R&D Senior Project Manager

Location: Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria Job ID: R0144444 Date Posted: 2026-09-23 Company Name: HITACHI ENERGY BULGARIA EOOD Profession (Job Category): Engineering & Science Job Schedule: Full time Remote: No Job Description: The opportunity Join Hitachi Energy and lead the delivery of innovative product development projects that support the future of sustainable energy infrastructure. As an R&D Senior Project Manager , you will drive complex cross-functional projects from concept through launch, balancing scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk while ensuring alignment with business strategy and customer needs. Working closely with engineering, product management, manufacturing, and leadership teams, you will play a pivotal role in transforming ideas into successful products and technologies. You will influence key business decisions, foster collaboration among stakeholders, and ensure effective project governance throughout the development lifecycle. This is an exciting opportunity to combine strategic thinking, technical insight, and project leadership while making a lasting impact on the development of next-generation power solutions. How you’ll make an impact Project Leadership : Lead product technology and development projects involving electro-mechanical products and systems. Manage projects using established stage-gate and waterfall development processes. Ensure alignment between project objectives, business strategy, customer requirements, and technology roadmaps. Drive project execution from initiation to completion while maintaining focus on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk. Stakeholder Management : Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Facilitate discussions and decision-making among engineering, product management, operations, quality, sourcing, manufacturing, service, and leadership teams. Manage stakeholder expectations and resolve conflicts through structured communication and data-driven recommendations. Present complex technical and business topics to senior management and steering committees. Business Case & Financial Management : Develop project business cases in collaboration with Global Product Managers (GPMs). Support investment justification and project approval processes. Create and manage project budgets. Monitor budget allocation, utilization, forecasts, and financial performance. Track project expenditures and promote efficient use of resources. Planning & Executio n: Develop and maintain project plans and schedules. Establish work breakdown structures (WBS) and project deliverables. Coordinate resource planning and task allocation across multidisciplinary teams. Monitor project progress and ensure timely completion of milestones. Drive corrective actions when deviations from plans occur. Ensure transparent reporting of project status and project health indicators. Risk Management : Lead project risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring activities. Coordinate Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) assessments applicable to project activities. Support Intellectual Property (IP) risk analysis and freedom-to-operate evaluations. Ensure risks are escalated appropriately and addressed proactively. Product Development Governance : Ensure compliance with R&D processes, development gates, quality requirements, and organizational standards. Support FMEA activities, design reviews, and technical reviews. Coordinate validation and verification planning. Ensure all required project documentation is maintained. Drive lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives. Your background Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field. Experience leading cross-functional product development projects in industrial, electromechanical, engineering, manufacturing, or related environments. Experience managing projects across the full product development lifecycle. Familiarity with stage-gate, waterfall, or equivalent project development methodologies. Strong project planning, leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Ability to influence stakeholders, facilitate decision-making, and build alignment across teams. Knowledge of risk management, project governance, validation and verification processes, and quality frameworks. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills. Preferred Qualifications : PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, Scrum, or equivalent project management certification. Experience leading R&D, new product development, or technology development projects. Experience within the power, energy, industrial equipment, electromechanical, or manufacturing sectors. Familiarity with PLM systems and project portfolio management tools. Experience working with global or geographically distributed teams. What we offer 13th salary; Monthly food vouchers; Supplementary health insurance; Additional bonuses. More about us Join Hitachi Energy and work in a team that is dedicated to creating a future where innovative digital technologies allow greater access to cleaner energy! Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so don’t delay – apply today! Accessibility and reasonable accommodation Qualified individuals with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the Hitachi Energy career site as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by completing a general inquiry form on our website. Please include your contact information and specific details about your required accommodation to support you during the job application process. This is solely for job seekers with disabilities requiring accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Messages left for other purposes will not receive a response. Use of Al and automated tools in recruitment As part of our recruitment process, Hitachi Energy uses digital and automated tools, including Al-supported solutions, to assist with activities such as application screening, job matching, and interview scheduling. These tools are designed to support our recruiters and do not replace human decision-making. Candidate data is processed in accordance with applicable data protection and employment laws as well as Hitachi's Global Data Privacy Notice. Background Screening and Security Checks As part of the hiring process, Hitachi Energy conducts pre-employment background checks that may include verification of employment history, education, criminal records, and other relevant information, in accordance with applicable laws. For certain roles—particularly those involving access to sensitive information, financial responsibilities, client data, regulated environments, or security-sensitive functions—additional or more comprehensive background or security screenings may be required. These may include, but are not limited to, enhanced criminal history checks, credit history reviews (where legally permissible), sanctions screening, or other due diligence measures aligned with the responsibilities of the position. The scope and depth of any background or security review will be determined based on the nature of the role and business necessity, and will always be conducted in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Candidates will be notified and, where required, asked to provide consent prior to the initiation of any such checks.