Usually jobs in established corporations have a specific goal, task, or focus that maps directly to the company's bottom-line and ROI. Research, on the other hand, requires funding and is more like an investment strategy for a company. If you want to create your job, and bridge that gap, then try and marry the two. How could the fruits of your work improve a company's bottom line?

My experience working and hiring PhDs in the past has been one that they sometimes are used to this being defined for them and/or used to applying to grants/funds in established academic environments but rarely do they think of creating the path themselves (except for some outliers). The fact that you are already thinking of that puts you in that category.

Lastly, when working at the edge of something and creating your job, be ready for this mantra: https://37signals.com/13