Role Overview

We have a new exciting opportunity in the TEEL team for an Energy & Environment Researcher. The researcher will be involved in the development of future products and scalable technology solutions to support our Social Innovation business to address some of society’s biggest challenges, addressing the disruptive impact of renewable energy generation, ensuring energy security and decarbonising the energy mix whilst meeting increasing demand. The successful candidate will need to be highly motivated with a strong technical background, coupled with a demonstrable appetite for creativity, business innovation and application of entrepreneurial experience.

The role will cover a broad understanding of the energy system value chains including generation, transmission & distribution, development, integration and management. An understanding of and demonstrated abilities in the intersection of the energy system with industry, transport, environment, economy and society will be important.

Hitachi’s European R&D Energy & Environment group focuses on assessing and developing new and innovative business and commercial opportunities for Hitachi technologies. Therefore, a technical background is essential with strong commercial capabilities.

Projects will typically involve various stages from creation, through development to delivery and reporting. The candidate will be working with both internal and external global stakeholders, therefore experience of in working in diverse teams and demonstrated strong interpersonal skills will be beneficial. The range of projects may involve aspects as diverse as smart/intelligent energy, mobility, industrial processes, hydrogen, finance, circular economy and storage etc.

Our role is to assess and develop future viable business opportunities for the European market utilising the very best technical and commercial skillsets.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

• Primary and secondary research, studies and assessments, to investigate technologies and business opportunities through the analysis of energy trends, along with societal and technological issues. Requirement to propose solutions (considering the business, societal, customer and technical dimensions); discuss and develop them with colleagues, and structure the development and deployment taking into account internal and external partnerships.
• Support to Hitachi Business Units with market investigations and future scenario development of specific issues in the EU market, providing technical and economic support.
• Leading projects, experiments, studies and analysis of product related issues including recommendations and provision of technical solutions for them.
• Build and maintain strong connections with colleagues of Hitachi R&D in Japan, including traveling to Japan when required.
• Present the results of the activities within Hitachi R&D as well as in conference and Journal publications.
• Follow and participate in EU energy & environment research activities and consortia, and share and discuss the EU output and trends with Hitachi R&D centres globally.
• Propose and develop business led research projects to bid for internal and external funding.

Skills & Experience

The following skills and experience are essential/required:

• An ability and proven experience to bring together technical, business, economic, social and environmental factors to a project is essential.
• Technical and/or business knowledge with an understanding of the broad energy market and systems (including the different levels of the network) is essential.
• Technical and/or business knowledge of at least one field of the low carbon energy market is required and demonstrable experience is preferred.
• An understanding of digital technology (IT and OT) and approaches to developing cloud-based digital solutions as part of a future low carbon economy is required.
• An ability to work across a number of concurrent projects with differing levels of maturity and complexity is required.
• Strong academic / research background with a Master’s degree in Engineering or in a related field (such as Physics) is essential. A PhD would be preferred.
• Experience or postgraduate study in the areas of economics or business. If possible, experience or understanding/awareness of the following: levelized cost of energy analysis; economic modelling; cost-benefit analysis; infrastructure investment analysis and decision making, and energy auctions and pricing mechanisms.

The following skills and experience are desirable/preferable:

• Experience in the environmental field considering circular economy, nature-based solutions, carbon management and corporate social responsibilities is preferred.
• Good communication skills via written material and presentations are essential, and a second spoken language, preferably European and/or Japanese, would be preferable.
• Strong cultural awareness with the ability to work and interact with people from various continents and cultural backgrounds is preferred.
• Evidence to demonstrate an enthusiasm and interest to research new domains and technologies, and to master and apply the technologies in practice is preferred.
• Self-starter with a probing enquiring nature able to work alongside and with other team members is desirable.
• Experience of eliciting business requirements, conducting market analysis and impact assessments, developing user stories and experience of assessing the social/economic effects of technology and solutions is preferred.
• Experience of identifying, establishing and working in consortiums and partnerships with other companies is desirable.
• Experience of working with government or industrial groups would be preferred.

Company and Business Group Overview

Hitachi is a Company that contributes to society through the development of technology and products that are both superior and original. Hitachi’s Founding Concepts of harmony, trust, honesty, integrity and pioneering spirit have guided Hitachi's growth into a flourishing, technologically diverse and innovative Company.

The Transportation, Energy & Environment Laboratory (TEEL), is part of Hitachi’s European R&D Centre, located in central London. The TEEL team has a mission to create and validate innovation in the Rail and Energy sectors, leveraging Hitachi’s technologies and customer co-creation. The focus is across the European energy sector (including power systems, renewables and digital business solutions, emerging solutions and environmental matters) and intersecting industries supporting several Hitachi business units. As part of Hitachi's Global R&D Group, the TEEL team also works and co-creates with other European laboratories covering Automotive, Industry, Big Data and Service Design; and several innovation research laboratories in Japan and around the globe.

Benefits Package

Company Funded Benefits

• Market competitive salary and discretionary bonus scheme
• Generous holiday entitlement - with the option to buy up to an additional 8 days per year
• A Holiday Banking scheme allowing you to bank untaken holiday to use another year
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme available to all employees
• Personal Accident Insurance

Voluntary Benefits (funded by employee) including;

• Cycle to Work scheme
• Gym Membership
• Dental Insurance with option to include dependent children
• Health screening
• Dining card

Primary Location: GB-ENG-London
Global Region: EMEA
Organization: Hitachi Europe Ltd.
Remote: Yes
Job Type: Experienced

Additional Requirements

• Japanese language