Commissioning Director

Want to be a part of Asia Pacific & Middle East's (APME) largest, most innovative, and rapidly growing data centre company?

AirTrunk is a hyperscale data centre company with a powerful purpose - to scale and sustain the relentless growth of the region’s digital future. We do this by continuously redefining and delivering the digital infrastructure that meet the needs of our customers - the world’s most transformational companies. And we’re doing so sustainably, for today and tomorrow.

Having opened Australia’s first and largest hyperscale data centres in 2017, we set our eyes on rapid expansion and now operate a platform of hyperscale data centres across the APME region. With backing from our investors, including Blackstone, this is just the beginning…

Come join the A-Team at AirTrunk, where the cloud meets the ground.

A Snapshot

As the Senior Director, Commissioning, you will report directly to the VP, Asset & Capital and play a critical leadership role within AirTrunk.

Operating across APJ, India, the Middle East and emerging markets, this role is accountable for establishing commissioning as a core lifecycle capability, ensuring AirTrunk’s data centres are not only completed successfully, but are operable, resilient, and optimised for long‑term performance.

You will lead AirTrunk’s commissioning strategy across both development projects and the operating portfolio, defining acceptance frameworks, standards and decision rights that underpin reliability, operability and operational readiness.

This role is accountable for ensuring AirTrunk’s data centres are commissioned not just for completion, but for long‑term operability, performance and lifecycle sustainability.
This role is grounded in engineering‑led validation of system performance and operability, ensuring commissioning outcomes are based on proven behaviour rather than process compliance.

This role is grounded in engineering‑led validation of system performance and operability, ensuring commissioning outcomes are based on proven behaviour rather than process compliance.

Working as part of AirTrunk’s integrated project team environment, you will engage through early involvement and deep collaboration with Development, Design, Construction and Operations teams, while maintaining clear and independent accountability for commissioning acceptance and readiness decisions.

A key mandate will be to build and mature a scalable commissioning function that supports the lifecycle management of AirTrunk’s data centres, including infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansions and end‑of‑life replacement programs across the portfolio.

You will make your mark by:

• Defining and leading AirTrunk’s global commissioning strategy, standards and governance across the lifecycle of its data centres
• Establishing commissioning as a lifecycle control function, aligned to performance, operability and long‑term reliability
• Owning the commissioning acceptance framework, including approval gates and criteria across development and operational programs
• Holding ultimate accountability for commissioning readiness and acceptance decisions prior to operational handover
• Building and leading a high‑performing regional commissioning function across multiple geographies
• Leading strategic resource planning across internal and external commissioning capability, including people, commissioning agents, specialist vendors and equipment, aligned to AirTrunk’s growth pipeline and delivery commitments
• Developing and managing a pipeline of commissioning agents and external partners to support large‑scale, multi‑region delivery and lifecycle programs
• Establishing and strengthening strategic commissioning agent partnerships to ensure consistency, capability and quality across all markets
• Driving consistent, high‑quality commissioning outcomes across new builds, expansions, infrastructure upgrades and live environments
• Providing independent, engineering‑led oversight to ensure systems are fully validated and demonstrably operable in real‑world conditions prior to acceptance
• Proactively surfacing and resolving critical commissioning, operability and readiness risks early, acting as the executive escalation point where independent judgement on acceptance is required
• Strengthening alignment between delivery execution and operational outcomes through structured engagement with Development and Construction
• Aligning commissioning strategies to large‑scale hyperscale delivery programs and phasing requirements to support customer RFS milestones and operational readiness
• Bringing a strong understanding of customer requirements, lease obligations and SLA commitments to ensure commissioning outcomes align with contractual, operational and performance expectations
• Establishing scalable frameworks, reporting and performance metrics to support growth across regions and markets
• Driving continuous improvement and innovation in commissioning practices to enhance reliability and performance across AirTrunk’s data centres
• Positioning commissioning as a repeatable capability supporting both development delivery and the ongoing optimisation of live environments

Your Day to Day

• Provide strategic leadership across commissioning activities spanning development, expansion and live operational infrastructure programs
• Lead and develop regional Commissioning Managers and specialist commissioning teams across multiple regions
• Define commissioning strategies aligned to lifecycle operability, performance and customer requirements
• Oversee commissioning planning and readiness across concurrent projects and live environments
• Establish and maintain commissioning standards, methodologies, governance frameworks and reporting structures
• Collaborate closely with Development, Design and Construction teams as part of the integrated project team, ensuring strong alignment with delivery while maintaining independent accountability for commissioning outcomes and acceptance decisions
• Engage with Commissioning Agents, General Contractors, consultants, vendors and stakeholders to drive accountability and quality outcomes for commissioning
• Provide oversight of integrated systems testing, live‑site commissioning and infrastructure transition into operations
• Remain actively engaged in critical engineering decisions, ensuring commissioning outcomes are driven by proven system behaviour, performance validation and operability rather than process or documentation alone
• Lead escalation management and resolution of major commissioning and operational risks
• Ensure commissioning outputs enable robust operational handover and sustained long‑term performance
• Drive commissioning capability development across lifecycle programs, including upgrades and infrastructure replacement
• Represent AirTrunk in executive, customer and industry forums relating to commissioning strategy and outcomes

Requirements

• 10+ years’ experience in commissioning, critical infrastructure delivery or mission‑critical operations
• Proven experience delivering complex commissioning programs across hyperscale or mission‑critical environments
• Strong technical expertise across mechanical, electrical, controls and integrated systems
• Experience commissioning multi‑tenanted or hyperscale environments with varying customer requirements, SLAs and readiness criteria
• Experience commissioning new capacity or integrated systems within live operational environments, including expansions and infrastructure upgrades
• Demonstrated experience leading high‑performing teams across multiple regions
• Strong capability influencing and aligning cross‑functional stakeholders across Development, Construction and Operations functions
• Experience operating within live mission‑critical environments, including infrastructure upgrades and lifecycle programs
• Strong strategic mindset with the ability to balance delivery realities with long‑term performance outcomes
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage executive leadership, customers and technical teams
• Strong commercial acumen and risk management capability
• Comfortable operating in high‑growth, fast‑paced environments
• Willingness to travel internationally across APJ, India, the Middle East and emerging markets

The AirTrunk Culture    Working at AirTrunk is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fast-track your career and amplify your impact. Whilst you’re helping scale our region’s digital future, we’ll help you Grow@Hyperscale and unleash your full potential.   The pace in which we operate means you’ll feel an electric atmosphere at AirTrunk. We are a team of challengers and collaborative problem solvers who break new ground every day. We do this by living our values, going above and beyond, and being dynamic, transparent, and responsive.   Every AirTrunker brings their own unique background and diverse perspective to find solutions to problems that matter. We make sure you have everything you need to make your mark and thrive in a flexible and safe working environment, where everyone feels welcome. Our benefits empower AirTrunkers to stay positively charged. Now’s your chance to Grow@Hyperscale.   **To all recruitment agencies: AirTrunk does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, AirTrunk employees or any other organisation location. AirTrunk is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.**