manufacturing centre at the former oil and gas fabrication yard at Port of Ardersier.

The joint venture has three equal partners, with highly relevant and complementary capability and expertise: BayWa r.e., a global renewable energy business with UK offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh; BW Ideol, a proven floating technology leader and international floating wind project co-developer; and Elicio, an experienced Belgian offshore wind developer, owner and operator.

The Role

The Technical and Engineering Director is a critical role driving the development and delivery of the Buchan Offshore Wind project, reporting to the Project Director and Board. The candidate will replace the existing Technical and Engineering Director who is retiring.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the design and development of the engineering aspects of the onshore and offshore infrastructure for the Buchan Offshore Wind project. This major multi billion pound infrastructure project will include up to 70 WTGs and associated floating foundations, up to 3 offshore substation platforms, 1 intermediate reactive compensation platform, a cable route of circa 90km offshore, 30 km of onshore cable and a HVAC substation connecting to SSE’s onshore transmission system. More information on the scope of the project can be found in the onshore scoping report and offshore scoping report.

The project is currently finalising design to support the consenting process and is progressing to concept design phase stage and is beginning to accelerate the engineering design activities. The Technical and Engineering Director will progress and develop the engineering design through concept design and beyond, working with an integrated engineering, planning and project team to identify a deliverable and derisked engineering solution for this critical infrastructure project.

The individual will be responsible for developing the strategy and engineering roadmap for the coming decade, influencing the direction of this pioneering project. They will build the team and organisation that delivers on that strategy, taking the project from concept to reality.

Key Responsibilities

Buchan Offshore Wind has an agile and experienced engineering team which will grow as the project progresses through development and construction. The Technical and Engineering Director role is a strategic role that will join to lead the formative stages of engineering design with an intent to lead technical and engineering aspects of the project through to Financial Investment Decision (FID).

The scope of the role will include design and development of the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the project. It will include the key offshore and onshore project infrastructure and balance of plant, including wider supply chain aspects such as the manufacture/ fabrication of BW Ideol floating foundations, port upgrades and supply chain investments.

In this role, the candidate will lead a number of critical aspects of the project, including:

  • Working alongside an integrated commercial, consenting and project management team, the Engineering and Technical Director will provide critical input into a refresh of the overall project development strategy. Specifically, they will create the engineering design and development roadmap that takes the project from concept to commercial operations,

  • Leading the resourcing strategy for the engineering and technical team, the individual will build the capacity and capability of the team to support successful delivery. This will include identifying the skills and capabilities required within the project team, and those that are procured from external advisors. In addition to creating a roadmap for development of the capabilities and capacity of the team as the project moves through concept toward FID and beyond. They will be responsible for recruiting, retaining and developing the engineering and technical team with the aim of creating a high performing, resilient, and adaptable team that meets the needs of the project and delivers successfully as part of a motivated and integrated development team,

  • Providing strategic input into technical and engineering aspects of the project procurement strategy, with a focus on both a) the development and b) the construction/ operation phases of the project. For all phases they will work alongside the commercial team, leading the technical and engineering teams in procurement of the necessary contracts for the engineering support, including agreeing packaging strategies, identifying preferred and strategic suppliers, provide oversight of scope development and ensure appropriate risk allocation.

  • Delivering the engineering and technical design processes to meet the project objectives and key milestones. They will ensure interfaces of design are managed between engineering disciplines, within the team and subcontractors, and with other non-engineering and technical project disciplines. They will have responsibility for ensuring that technical and design risks are identified and managed and that design quality management processes deliver against the design quality and risk mitigation objectives,

  • Supporting the Project Management team in development and delivery against the programme. Ensuring the engineering and technical activities are delivered against the programme milestones, that programme risks are identified, key programme interfaces are managed, and that critical path activities are derisked,

  • Creation and control of Technical and Engineering budgets within the annual budgeting period and for the period up to FID. The individual will ensure that the budget strategy balances the needs to accelerate the programme, derisk design and delivery, and create value while appropriately prioritising at risk pre-FID development spend. They will be responsible for delivering the Engineering and Technical aspects of the project on time and in budget, supporting the project management and finance teams in tracking spend against budget and programme,

  • Ensuring that the technical and engineering activities of the project put Health, Safey and Environmental best practice as central to its success. The candidate will drive a positive HSEQ culture ensuring that HSEQ is integrated into the project outcomes, processes, and attitudes. They will ensure that the project fulfils HSE and CDM compliance in support of the projects duties as Principal Designer and its responsibilities under UK HSE regulation,

  • Be a visible and vocal part of the project leadership group, working alongside the project director, commercial director, head of consenting and wider project leadership to ensuring that collaboration and integration is a core part of the team culture. They will be responsible for driving forward project and organisational initiatives that enable the project to deliver against its core objectives,

  • Collaborating with the Project Partners as part of the project governance processes, supporting reporting to and engagement with the shareholders and directors at board meetings and as part of the project delivery. Leading the Technical Working group, ensuring that the experience of the partners can be leveraged and their strategic input is enabled,

  • Be an externally facing advocate for Buchan Offshore Wind, supporting the influence strategy of the project, ensuring that the project is recognised by the appropriate key decision makers and stakeholders as critical to delivering Scottish and UK Governments Net Zero and Just Transition objectives. Ensuring that the engineering and technical teams are ambassadors of technical excellence and engaged with the wider industry and supply chain.

Candidate Requirements

The role is anticipated to be fulfilled by an experienced Technical and Engineering Director who has demonstrable experience in the design and delivery of major offshore wind and other infrastructure projects.

While experience of floating offshore wind and/or offshore wind projects is desirable, it is considered that experience on offshore or onshore energy projects such as O&G or energy transmission major infrastructure projects would provide relevant and transferable skills.

Essential skills for the role include:

  • BEng or MEng or equivalent degree in Engineering.

  • Chartered Engineer.

  • Approx. 15 years + experience of the development and design of energy engineering projects with a focus on development stages up to FID.

  • Strong technical background of leadership of engineering design delivery and design management.

  • Agile and adaptable, with experience in working in major project environments in collaborative organisations and in joint venture partnerships,

  • Strong communicator, able to work effectively with a range of people across engineering and non-engineering disciplines and an open and collaborative team member.

  • Strong people management skills with a proven track record in creating and maintaining high functioning technical teams.

  • Experience in reporting at board level and with senior external and internal stakeholders,

  • Knowledge and experience of the UK and global offshore wind sectors

  • A robust understanding of UK and offshore HSE regulations

Desirable skills include:

  • Experience in offshore transmission and fixed and/or floating offshore wind development.

  • Construction phase experience for offshore and/or energy projects

  • Experience in fabrication and manufacture of serial production of concrete structures

  • Track record of input to designing and delivery of contracting strategies in a range of models such as EPC/ multi-contracting, construction management etc.

  • A strong UK and global offshore wind stakeholder network

Location and Working Arrangements

The post will be:

  • Full time

  • Based in Glasgow

  • Hybrid working arrangements available

We look forward to your application which should be submitted to info@buchanoffshorewind.com

At Buchan Offshore Wind Limited we are fully committed to fostering equity and inclusion and embrace the diversity, of all our people.

We welcome applications from everyone, irrespective of gender, gender identity, national origin, religion, social, cultural, or ethnic-background, sex, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other status protected by appropriate law. All hiring decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications. We are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer for all by providing an inclusive environment free of discrimination or harassment.

If you as an applicant require additional assistance or accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please reach out to us.

Graham Repper