Position summary

Hitachi Energy is seeking a Global Circular Economy Lead to drive the development and implementation of circular economy initiatives across its global operations and value chain. Reporting to the Global Environmental Sustainability Manager and working closely with R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, and Business Units, you will translate sustainability strategy into practical solutions that improve material efficiency, increase circularity performance, and create long-term business value. The role suits an experienced sustainability professional who enjoys working across functions, influencing stakeholders globally, and delivering measurable impact.

Why this role matters

The circular economy is a key enabler of reducing environmental impacts, improving supply chain resilience and resource efficiency, and supporting Hitachi Energy's climate transition ambitions. As the global focal point and technical expert, you set the methodologies, frameworks, and materials strategies that embed circularity across products, operations, and the value chain, turning ambitious goals into measurable environmental and business outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Circular economy expertise: Serve as the global focal point and technical subject matter expert for circular economy, providing strategic guidance across Business Units, Functions, and regions.
• Circularity protocol: Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the Global Circularity Protocol, including circularity methodologies, KPIs, and reporting, with the sustainability performance manager.
• Materials framework: Drive the development and deployment of Hitachi Energy's Low-Carbon and Circular Materials Framework, accelerating adoption of recycled, renewable, low-carbon, and circular materials across the value chain.
• Embedding circularity: Collaborate with Supply Chain Management, Product Portfolio Management, Engineering, and Business Units to embed circular economy principles into products, services, operations, and processes.
• Circular strategies: Advance circular product and service strategies, including eco-design, life extension, refurbishment, remanufacturing, reuse, recycling, value recovery, and digital product transparency.
• Enablement: Develop tools, standards, methodologies, guidance, training, and best practices for consistent global implementation.
• Market intelligence: Monitor trends, customer expectations, competitor activity, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments across circular economy, sustainable materials, eco-design, critical raw materials, digital product passports, and reporting.
• Business value: Identify opportunities to create value through circular business models, lifecycle services, and resource efficiency, supporting Marketing & Sales in translating circularity into customer value propositions.
• Due diligence and disclosure: Support environmental due diligence (risks, impacts, dependencies, opportunities, and regulatory obligations across initiatives, partnerships, acquisitions, and suppliers) and prepare sustainability disclosures on circular economy, resource use, and materials.

Team and stakeholders

You will report to the Global Environmental Sustainability Manager within the global corporate sustainability function, and collaborate across R&D, Supply Chain Management, Product Portfolio Management, Engineering, Operations, Business Units, the sustainability performance manager, and Marketing & Sales.

Key details

• Compensation: Minimum for Italy from €52,700 gross annual salary (Metalmeccanico CBA); final offer based on location, skills, qualifications, and experience.
• Locations: May be open in multiple locations, with location-relevant salary discussed later in the process.
• Travel: Up to 30 percent.
• Benefits: Competitive salary and incentives, well-being and care, paid and unpaid leave, flexible work options, and financial security benefits (tailored by country).

Requirements:

• Master's degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Sustainability, Circular Economy, or a related field, or an MBA in circular business models.
• Significant experience in environmental sustainability and circular economy within an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of circular economy principles, material flows, and product life cycle thinking.
• Experience leading global or cross-functional projects in a multinational organisation.
• Knowledge of sustainable product design, recycled materials, resource efficiency, or waste management programmes.
• Understanding of sustainability reporting and disclosure frameworks and evolving circular economy regulations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, strong analytical and project management capabilities, and the ability to influence without formal authority in a global matrix organisation.
• Fluency in English, and availability to travel up to 30 percent.