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Vestas Technology & Operations > Research & Development (R&D) > Protective Systems

The Protective Systems (PS) team consists of 8 focused engineers based across Portugal, the United Kingdom, and China. We are broadening our operations in Portugal and are inviting individuals who are ready to take the next step in their careers.

Our mission is to ensure the development, performance, and seamless integration of blade protection systems into the wind turbine, prioritizing safety, quality, and reliability. Our scope includes Lightning Protection Systems (LPS), Cold Climate, and Blade Condition Monitoring solutions.

As a highly skilled and collaborative team, we work closely with senior functional leadership to deliver top-quality solutions that optimize performance and reliability, ensuring smooth integration with the overall turbine system.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for implementing the system architecture for lightning protection
• Responsible for delegating tasks to a team of engineers in Electrical and Thermal design, analysis, and test supporting lighting protection, cold climate, and condition monitoring
• Define and maintain the technical roadmap within the LPS and Electrical & Thermal design area, including the development and delivery of associated project proposals
• Align and standardize technical solutions and documentation across products and module projects within the functional domain
• Ensure high-quality deliverables into module and technology projects through thorough review processes.
• Define and maintain the product scope within the functional area, ensuring alignment with platform strategy and cross-functional integration
• Ensure quality assurance of both platform and non-platform deliverables, including documentation, production quality and service-related issues
• Oversee the full product lifecycle, including technical reviews during Engineering Change Management (ECM) activities such as One Stop Office Shop (OSOS) and Change Requests (CRs)
• Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and contribute to quality improvement initiatives
• Identify and mitigate technical risks within the functional domain, ensuring high standards of safety, reliability, and performance
• Verify and continuously improve design and process elements, including methodologies, tools, guidelines, and templates, ensuring no maturity gaps
• Maintain and update best practice design guidelines, incorporating lessons learned and feedback from project execution
• Coordinate the development of cost-out strategies, design guidelines, and quality improvement plans within the function
• Guide and mentor team members within the functional domain, promoting technical growth and knowledge sharing
• Oversee technical functional evaluations and confirm that the necessary level of maturity is attained for gate reviews
• Contribute meaningfully to the design for safety principles and practices throughout the development process.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Physics or Engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or related field)
• Minimum 8 years of experience in product development, engineering design, or technical leadership roles within the wind energy, aerospace, or automotive sectors
• Demonstrated capability in leading cross-functional technical initiatives and managing product lifecycle activities.
• Experience with Engineering Change Management (ECM), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and quality improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with design tools, simulation software, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems (e.g. PTC Windchill).
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate with accountability, being responsible for technical decisions and ensuring high-quality outcomes across projects
• A cooperative approach, with extensive experience collaborating effectively with diverse international teams to align solutions and share insights
• Communicates complex technical concepts with simplicity and clarity, adapting messaging to diverse audiences including engineers, stakeholders, leadership and customers
• Demonstrates commitment to innovation, sustainability, and continuous improvement, inspiring others and contributing positively to team culture
• Experience in mentoring and coaching team members, promoting an environment of learning, transparency, and collective achievement

Competencies

• Proficient understanding of electromagnetic principles and electronic systems, particularly in the context of Lightning Protection Systems
• Applied knowledge of thermal behavior and heat transfer mechanisms, especially relevant for cold climate solutions and blade material performance
• Proficient in using numerical techniques to model physical phenomena, including electromagnetic fields, thermal profiles, and structural behavior. Experience with tools such as COMSOL, ANSYS, or equivalent is valued
• Skilled in designing and executing experiments to validate technical hypotheses, system performance, and product reliability under real-world conditions
• Skilled in analyzing engineering data using tools like MATLAB or Python, including signal processing, statistical analysis, and visualization to support design decisions and root cause investigations
• Comprehensive grasp of lightning protection measures for wind turbine or aerospace systems
• Experience in verifying design elements and ensuring compliance with engineering standards, maturity requirements, and quality benchmarks across platform and non-platform projects.
• Proficient in applying structured risk assessment methodologies, including Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) and Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), to identify and mitigate potential failure modes early in the design and manufacturing process
• Ability to assess and optimize the integration of protective systems into blade and turbine architectures, ensuring safety, reliability, and functional excellence

What We Offer

As a Functional Lead in the Protective Systems R&D team, you will take on a key role in shaping the technical direction of blade protective systems while contributing to the global energy transition. You will have the opportunity to manage interdisciplinary engineering projects, maintain high quality standards, and promote creative advancements. You'll work in a collaborative, multicultural environment that values continuous learning, technical excellence, and shared progress.

Additional information

We look forward to receiving your application as soon as possible, as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. To apply for this opportunity please submit your resume in English.

Our commitment to a fair hiring
At Vestas, we evaluate all candidates solely based on their professional experience, education, and relevant skills. To support a fair recruitment process, we kindly ask that you remove any photos, dates of birth or graduation, gender pronouns, marital status, or other personal information not relevant to the role before submitting your CV/resume. Your CV/resume should focus on your professional and educational background, along with the necessary contact details (email and phone number). We train our hiring teams in inclusive evaluation and regularly review process outcomes to ensure fairness.

DEIB Statement
At Vestas, we recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion in driving innovation and success. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, particularly those who may hesitate due to their identity or feel they do not meet every criterion. As our CEO states, "Expertise and talent come in many forms, and a diverse workforce enhances our ability to think differently and solve the complex challenges of our industry". Your unique perspective is what will help us powering the solution for a sustainable, green energy future.

BEWARE - RECRUITMENT FRAUD
It has come to our attention that there are a number of fraudulent emails from people pretending to work for Vestas. Read more via this link, https://www.vestas.com/en/careers/our-recruitment-process

About Vestas
Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We are specialised in designing, manufacturing, installing, and servicing wind turbines, both onshore and offshore.
Across the globe, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. We consider ourselves pioneers within the industry, as we continuously aim to design new solutions and technologies to create a more sustainable future for all of us. With more than 185 GW of wind power installed worldwide and 40+ years of experience in wind energy, we have an unmatched track record demonstrating our expertise within the field.
With 30,000 employees globally, we are a diverse team united by a common goal: to power the solution - today, tomorrow, and far into the future.
Vestas promotes a diverse workforce which embraces all social identities and is free of any discrimination. We commit to create and sustain an environment that acknowledges and harvests different experiences, skills, and perspectives. We also aim to give everyone equal access to opportunity.
To learn more about our company and life at Vestas, we invite you to visit our website at www.vestas.com and follow us on our social media channels. We also encourage you to join our Talent Universe to receive notifications on new and relevant postings.