Job Industry: Renewable Energy
Job Location: Oman
Role Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Site Quality Manager with a strong, proven track record in wind farm projects, from manufacturing through commissioning and handover. This role requires deep hands-on expertise in factory/plant quality, particularly during pre-FAT and FAT execution, as well as the ability to independently identify, analyze, and resolve quality issues both at the source (plant) and on-site.
The Site Quality Manager will lead a team of 6 Quality Engineers, 2 NDT Inspectors, and 4 Trainees, while acting as the primary quality interface with clients, OEMs, and internal stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a decisive, on-the-ground problem solver who drives corrective actions from root cause to closure, ensuring project quality and timely delivery.
Key Responsibilities:
1. FAT & Plant Quality Oversight (Primary Focus)
- Lead and actively participate in Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) for all major wind turbine components, including nacelles, hubs, generators, gearboxes, blades, and towers.
- Review, challenge, and approve FAT procedures, test plans, and acceptance criteria prior to execution.
- Act as the primary quality authority during FAT, making real-time, independent decisions on test failures, deviations, and non-conformances.
- Ensure all FAT results are rigorously documented, verified, and formally signed off before shipment release.
- Collaborate closely with plant quality teams to resolve manufacturing non-conformances and implement effective corrective actions before components leave the factory.
- Conduct supplier quality audits and oversee pre-shipment inspections to minimize site rework, installation delays, and cost overruns.
2. On-Site Quality Issue Resolution (Hands-On Decision Making)
- Serve as the single point of authority for all quality issues arising during site installation, commissioning, and handover.
- Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for major defects, deviations, and failures, driving timely and technically sound corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Independently evaluate, disposition, and approve resolutions for all NCRs (Non-Conformance Reports) and critical deviations without dependency on remote support.
- Track and manage retrofit and repair of major components, including gearbox, generator, blades, and main shaft, overseeing rework quality, retesting, and final acceptance.
- Interface directly with client representatives and OEM engineers to resolve quality conflicts, negotiate acceptable solutions, and maintain project momentum.
3. Wind Farm Project Experience (End-to-End)
- Apply proven hands-on experience in utility-scale wind farm projects from manufacturing through site installation, commissioning, and final handover.
- Demonstrate understanding of the full project lifecycle, including logistics, erection sequencing, electrical and mechanical completion, pre-commissioning, and reliability testing.
- Apply lessons learned from previous wind farm projects to anticipate quality risks, optimize inspection strategies, and improve overall project execution.
- Support project management with quality inputs for scheduling, resource planning, and risk mitigation specific to wind turbine construction.
4. Team Leadership & Technical Mentoring
- Manage, mentor, and develop a quality team comprising 6 Quality Engineers, 2 NDT Inspectors, and 4 Trainees.
- Assign inspection resources based on competency and workload, ensuring full coverage of all quality activities across project components and stages.
- Conduct regular performance reviews, on-the-job training, and technical coaching to strengthen team capability in defect identification, inspection techniques, and resolution methodologies.
- Review and validate all technical documentation, inspection reports, and test results to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with project specifications.
5. Site Inspection & Quality Control
- Oversee storage yard compliance, ensuring proper preservation, handling, and inventory control of wind turbine components under harsh environmental conditions including heat, humidity, and sand/dust.
- Monitor installation quality, including bolting torque, hydraulic systems, alignment, yaw and pitch systems, and mechanical assemblies against approved inspection requirements.
- Review and validate commissioning checklists, ensuring all pre-commissioning and commissioning activities are properly executed and documented.
- Conduct final walkdowns following reliability testing (e.g., 240-hour trial run), identifying and recording punch list items, defects, and outstanding issues.
- Create, assign, and track closure of punch list items and NCRs prior to handover to the service team.
6. Stakeholder Communication & Quality Reporting
- Lead weekly quality review meetings to review NCR status, inspection outcomes, and quality performance metrics.
- Serve as the primary quality contact for internal stakeholders including Project Management, Construction, and Engineering teams, as well as external stakeholders such as clients, OEM representatives, and third-party inspectors.
- Escalate client-raised quality concerns with clear and timely action plans.
- Build trust and facilitate collaboration across QA/QC, installation, commissioning, and engineering teams to achieve project objectives within schedule and quality requirements.
Key Requirements:
Wind Farm Project Experience
- Essential: Proven, hands-on experience in utility-scale wind farm projects with involvement from manufacturing through site installation, commissioning, and handover.
- Must demonstrate understanding of the full project lifecycle and site-specific challenges.
FAT & Plant Quality Experience
- Essential: 8+ years of quality management experience in wind energy or heavy infrastructure.
- Strong documented experience in factory/plant quality and FAT execution.
- Proven track record of identifying and resolving quality issues during the manufacturing phase before components are delivered to site.
On-Site Quality Resolution
- Demonstrated ability to make independent, informed decisions on-site.
- Strong RCA and CAPA capability.
- Comfortable handling critical deviations, client negotiations, and fast-paced problem resolution.
Gate/Milestone Awareness
- Basic understanding of project milestones including FAT, installation, commissioning, and TOC.
- Detailed gate management is not a primary focus of the role.
Team Management
- Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary quality teams of 10+ personnel.
- Strong leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills.
Site Working Competency
- Deep understanding of site-specific risks, including Oman climate conditions such as heat, humidity, and sand/dust.
- Knowledge of logistics challenges and installation sequencing.
- Ability to adapt quality plans to site realities.
Site Inspection Knowledge
Proven experience in:
- Storage yard management
- Mechanical installation inspections
- Bolting and alignment inspections
- Hydraulic systems inspections
- Commissioning checklist reviews
- Final walkdowns following reliability testing
Documentation & Traceability
Strong track record in maintaining documentation traceability including:
- ITP
- NCR
- FAT
- TOC
- Handover Packages
Languages
- Fluent English (written and spoken).
- Essential for communication with international clients, OEM representatives, and multi-national teams.
Soft Skills
- Strong team leader capable of building trust across QA/QC, installation, commissioning, engineering, and client teams.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills.
Bonus (Not Required)
- Familiarity with Oman-specific regulations.
- Previous Middle East project experience.
Additional Information:
- Site-based role with potential rotation schedule.
- Must be willing to work in challenging site conditions, including heat, dust, and remote locations.