Associate Director, Integrated Fit Out

A Snapshot

As an Integrated Fit Out Associate Director reporting to the Associate Vice President, Development based in Tokyo, you will lead the strategy, governance, and delivery of customer fit-out projects across AirTrunk’s Japan portfolio and support regional initiatives across APJ as required.

You will be responsible for overseeing multiple concurrent customer fit-out projects, ensuring consistent delivery outcomes across safety, quality, schedule, cost, and customer satisfaction. As the customer fit-out business grows, you will play a key role in building and leading a team of Fit Out Project Managers and establishing scalable delivery processes, standards, and governance frameworks.

Working closely with Customer, Customer Success, Service Delivery, Design, Procurement, Contracts, Construction, and Operations teams, you will manage the entire life-cycle of customer fit-out projects, including but not limited to the integration of data hall fit-out elements such as Hot Aisle Containment, Perimeter and In-row Busways, Tap Off Units/Boxes, Power Distribution Units, Power Cabling, Cabling Infrastructure, Network Cabling, Telecommunication Infrastructure, Technical Water Loop systems, Security systems and related infrastructure from technical requirements definition through design development, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.

You will also coordinate and manage interfaces with parallel project stakeholders responsible for other works being executed within the same campus or facility, including but not limited to Core & Shell and MEP Fit Out works, ensuring alignment of scope and technical specifications, schedule, access, operational requirements, and project delivery objectives.

You will ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with customer requirements and AirTrunk standards while maintaining strong relationships with customers, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.

Your Day to Day

Portfolio Leadership & Team Development

• Lead a portfolio of multiple concurrent customer fit-out projects across Japan and support regional customer fit-out initiatives across APJ.
• Develop and implement fit-out delivery strategies, standards, governance frameworks, and best practices to support AirTrunk’s growth objectives.
• Establish project controls, reporting structures, delivery methodologies, and performance metrics across the fit-out portfolio.
• Drive consistency in project execution across design management, procurement, construction delivery, commissioning, and handover activities.
• Provide leadership, mentoring, and technical guidance to Fit Out Project Managers and project delivery teams.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, capability development, and succession planning for the customer fit-out delivery function.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex technical, commercial, schedule, customer, and stakeholder-related issues.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure lessons learned are captured and incorporated into future project delivery activities.

Customer Requirements & Design Management

• Partner with Customer Success and Service Delivery teams to engage customers and define technical, operational, and commercial requirements for data hall fit-out projects.
• Translate customer requirements into clear design deliverables and communicate them to the Design team and external consultants responsible for engineering and design development.
• Manage the overall design schedule, deliverables, reviews, and stakeholder coordination throughout the design process, while the Design team retains responsibility for all engineering and technical design activities.
• Coordinate design development activities to ensure designs are delivered in accordance with customer requirements, AirTrunk standards, local regulations, project schedules, and operational constraints.
• Review design submissions, drawings, specifications, and technical documentation for compliance with project requirements, identifying gaps and coordinating resolution and design revisions through the Design team and consultants where required.
• Facilitate design workshops and technical reviews with customers, consultants, the Design team, and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure customer requirements are effectively translated into deliverable, constructional, and commercially viable solutions.

Procurement & Tender Management

• Develop fit-out procurement strategies in collaboration with Procurement, Contracts, and Delivery teams.
• Prepare and manage tender processes including tender documentation, bidder briefings, Request for Information (RFI) management, tender interviews, and evaluation activities.
• Coordinate supplier and contractor engagement throughout the procurement process.
• Review tender submissions and perform bid leveling exercises with internal cost management teams, assessing scope compliance, commercial competitiveness, and delivery capability.
• Prepare tender evaluation reports and recommendations for internal approval and customer presentation.
• Support supplier qualification, onboarding, and contract execution activities in partnership with Procurement and Contracts teams.
• Drive procurement strategies that optimize safety, quality, schedule certainty, scalability, and cost outcomes across the fit-out portfolio.

Project Delivery & Construction Management

• Manage project initiation activities following customer service order execution, including internal approvals, purchase orders, and contractor mobilization.
• Lead project kick-off meetings and coordinate ongoing project governance forums, including design meetings, construction coordination meetings, and stakeholder reviews.
• Monitor and manage project safety, quality, cost, schedule, and risk performance throughout execution.
• Administer project RFI, submission, design change, and variation order processes.
• Ensure timely resolution of technical and commercial issues to avoid impacts to project delivery schedules.
• Coordinate interfaces between base building construction activities and customer fit-out works in collaboration with Construction Project Managers and Operations teams.
• Monitor project progress and proactively identify and mitigate schedule risks.
• Conduct regular site inspections to verify compliance with safety, quality, and design requirements.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with contractual obligations, approved budgets, and committed customer delivery milestones.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the technical and construction delivery lead for customer fit-out projects, working in close partnership with the Service Delivery team, which serves as the primary customer interface.
• Provide technical guidance and construction expertise during customer meetings, workshops, design reviews, and project execution activities.
• Support the Service Delivery team in communicating project status, technical matters, risks, schedule updates, and delivery milestones to customers.
• Coordinate customer site visits, construction walk-thru, inspections, and acceptance activities in collaboration with the Service Delivery team.
• Present project delivery strategies, procurement recommendations, risk assessments, and project status updates to senior leadership and customers.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with consultants, contractors, suppliers, customer representatives, and internal stakeholders to ensure successful project delivery.

Testing, Commissioning & Commercial Administration

• Coordinate inspections, testing, commissioning, integrated systems testing, customer acceptance testing, and project handover activities.
• Ensure completion of all project close-out documentation, as-built records, warranties, and handover packages.
• Manage payment certification processes and ensure invoices are issued and processed in accordance with contractual payment milestones.
• Support commercial administration activities including variation management, claims review, and contract compliance.
• Ensure commercial controls and reporting processes are consistently applied across all fit-out projects.
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to continuous improvement of customer fit-out delivery processes, standards, and best practices.

Minimum Requirements:

• 15+ years’ experience in construction management, project management, design management, program management, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple concurrent large-scale projects or programs.
• Experience managing and developing project delivery teams.
• Experience delivering mission-critical facilities, hyperscale data centres, industrial, commercial, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of design development, procurement, tendering, construction, commissioning, and project handover processes.
• Demonstrated experience managing consultants, contractors, suppliers, and customer stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness including procurement strategy, tender evaluation, contract administration, variation management, negotiation, and cost control.
• Ability to interpret architectural, structural, electrical, and mechanical construction drawings and specifications.
• Proven ability to establish delivery processes, governance frameworks, project controls, and performance standards across multiple projects.
• Fluent Japanese and English communication skills (written and verbal).
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, negotiation, leadership, and problem-solving skills

Preferred qualifications: 

• Experience delivering customer fit-out projects within hyperscale or colocation data centre environments.
• Experience managing live operational facility environments.
• Experience leading regional project delivery programs across multiple sites or countries.
• Knowledge of local and international construction regulations, permitting requirements, and industry standards.
• Experience administering and negotiating construction contracts and procurement processes.
• Familiarity with mission-critical electrical and mechanical systems.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Chartered Engineer, Registered Architect, or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Experience with fast-track project delivery and complex stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated experience building and scaling project delivery teams within a high-growth organization.