Renewable energy manager
Oversee all stages of renewable energy projects, like wind turbines or hydropower stations.
Also known as: energy manager, green energy manager, clean energy manager, renewable energy project manager
About the job
What it's like
You’ll manage every stage of a renewable energy project. This includes the planning, development and delivery of a renewable energy initiative. Your goal is to make sure the project finishes on time, within budget and meets green regulations.
You’ll work on renewable energy projects like:
offshore and onshore wind turbines
hydropower stations
solar power stations
hydrogen production
bioenergy production
To work in this role, you’ll need both technical and managerial skills. One day, you may plan a project’s finances and the next, you might help out with engineering or construction work.
Generally, renewable energy managers work in a slightly less senior role first. For example, they often have experience working as an electrician, engineer or environmental consultant.
Your tasks might include:
assessing potential locations to use for a renewable energy project
estimating how much renewable energy a project will produce and what environmental impacts it’ll have
controlling costs to make sure the project stays within its budget
working with a range of stakeholders to listen their concerns and explain the project to them
liaising with engineers and construction workers to keep the renewable energy project on track
keeping the energy facility running well
identifying areas for improvement within the renewable energy facility
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Hours
You’ll work full-time or part-time. Occasionally, your hours could change if you’re close to a project deadline or need to attend an event with stakeholders.
Environment
You'll likely work in an office environment, with regular site visits. There may be opportunities to work from home some of the time.
Travel
This can vary! If you’re working on a big renewable energy project, you may need to visit multiple sites across the country.
If you’re working on a smaller project, close to your office, you may not travel much at all.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Energy Engineering and manufacturing Digital technologies Construction and built environment
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- renewable energy
- energy management
- land tenure
- energy consumption
- energy conservation
- grid connections
- hydrogen production
- cable routing
- energy management systems
- carbon footprint reduction
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- managing resources
- social conscience
- innovative
- attention to detail
- developing a plan
- negotiating
- networking
- motivating others
- adaptability
- written communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Maths (Mathematics)
Physics
Chemistry
Design and Technology
Environmental Science
Geography
Business Management
You’ll likely need a degree or postgraduate qualification for this job. You can work towards this after school by going to university, college or by getting an apprenticeship.
Explore the information you need for each route into this career.
University
For many roles, you'll need a degree or postgraduate qualification.
Subjects related to energy and engineering are very useful, such as:
renewable energy engineering
environmental science
environmental earth science
energy and environmental engineering
mechanical or electrical engineering
Other university subjects which could be helpful for this career include:
geography
project management
engineering
What you need to enter a degree course depends on the subject and university. For a renewable energy engineering degree, you'll likely need:
At least two Highers at BBCC or better. These must include maths and a science-based subject.
You should also have English at National 5 level as a minimum.
Some universities will have more difficult entry requirements – these are what you'll need as a minimum. A relevant HNC or HND will allow you to apply for some courses.
For entry to a postgraduate course, you'll need an honours degree in a relevant subject.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you find work or move on to more advanced study. Subjects at college could include:
energy and environmental engineering
engineering systems: renewables
engineering systems
electrical engineering
building services engineering
What you'll need for a college course depends on the qualification level, subject and college. As a guide, for an HND in energy and environmental engineering, you'll likely need two Highers at C or better. These should include Maths and Physics – or another engineering-based subject.
Apprenticeships
You could start learning the skills you'll need in this career through a Foundation Apprenticeship (FA). While you're in S5 or S6, you'll gain work experience while you study.
You might want to consider an FA in:
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time.
You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you break into the renewable energy sector. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Find more volunteering through:
Have you heard of The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology? Joining a renewable energy body can help you make contacts in the industry and find training opportunities.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is another fantastic group! SEIA has a range of events, webinars, newsletters and resources that you may find useful.
You'll likely need a driving licence for this role.
You'd need to demonstrate an up to date knowledge of energy practices and management. As this is a quickly evolving and expanding area of work, on-going training will be needed to stay current.
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Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Renewable energy manager'
