Emerging Tech & AI Research Lead

Hitachi Energy Ltd.; Kraków; Hybrid; PLN 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and incentives

Well-being and care

Paid and unpaid leave

Flexible work options

Job summary

Hitachi Energy Ltd. seeks an Innovation Research Lead to blend proactive research of digital technology trends with evaluating internal innovation needs.

You will conduct horizon scanning, technology foresight, and technology scouting, delivering structured, evidence-based outputs to support actionable recommendations. You will coordinate contributors, maintain knowledge bases, and adapt outputs to company needs.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of professional experience in emerging digital technology research, technology scouting, technology foresight, innovation consulting, market intelligence, or applied AI research in an enterprise context.
• Strong research and analytical skills across AI, data, and digital technologies, with experience producing technology landscape comparisons, feasibility assessments, and vendor evaluations.
• Strong understanding of and passion for emerging technology trends, with a focus on artificial intelligence and familiarity with innovation lifecycle concepts (insights, validation, PoC, delivery).
• Experience working with ambiguous, early-stage innovation topics and producing structured outputs that support decisions in a complex corporate environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate input from multiple contributors and to guide and coordinate junior analysts.
• Excellent documentation practices and ability to prepare clear written materials for non-specialist audiences. Fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Conduct horizon scanning research, emerging technology scouting, technology foresight, and market option comparisons for innovation topics; produce concise landscape summaries.
• Support assessment of internal Innovation-as-a-Service needs by integrating external trends and translating ideas into evidence-based inputs for technology recommendations.
• Perform feasibility assessments with stakeholders; outline validation options for PoC or further investigation.
• Deliver outputs in suitable formats for different audiences (reports, matrices, knowledge-base entries, presentations).
• Produce structured evidence packages with technology landscape summaries, option comparisons, feasibility findings, and validation outlines.
• Proactively maintain technology trend overviews, reusable trend profiles, and documented insights; contribute to trend reports.
• Document completed assessments in a shared knowledge base and flag existing internal capabilities before starting new research.
• Oversee and collaborate with other Innovation-as-a-Service specialists to ensure aligned proactive research and consulting services.
• Support and oversee the solution architect and vendor ecosystem relationships as needed.
• Guide and coordinate junior analysts; review output quality and advise on research methodology.

Skills

Emerging tech

Technology scouting

AI research

Horizon scanning

Stakeholder coordination

Analytical skills

Fluent English

Job description

Hitachi Energy Ltd. seeks an Innovation Research Lead to blend proactive research of digital technology trends with evaluating internal innovation needs.

You will conduct horizon scanning, technology foresight, and technology scouting, delivering structured, evidence-based outputs to support actionable recommendations. You will coordinate contributors, maintain knowledge bases, and adapt outputs to company needs.