Design Manager (Japan)

Company Overview

Our client builds, owns, and operates hyperscale and colocation data centers that power the world's most ambitious technology companies. With a rapidly expanding footprint across APAC, our client combines deep development expertise, flexible capital, and operational discipline to deliver critical digital infrastructure at scale.

Their clients include the largest hyperscale cloud platforms. They are building a regional platform defined by speed of delivery, power reliability, and long-term partnership — and they are assembling the team to lead that effort.

The Position

Our client's APAC business is growing rapidly and adding additional markets and campus developments into its portfolio, and as such is expanding its Japan Engineering team. The role of Design Manager is a key part of this expansion. Detailed and design-process oriented, you will remain strategically focused while being able to deep dive and support the project teams on any and all issues as they may arise, and develop the team with a culture of support and collaboration.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Represent the business at technical meetings with consultants, contractors, and vendors (as required)
• Work closely with the delivery team(s) on appointing engineering/design consultants and equipment vendors
• Work with the delivery team(s) to outline the engineering/design consultants' deliverables at the inception of each project and manage output(s) to agreed schedule(s)
• Ensure engineering/design consultants are briefed at the inception of every project
• Lead Engineering/Design reviews through weekly meetings and design stage-gate reviews
• Provide ongoing advice/input into the projects to ensure the business's brief/requirements are met
• Long lead equipment/technology – support the Senior Director, Engineering (APAC) with procurement initiatives including vendor relationships, technical specifications and keeping up to date with new technology in market
• With the Senior Director, Engineering (APAC), work on cost saving opportunities and initiatives across projects in Japan
• Support the Senior Director, Engineering (APAC) with reviewing customer designs and engineering requirements
• Lessons learnt/continuous improvement – ensure lessons are reviewed at the end of each project, and feed back into next phases of design and regional basis of design
• Day-to-day project decision making
• Develop and maintain working relationships with consultants, contractors and supply vendors in market
• Be passionate about the data centre industry and an innovator, always looking to bring the forefront of technology into projects to achieve and exceed sustainability, safety, and efficiency goals
• Be safety-focused at all times and stages of project delivery, working collaboratively with the business's Safety Leadership, embodying and leading by example on safety best practice and conduct

Key Details:

• Location: Japan
• Travel: Not standard but on an as-required basis
• Language: Japanese, English (spoken & written)

Must-have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Engineering, Project Management, or a relevant built-environment field
• 5–10+ years' progressive experience in construction/engineering development, minimum 5 years and multiple project experience within the data centre industry (or similarly complex)
• Deep experience in construction project delivery, project controls, risk management, contract administration
• Data centre project experience, including detailed knowledge and understanding of data centre design, engineering principles and best practice
• Working experience leading and collaborating on 3D design tools, BIM process & methodology, and implementation of 4D/5D design principles
• Strong presentation and communication skills

This might be right for you if:

• You don't get flustered easily. You can juggle multiple high-level priorities with competing timelines while welcoming a new, urgent challenge with ease
• You're culturally sensitive and enjoy working with a diverse group of individuals from multiple regions
• You pay attention to the details – meticulously, and every time. Nothing falls through the cracks on your watch
• You're collaborative. You enjoy working with others to solve problems – and people enjoy working with you. You can shift from being a leader to a contributor when needed
• You're smart. You think five steps ahead and see issues from multiple angles. You're not just a problem solver – you're a problem preventer

Why join:

• A competitive compensation package with strong benefits
• A culture of appreciation and recognition
• A team that's passionate about what it does and has fun doing it
• Be part of a growing business and make an impact