Associate Director - Services and Commissioning

A Snapshot

As Associate Director, Services and Commissioning, you will lead regional commissioning and operational readiness across AirTrunk’s data centre development portfolio. Based in Sydney, you will translate AirTrunk’s commissioning strategy and standards into consistent regional delivery. You will lead Senior Managers and multidisciplinary teams, coordinate priorities and resources across concurrent projects, and provide portfolio-level oversight of readiness, quality and risk. You will work closely with Development, Design, Construction, Operations and other business teams, escalating material issues and acceptance exceptions to the Senior Director, Commissioning.

The role is predominantly based in Sydney and at project sites, with interstate and international travel across APAC as required. The role reports to the Senior Director, Commissioning.

Your Day to Day

• Translate AirTrunk’s global commissioning strategy, standards and governance into regional plans, priorities and consistent delivery across the portfolio, aligning project plans with business, customer and operational requirements.
• Lead and develop Senior Managers and multidisciplinary Services and Commissioning teams, including regional workforce planning, capability development, performance management, succession planning and consistent ways of working across locations.
• Oversee commissioning across multiple concurrent developments and project stages, ensuring clear accountability, integrated schedules and adequate resources. Resolve cross-project delivery issues and escalate material risks or decisions beyond regional authority.
• Implement AirTrunk’s commissioning standards, playbooks, assurance processes and acceptance criteria across the region. Identify gaps and recommend improvements to the global framework, covering design review, construction completion, testing, integrated systems testing, readiness and handover.
• Provide independent technical challenge within the agreed assurance framework, reviewing whether commissioning evidence demonstrates system performance, resilience, maintainability and compliance. Confirm regional readiness and recommend acceptance, escalating material gaps and exceptions to the Senior Director, Commissioning.
• Partner with Design and Development leaders from early design through delivery to influence serviceability, testability, maintainability and lifecycle performance, and resolve issues that could affect safe commissioning or reliable operation.
• Work with Operations to confirm operational readiness, including operating procedures, maintenance strategies, asset information, training, spares, defect closure and transfer of ownership.
• Oversee regional commissioning risk, quality, safety and environmental performance; ensure appropriate controls, escalation pathways and corrective actions are in place across internal teams and delivery partners.
• Direct the performance of General Contractors, consultants, commissioning agents, suppliers and other partners across the regional portfolio, setting expectations and resolving complex commercial, technical and delivery interfaces with relevant stakeholders.
• Review regional commissioning plans, integrated schedules and readiness forecasts; report portfolio progress, emerging issues, decisions and recovery actions to the Senior Director and relevant regional leadership.
• Promote learning across regional projects by reviewing defects, root causes, lessons learned and operational feedback, then recommending improvements to delivery practices, global standards and future designs.
• Represent Services and Commissioning in regional, customer and project governance forums, communicating technical matters and recommendations clearly. Support the Senior Director in executive forums as required.
• Provide commissioning and handover support in other APAC markets as required, applying AirTrunk’s global standards while accounting for local requirements and escalating material exceptions.

Requirements

• 10+ years’ experience leading commissioning, building services or technical delivery for complex, large-scale facilities, ideally hyperscale data centres or other mission-critical environments.
• A strong record of leading regional or multi-project delivery, including developing Senior Managers or experienced team leads and balancing portfolio priorities with site-level needs.
• Deep understanding of MEP systems, design coordination, construction delivery, commissioning methodologies, integrated systems testing and operational handover.
• Experience commissioning complex facilities in live or operational environments, including expansions or infrastructure upgrades, with a focus on safety, resilience, reliability and long-term operability.
• Demonstrated ability to implement governance, assurance and reporting across a portfolio, providing clear evidence of readiness, risks, decisions and accountable actions, and escalating exceptions appropriately.
• Strong stakeholder and partner leadership, including effective engagement with regional leaders, customers, General Contractors, suppliers and commissioning agents.
• Commercial and delivery awareness, including understanding customer operational requirements, lease obligations and SLA commitments, and the ability to assess schedule, quality, resourcing and technical risks and align commissioning and readiness plans with those commitments.
• Clear communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain technical issues and recommendations to senior leaders, customers, project teams and non-technical audiences.
• Adaptable, collaborative and accountable, with a record of developing leaders and improving team and project performance across multiple projects or locations.
• Willingness to travel within Australia and other APAC regions as required.