Job Description

Director - Acquisitions

Location: Japan

About the Role

An established global data centre operator is looking to appoint a  Director of Acquisitions to support its continued growth across Japan.

The successful candidate will take ownership of acquisition and investment activities across the Japanese data centre and real estate markets, leading transactions from initial origination through to execution and completion.

This is a senior, commercially focused position requiring strong investment, financial modelling, negotiation and stakeholder management experience, ideally within the data centre or wider commercial real estate sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute acquisition, investment and divestment strategies aligned with the organisation's wider growth objectives.

• Lead the full investment lifecycle, from opportunity origination and structuring through to negotiation and transaction completion.

• Identify and source acquisition opportunities, including land, development sites and existing data centre assets across Japan.

• Evaluate potential investments, conducting financial modelling, underwriting, valuation and risk/return analysis.

• Prepare and present investment proposals and recommendations to senior leadership and investment committees.

• Lead negotiations with counterparties, developers, landowners, joint venture partners and other stakeholders.

• Oversee all aspects of due diligence, transaction structuring and closing processes.

• Work closely with legal, compliance, finance and asset management teams throughout the transaction lifecycle.

• Review existing portfolio assets and identify potential divestment opportunities to optimise portfolio performance and value.

• Build and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, investors, joint venture partners and external advisors.

• Monitor the Japanese data centre and real estate markets, identifying investment trends, development opportunities and market conditions.

• Collaborate with regional and global stakeholders to support wider investment and portfolio strategies.

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years' experience in acquisitions, investments and/or divestments within commercial real estate and/or the data centre sector.

• Proven experience managing transactions from origination through to completion.

• Strong understanding of site selection, land acquisition, financial modelling, underwriting, valuation and due diligence.

• Experience leading negotiations and managing multiple stakeholders throughout complex transactions.

Technical Skills

• Strong financial and analytical capabilities, with the ability to assess investment opportunities and identify associated risks.

• Experience preparing investment proposals, financial models and commercial recommendations.

• Ability to interpret complex market and financial data to support investment decisions.

Languages

• Native-level Japanese.

• Fluent professional English, with the ability to independently lead meetings, present investment recommendations and negotiate with senior stakeholders.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline.

• Master's degree desirable.

Additional Experience

• Direct experience in data centre site selection and land acquisition would be highly advantageous.

• Experience working with investment committees, joint ventures, shareholders and international stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel within Japan as required.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be a commercially minded investment professional with strong leadership, negotiation and presentation skills.

They will be confident engaging with senior stakeholders, building relationships across the real estate and data centre ecosystem, and driving investment decisions within a complex, international organisation.

Strong communication skills, commercial judgement, emotional intelligence and the ability to influence decision-making are essential.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience and current remuneration.

• Annual performance-related bonus.

• Annual salary reviews.

• Commuting allowance.

• Flexible working arrangements for management-level employees.

• Corporate defined contribution pension plan.

• Flexible benefits programme.

• Language and professional development support.

• Annual health checks and flu vaccination support.

• 10 days' annual leave in the first year, increasing to 20 days annually from the second year.

• Weekends and Japanese national holidays off.

• Year-end holiday period (29 December – 3 January).

• Additional leave provisions, including maternity, paternity, childcare, nursing care and bereavement leave.

Working Hours: 9:15am – 5:30pm

Location: Tokyo, Japan