Senior Director BioTech Business Development (m/f/d)

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Through its Social Innovation Business that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024 (ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

To strengthen our scientific research, technology development, and process validation for Biological Methanation, Biocatalyst, and Power-to-Methane solutions, we are currently looking for a

Senior Director Biotech Business Development (m/w/d)

Role Purpose

Lead the scientific, technical and commercial development of Hitachi’s biological methanation activities, including pilot execution, process validation, partner ecosystem development and market entry for renewable e-methane solutions in EMEA and selected global regions. The role combines advanced biotechnology competence with techno-economic business development, supporting Hitachi Power Solutions, Japan-based business units and external partners in translating BioCatalystalyst and Power-to-Methane technologies into scalable industrial applications.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

Methanation Pilot Project Execution

• Provide scientific and technical advisory for Osaki Coolgen and related pilot projects, from process design review through commissioning, performance validation and operational stabilization.

• Assess biological methanation process parameters, bioreactor integration, gas quality requirements, control philosophy and interface conditions with hydrogen, CO2 and gas-grid infrastructure.

• Define corrective actions, continuous-improvement measures and installation guidance based on operating data, laboratory results and supplier documentation.

• Support selection and management of technology partners, EPC interfaces, specialist suppliers and laboratory resources, including technical benchmarking and executive reporting.

Business Development

• Conduct scientific, regulatory and techno-economic market analysis for biomethanation, biomethane, e-methane, biogas upgrading, carbon capture and utilization, RFNBO and renewable gas markets.

• Identify and qualify business opportunities with utilities, biogas operators, industrial CO2 emitters, renewable hydrogen producers, gas infrastructure companies, maritime fuel stakeholders, public-affairs bodies and research institutions.

• Develop commercially robust business cases, including feedstock strategy, CO2 and H2 sourcing assumptions, regulatory value drivers, licensing options, revenue models, cost scenarios and risk-adjusted project economics.

• Translate Hitachi’s European growth ambition into a focused pipeline of projects, partners and investment cases aligned with the EMEA growth strategy and global Power-to-Gas opportunities.

• IP-Management. Manage and execute all relevant Patent issues with Hitachi Ltd., external IP-Lawyer firms and effected countries and business entities.

Product and Process Development

• Lead and coordinate the development roadmap for biological methanation and BioCatalyst processes, including scale-up, BioCatalystalyst performance, process intensification, modularization and digital performance monitoring.

• Define laboratory and pilot priorities, experimental requirements, data governance, validation protocols and knowledge-transfer mechanisms for Hitachi teams and external partners.

• Integrate new market and regulatory insights into technology deployment, including grid-injection requirements, eLNG pathways, industrial heat applications and transport-fuel opportunities.

• Maintain and strengthen Hitachi’s position in biological methanation through alliances, technology scouting, intellectual-property awareness and structured innovation reporting.

Cross-Cultural Stakeholder Collaboration

• Act as the senior technical-commercial liaison among Hitachi Europe, Hitachi Power Solutions, Japanese business units, EMEA partners, suppliers and research organizations.

• Ensure clear requirements, disciplined information flow and culturally sensitive collaboration across Japan, Europe and other strategic regions while maintaining strong delivery orientation.

Technology and Market Scope

Bio-methanation technology features

• Biological conversion of CO2 and renewable H2 into grid-quality CH4 using specialized Archaea-based BioCatalystalysts.

• Operation under mild process conditions with flexible load-following potential, supporting integration of intermittent renewable electricity.

• Compatibility with biogenic and selected industrial CO2 streams, enabling CCU, Power-to-Gas, e-methane and eLNG pathways.

• Modular scale-up from pilot and 1 MWe class systems toward multi-MW and next-generation compact Power-to-Methane architectures.

Priority market and value pools

• Utilities, town-gas companies and gas-grid operators seeking renewable methane, seasonal storage and gas infrastructure decarbonization.

• Biogas and landfill-gas operators aiming to increase methane yield, recover methane slip and improve carbon-intensity performance.

• Industry, maritime fuels and RFNBO-related markets requiring certifiable low-carbon gaseous fuels and credible lifecycle assessment.

• Europe, Japan, North America and selected growth markets where regulation, incentives, energy security and offtake structures support renewable gas projects.

Critical Success Factors

• Advanced scientific command of biogas, biomethanation, microbial catalysis, gas fermentation, process engineering and renewable-gas certification principles.

• Ability to translate laboratory evidence and pilot data into bankable, commercially defensible project assumptions and executive decision material.

• Experience in scaling complex biotechnology processes from laboratory or pilot environments to industrial deployment, including safety, quality and performance governance.

• Cross-cultural leadership, scientific credibility, entrepreneurial judgement and a pioneering mindset in emerging energy-transition markets.

Technical and Professional Skills

• PhD or equivalent scientific depth in biology, microbiology, biotechnology, chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, process engineering or a related discipline.

• Proven record in developing and industrializing complex bio-technological products, processes or platforms, ideally involving gas conversion, bioreactors, anaerobic systems or microbial catalysis.

• Strong understanding of renewable-gas markets, EU and international regulatory drivers, project finance logic, licensing models, partner ecosystems and commercial risk assessment.

• High digital competence, using data analytics, AI-enabled knowledge management, experiment documentation and performance dashboards to accelerate R&D, validation and deployment.

Personal Profile - Qualification and Background of Job-holder

Dedicated biotechnology and energy-transition specialist with hands-on experience in Japan-EMEA technology collaboration, partner management, applied R&D and pilot-project execution. Brings the scientific depth to evaluate biomethanation processes, the business judgement to structure market-entry cases, and the intercultural capability to build trust among Hitachi entities, research partners, customers, suppliers and public stakeholders.

Education

• PhD in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, biochemical engineering, process engineering or related fields.

• Documented continuous education in renewable gases, carbon management, industrial biotechnology, process safety, IP, regulatory frameworks or technology commercialization.

Professional Skills

• Scientific and techno-economic assessment of biological methanation and Power-to-Methane projects.

• Business-case development, market benchmarking, licensing support, stakeholder management and executive communication.

• Pilot planning, technology transfer, supplier qualification, laboratory governance and performance management.

• Structured collaboration across Japan, EMEA and global innovation ecosystems.

Language Skills

• English: professional working proficiency or higher.

• German: professional working proficiency or higher.

• Japanese or additional European languages: advantageous for cross-regional stakeholder engagement.

Our Values

We strive to create an inclusive environment for all employees and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

With Japanese roots dating back more than 100 years, our culture is based on our parent company's values, expressed in the Hitachi Spirit:

Wa - harmony, trust, respect

Makoto - sincerity, fairness, honesty, integrity

Kaitakusha-Seishin - pioneering spirit, challenge