The opportunity

Hitachi Energy is seeking a dynamic, action‑oriented Innovation Project Manager (Senior Professional) to bring our global Open Innovation agenda to life across the transformer business.

In this highly operational and impactful role, you will turn strategic innovation activites into real, visible results, running global startup challenges, executing venture‑clienting pilots, and coordinating ideation workshops, and capability‑building activities across our global footprint.

You will work at the core of the Global Innovation Organization, collaborating closely with startups and partners, business sponsors, technical experts, and international delivery teams. As the orchestrator of our innovation activities, you will make things happen: transforming frameworks into concrete projects, ideas into pilots, and opportunities into measurable business outcomes.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, brings both drive and structure, and is motivated by seeing tangible impact from their work.

How you will make an impact

• Operationalize open innovation offerings, ensuring each product (e.g. innovation startup challenges, venture‑clienting, entrepreneurial activities, etc.) is delivered consistently and professionally.

• Manage end‑to‑end project execution for innovation activities: planning, timeline control, reporting, stakeholder alignment, risk identification, and delivery quality.

• Run global startup challenges: coordinate scouting inputs, manage submissions, prepare evaluation committees, track funnel conversion, and ensure smooth communication with startups and internal sponsors.

• Drive open innovation projects: organize exploration calls, facilitate problem‑statement definition, schedule experiments or pilots, and ensure evidence and learnings are captured.

• Plan and deliver high‑quality events and sessions such as ideation workshops, innovation sprints, customer co‑creation sessions, and webinars — ensuring readiness of speakers, materials, logistics, and communications.

• Translate product blueprints into execution plans with clear milestones, roles, and deliverables.

• Ensure reporting and transparency by tracking KPIs, progress, outcomes, and risks — connecting closely with product governance standards defined in the Open Innovation architecture.

• Be the “glue” across teams, connecting Innovation Operations and Technology, with R&D, Product Management, and business sponsors.

• Continuously improve delivery quality by documenting lessons learned, proposing enhancements to playbooks, templates, and toolkits.

• Represent the innovation program externally when engaging with startups, universities, incubators, and partners.

Your background

• Degree in Innovation Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.

• Minimum of 3–6 years’ experience in project management, innovation operations, startup programs, consulting, or coordinating cross‑functional activities.

• Practical, hands‑on experience in delivering innovation activities (startup challenges, pilots, workshops, events) is a strong plus and highly valued, we are looking for someone who enjoys driving real execution and seeing tangible outcomes.

• Experience running innovation challenges, hackathons, accelerators, venture‑clienting pilots, or hands‑on ecosystem engagement is a strong plus.

• Strong organizational and execution skills, you enjoy planning and delivering end‑to‑end projects with clarity and discipline.

• Ability to drive structure, priorities, and alignment in complex, global, matrixed environments.

• Skilled communicator who is comfortable interacting with startups, engineers, executives, and cross‑regional teams.

• Practical problem‑solver with a “get‑things‑done” mindset — you move from idea to execution rapidly.

• Ability to manage multiple projects at once under tight deadlines.

• Passion for open innovation, startup collaboration, and accelerating impactful ideas.

Skills: