Karpel Associates is a wind power executive search firm serving onshore and offshore developers, turbine manufacturers, independent power producers and service providers across the US. We help wind companies hire leaders for development, construction, operations and finance, and we bring you a short list of proven people instead of a stack of resumes.
The wind talent market today
Wind is really several industries sharing one name. Onshore developers in the interior of the country work with hundreds of landowners, county boards and long transmission runs. Offshore developers deal with federal lease areas, port upgrades, specialized installation vessels and a supply chain that is still being built in the US. Meanwhile, owners of aging fleets are focused on repowering, swapping rotors and nacelles to extend the life of existing sites.
Each of those businesses needs a different kind of executive, and the overlap is smaller than most job descriptions assume. A great onshore VP of development may have little to offer an offshore team negotiating with port authorities and fishing communities. We separate those profiles early so your shortlist reflects the work your company actually does.
Policy changes add another variable. Federal leasing decisions, tax credit rules and state procurement targets can shift a wind company's priorities quickly, and leaders need to adjust plans without losing the trust of investors, landowners or the communities hosting their turbines.
Hard-to-fill wind energy positions
Offshore project and marine leadership
The US offshore wind workforce is young. Companies often need to recruit leaders from offshore oil and gas, subsea engineering, naval architecture or European wind programs. We look for people who have managed marine spreads, heavy-lift logistics and complex marine permits, and who can adapt that experience to a US regulatory setting.
Permitting and community relations
Wind projects live or die on local support. Executives who can manage wildlife studies, FAA reviews, county zoning and public hearings with credibility are scarce, and their value is highest early in a project.
Turbine supply and O&M
Turbine supply agreements and long-term service contracts carry significant financial risk. We recruit procurement leaders who negotiate warranty and availability terms well, and O&M heads who can run technician teams across remote sites safely.
How we assess wind leaders
| Area | Questions we ask candidates |
|---|---|
| Development | Which projects reached commercial operation, and what killed the ones that did not? |
| Engineering | How did resource assessment and turbine selection shape project economics? |
| Construction | How were crane logistics, weather windows and balance-of-plant contractors handled? |
| Operations | What changed in fleet availability and cost per MWh under their leadership? |
| Finance | How did they structure tax credits, tax equity or debt for wind assets? |
Every candidate you meet matches at least 90% of the requirements we agree on together. We present three to five finalists, which keeps your team focused on real decisions.
Why wind companies hire Karpel Associates
Our founder, Stacey Karpel, brings more than two decades of search experience, and for the past 15+ years she has worked only in renewable energy. That focus shows up in results: 98% of our offers are accepted and 94% of the candidates we place stay. We recruit nationwide from our San Francisco Bay Area base and handle retained search, contingency recruiting and interim placements. You can read more about Stacey and the firm on our about page.
Wind clients often have neighboring hiring needs. Developers adding hybrid sites look to our solar recruiting team, and offshore programs frequently need the environmental and permitting leaders we place through our environmental and ESG practice.
Talk to a wind recruiter
Whether you need a president for a new offshore platform or a director to lead a repowering program, the first step is a short conversation about the role. Get in touch with our team and we will outline how we would run the search.