Vice President, Software Development


Tokyo
Permanent
Negotiable
Renewable Energy
PR/606515_1787298020
Vice President, Software Development

1) Company Overview

Our client is an innovative energy technology company developing advanced battery energy storage systems, grid-scale energy storage solutions, EV charging infrastructure, energy management platforms, and next-generation power technologies.
With a strong focus on accelerating the global energy transition, the company combines cutting-edge hardware and software to create reliable, scalable, and commercially viable energy solutions. Its engineering organization is international in scope and is responsible for bringing products from concept and development through manufacturing, deployment, and long-term field operation.
As the organization continues to grow, the engineering function is being reshaped into specialized technical verticals to support future expansion and product innovation.

2) Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced VP Software Development to lead and build the company's Software Systems organization.
This is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining software vision, architecture, product alignment, and organizational capability across a diverse portfolio of energy technologies. The successful candidate will oversee software systems supporting energy management, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, cloud platforms, monitoring solutions, and edge-connected devices.
The role exists because software has become a critical value driver across the company's products and services. The business now requires a leader who can establish clear technical direction, create scalable engineering processes, and ensure software investments deliver meaningful customer and commercial outcomes.
You will collaborate closely with senior engineering leadership, product management, manufacturing, quality, technical support, and commercial teams while building a world-class software organization capable of supporting domestic and international growth.
Location: Tokyo, Japan (Heiwajima)
Employment Type: Full-Time Permanent

3) Key Responsibilities

  • Define and execute the long-term software strategy across energy management systems, battery management solutions, EV charging platforms, asset monitoring tools, cloud infrastructure, and edge systems.
  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing software engineering organization covering:
    • Application Development
    • Backend Engineering
    • Platform Engineering
    • Cloud Infrastructure
    • DevOps & SRE
    • Cybersecurity
    • Edge and IoT Systems
  • Establish a clear architectural vision that balances cloud, local infrastructure, and edge computing requirements.
  • Drive software development standards, technical governance, and best practices throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Ensure software solutions are reliable, secure, scalable, maintainable, and economically sustainable.
  • Lead the transition of products from advanced engineering and R&D into commercial production and field operation.
  • Make pragmatic technology decisions that prioritize customer value, operational performance, and business outcomes over technical complexity.
  • Reduce unnecessary architectural complexity and promote efficient, cost-effective software solutions.
  • Develop engineering processes that support rapid innovation while maintaining quality and operational stability.
  • Partner with product teams to translate market requirements into technically sound and commercially successful software offerings.
  • Collaborate closely with Power Systems engineering teams to ensure seamless hardware-software integration.
  • Support manufacturing, service, and field operations through robust software infrastructure and lifecycle management.
  • Mentor and develop engineering managers and future leaders across the software organization.
  • Contribute to overall engineering strategy and organizational growth as a senior member of the leadership team.

4) Requirements

Experience & Leadership

  • 10-15+ years of software engineering experience, with a strong track record of delivering commercial software products.
  • Proven leadership experience managing software engineering teams of 10-20+ engineers.
  • Demonstrated success building and scaling engineering organizations in growth-stage or technology-focused environments.
  • Experience leading software programs from architecture and design through deployment, operational support, and continuous improvement.
  • Strong experience developing leaders and managing multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Technical Expertise

Strong knowledge across several of the following areas:
  • Cloud Platforms and Distributed Systems
  • Backend Software Development
  • Edge Computing and IoT
  • Connected Embedded Systems
  • Energy Management Systems (EMS)
  • Platform Engineering
  • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
  • DevOps and Infrastructure Automation
  • Monitoring and Observability Platforms
  • Security Architecture and Software Reliability

Industry Background

Highly preferred experience within one or more of the following sectors:
  • Energy Storage
  • Renewable Energy
  • Power Systems
  • Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
  • Automotive Technology
  • Industrial Automation
  • Robotics
  • Mission-Critical Physical Product Environments

Professional Skills

  • Strong commercial awareness and business judgment.
  • Ability to balance technical excellence with customer needs and financial realities.
  • Proven capability to prevent over-engineering and drive practical technical solutions.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Experience working in cross-functional, multicultural environments.
  • Professional-level English communication skills.
  • Japanese language skills are advantageous but not required.

5) Why Apply / Career Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of software within an ambitious energy technology organization undergoing significant growth and transformation.
Key benefits include:
  • Executive-level ownership of software strategy and organizational design.
  • Opportunity to build a software division from a strong foundation and define its future direction.
  • Direct influence on products supporting the global energy transition.
  • Leadership of highly visible and business-critical technology initiatives.
  • Exposure to both advanced R&D projects and large-scale commercial deployments.
  • Partnership with senior leadership in defining the next generation of energy solutions.
  • Significant long-term career growth potential as the engineering organization continues to expand globally.
If you are passionate about building robust software for real-world energy infrastructure and can combine technical leadership with strong business judgment, this is an exceptional opportunity to make a lasting impact.

FAQs

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