wind turbine technician

solar technician

safety specialist

operations technician

construction engineer

Acciona

I worked with Acciona for seven years and for the most part I throuroughly enjoyed my job. I started out as an Administrative Assistant/Receptionist which means I worked the front desk mostly but there were SEVERAL "other duties as assigned".  In the beginning (it was a fairly new company when I started and we had just moved to a new location) I would start my day by putting the dishes away in the dishwasher, making sure the coffee and coffee products were stocked, and opening the doors to receive our employees and guests.  The rest of the day was filled with negotiating with vendors, ordering and stocking supplies, assisting employees with building, supply, equipment, and administrative needs.

I learned a great deal there. Before working for Acciona I knew NOTHING about renewable energy. I also had very little experience with negotiating skills and it grew quite a bit there.  I also gained some experience in Accounts Payable and Legal matters while ther. 

Management was more than fare with me. I went through a rather difficult time while there and they were there for me.  However, not everyone experienced this good fortune. 

My co-workers were AMAZING!  I'm still friends with quite a few of them to this day.  

The hardest part of my job towards the end was having to meet the needs of many because there were so few of us but I enjoyed trying for the most part.  My favorite part of my job was customer service!  I love assisting people and getting to know our customers.  It really does bring me joy to know that I helped someone!

This company started in West Branch with turbine assembly facility in 2007. That was expanded quickly, and business was solid for a year and a half. Lack of Engineering design in the U.S. prevented Supply Chain from sourcing locally or globally which prevented Acciona from being competitive in the market. Poor management prevented skilled workforce from remaining, and the organizational structure frequently shifted until one manager prevailed, and the company submitted to the second major layoff in 3 years of a total of over 100 employees.
The first years at Acciona provided a wonderful culture and promotions were available. As the company was overcome by fiscal issues the culture dried up, and managers protected themselves.
It was a pleasure working for a wind turbine company. I gained valuable experiences, and formed lasting relationships both personal and business. It is unfortunate that some avoidable issues may have prolonged this business to survive until production was available. At this point, Acciona has not produced a single turbine in West Branch since October 2012, and no plans for production for 2013 and beyond.

A typical day is challenging, with parts coming in, searching for parts that we don't stock and finding ways to help the techs with pulling parts they need out of the warehouse.

I have learned how a find farm operates, communicating with other farms, vendors and procurement in helping each other track parts and shipments. 

My site manager has been a great teacher and taught me how to bring out my best qualities and how to work on the things I could do better on.

My co-workers have come from many different jobs and back grounds. At times it has been hard to communicate, but we have always found a way to work together and get the job done.

My hardest part of my job has been managing two wind farms parts and making sure they both have what they need as far as parts and keeping the inventory levels as accurate as possible.

The most rewarding part of my job is when I have located a part for a down turbine, get it to site and it starts running when it is installed. Or when our inventory counts at mid year and year end hit our marks or exceed them.

I worked for this company in their Chicago office. My management was sub-par at best and demanded a lot from the employees. The pay was okay and the benefits were fine but because management is more focused on making money for the company as opposed to understanding what their employees actually do, much is lost in translation. This money-focused attitude also makes it hard for management to understand the limits of their own employees and therefore expects them to perform miracles in a short amount of time.

I had wished to work in the wind industry because I believe in being dependent from oil but this company will steal your soul and run your beliefs dry for their own benefit. Think twice before accepting a position-unless its in the Spanish office, it appears they love working for the company (as evident by the previous five star reviews).

Poorly structured organization.
Does not fill organization chart, and thus over works its employees.
Expect to work 80 hour weeks.
Expect to work most weekends.
Expect to travel on your weekends.
Coordination with the Spanish headquarters is extremely poor.
Rate of employees is 40% + and typically working at company less than 1 year.
There is no cross-training.
No work to life ratio, it is all work and no life.
Position advancements are typically done internally and based on duration of time with company, not experience and knowledge in industry.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pay and per diem rates were good compared to other companies. Got to meet field staff from other countries and learn about their culture

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working 6 days a week even on holidays. Company would not allow for their Acciona staff to stay home on weekends even if no work was being performed. As they would say its the agreement, unheard of in the construction industry. Safety week was derived from Spain not the US


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Stressful acting on behalf of the owner, all responsibility and no authority. 5 Why for every incident briefed to Chicago operations Sub contractors had no skin in the game

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
POD, Stretch and flex, safety message in multiple languages of to work

What is the best part of working at the company?
The paid rotation is a plus, per diem is also good.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The company is completely unsafe and does not have your safety in mind for anything. They will push you to work over wind limits, over work hour limits and during storms. If you get hurt on the job. Kiss your job goodbye.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment is toxic, chaotic and the lack of communication is the biggest problem.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Basic 10/12 hour days starting immediately with confusion due to mgmt lack of communication.

Management is disjointed and constantly lies to and abuses their employees. The CEO is constantly lied to from the VPs. KPIs and metrics are manipulated and don’t reflect the reality of the problems the junior staff are working through. The company lacks a vision - is way to focused on Spain and does not understand how the USA market works. Talent uses the place as a springboard board. HR does nothing to retain employees and barely understands how a business works. You won’t move into management unless you’re from a specific group in Spain. The problems that the sites had when I started were never fixed, the blame was just constantly shifted. 

While the vast majority of my coworkers are pleasant and dedicated the top management is disengaged with the rest of the team and individual expertise. The second in command is the embodiment of a narcissistic micromanager that revels in causing dysfunction, confusion and stress throughout the office. Blaming others for her irresponsible and childish behavior is the norm. The Chicago office is the polar opposite of Acciona's corporate headquarters in Spain. Chicago upper management could and should take lessons in learning what a proper work environment embodies from Spain.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some of the employees other than leadership who only work for themselves on the efforts of others 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Knowing that leadership is not interested in anything other than their own interests and needs. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Sickening stress and depression is the norm for most people in this company. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
10-12 hours of work with the understanding that someone was always going to question your ability.  Management by intimidation.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Wind turbine technician 14 salaries reported	$33.79 per hour
Solar technician 4 salaries reported	$38.50 per hour
Safety specialist 6 salaries reported	$80,031 per year
Operations technician 2 salaries reported	$36.25 per hour
Construction engineer 5 salaries reported	$78,425 per year

Working at Acciona: Company Overview and Reviews

Acciona

Acciona Ratings

Popular jobs at Acciona

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected