Innovation Manager

About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting-edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi-cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. And that’s where you come in.

London, Greater London, United Kingdom (On-Site)

Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Technical and Assurance Director, the Innovation Manager will be responsible for the development of innovative solutions to Customer problems, enabling Customer success. We’re seeking an Innovation Manager to drive the identification, development and adoption of cutting-edge technology solutions, while securing customer-funded innovation to solve real-world challenges. You will proactively uncover opportunities through close engagement with key UK customers and the wider transport innovation ecosystem, converting these into high-impact bids and proposals in collaboration with SMEs and academia. Accountable for aligning innovation activities with Hitachi Rail’s strategic goals, you will prioritise initiatives based on commercial return, capture and mature opportunities, and ensure successful delivery and exploitation of outcomes that enable customer success and drive sustainable growth across GTS-UK. You will also build and maintain strong partnerships across customers, industry networks (e.g. RIA), SMEs, academia, and internal stakeholders including Hitachi Rail business lines, our Global Business Unit and Hitachi Europe R&D. This role will be a hybrid role based in London and will require regular travel.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and deliver targeted innovation activities aligned with business goals and objectives
• Prioritise innovation opportunities based on forecast returns
• Secure funding for innovation activities from external and internal sources
• Deliver the targeted outcomes from innovation activities (technical, exploitation, commercial, financial)
• Identify and engage SMEs as appropriate
• Establish links and relationships with key customers and UK Rail professional innovation network
• Establish links and relationships with SMEs and academia regarding complementary technologies and capabilities
• Close collaboration with Product Line Managers, Product Line Architects, Product Owners, Culture Captains/Coaches
• Close collaboration with business units worldwide
• Close collaboration with bid and project Solution Engineering Managers and Project Design Authorities where applicable
• Active contributor to the whole Engineering and Technical team

Technical Skills and Experience:

• Implementation of Project, Product, and Innovation Management practices
• Contract Management
• Prototyping and Experimentation – capable of developing proof-of-concepts and minimum viable products
• Bid and Financial Management, including the necessary financial acumen to develop work cost estimates and navigate complex funder requirements
• Intellectual Property Management
• Critical Thinking - can demonstrate Creative Problem Solving techniques and understanding of Design Thinking principles

Human Skills:

• Strong stakeholder management, leadership and communication skills
• Build relationships at all levels and influence decision makers
• Build beneficial and collaborative relationships with external organisations, customer bodies, and funders
• Lead, manage, mentor and coach a diverse matrix-managed team
• Resilience, flexibility, and the ability to work with uncertainty

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Science, Innovation Management or related topic area

What We Can Offer:

We are committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you will have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

Flexibility:

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Thank you for your interest in Hitachi Rail. If your application is of interest, we will be in contact. Please do not hesitate to discover more about us and our latest jobs at Hitachi Rail Careers.

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

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