The “Holistic” Cleantech Leader Era is Here
Cleantech hiring has fundamentally shifted.
Looking at 2025 and into 2026, the industry has moved away from narrow specialisms. We are seeing a decisive move toward "Holistic Hiring" - where industry breadth and cross-functional expertise are no longer "nice to haves," but prerequisites.
Why the change? In my recent discussions with company leaders, Boards and investors, there is a clear push for talent that sits at the intersection of the ecosystem. To maximise revenue, companies need leaders who can navigate the integration of renewables, storage, grid connectivity, EV infrastructure, and smart flexibility and optimisation.
The strict boundaries between job functions have also evolved. We are now searching for "T-shaped" professionals i.e. individuals with deep expertise in a core area, but the versatility to add value across the entire project lifecycle.
If you look at Energy Storage specifically, the days of the specialist silo are gone. Batteries have matured into a sophisticated infrastructure asset class and the most valuable hires today are those who can navigate the entire value chain.
Some recent senior search examples from our desk highlight this trend:
🔹 Project Delivery combined with Grid Connection expertise.
🔹 Sales Leadership with a deep understanding of Project Finance.
🔹 Supply Chain Management integrated with Financial Coordination.
🔹 O&M Leadership paired with Commercial Asset Optimisation know-how.
The Bottom Line: Storage is now a staple of institutional infrastructure portfolios. Consequently, leaders are demanding the same level of rigorous commercial and financial fluency across their teams, that you'd expect in any other critical infrastructure class.
The "purely technical" or "purely commercial" roles are narrowing. The present and future belongs to the holistic leader.
What about your business? The 'silo' era is over. Is your leadership team built for 2026, or are you still hiring for the past?
We're helping Energy Storage C-suites and Boards bridge this gap right now - let’s discuss how we can de-risk your next senior hire. Get in touch with me at david.beeston@hyperionsearch.com to discuss how we can add value impact to your hiring strategy in 2026.
Hyperion Search is a leading international search firm, dedicated to renewables and cleantech sectors. We've supported the clean energy transition for 11 years, placing senior and strategic level talent in 19 countries to date.