昭和 54 年慶応大学卒、同年防衛庁に入庁し、防衛庁技術研究本部においてレーダ技術及び電子戦技術の研究開発等に従事。

以後、平成 14 年管理局航空機課通信電子課長、平成 20 年技術研究本部電子装備研究所研究企画官、平成 21 年技術研究本部総務部長、平成 23 年大臣官房技術監、平成 25 年技術研究本部長を歴任。

平成 27 年10 月、我が国の拡大する防衛装備行政の諸課題に対応すべく防衛装備庁が発足、初代防衛装備庁長官として着任。 

29 年 7 月 退官、 29 年 9 月 政策研究大学院大学客員研究員、 29年１１月多摩大学客員教授、30年8 月SBIホールディングス株式会社顧問

Former Commissioner of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, Ministry of Defense

Dr Hideaki Watanabe was the first commissioner for ATLA (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency), which was established in October 2015, to work on a wide variety of defence acquisition issues. Dr Watanabe has held directorship positions at the MOD’s (Ministry of Defence) R&D departments, such as Director General for Technology in Minister’s Secretariat (2011–), and Director General for TRDI (Technical Research and Development Institute) (2013–).

He started his career in TRDI-MOD as a researcher on radar technology and electric warfare technology. Dr Watanabe majored in Electronics Engineering and obtained a doctorate in that field at Keio University in 1987.

He retired in July 2017. He joined SBI Holdings Inc. as an advisor in August 2018 and Defence Technology Foundation (DTF) in June 2021 as an adviser. He was promoted to Chairman of DTF on August 2022.