Data Center Commercial/Cost Manager (Pre-Lease) - Japan

Turner & Townsend; Asia; On-site; PEN 327,000 - 414,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Japan seeks a Data Center Commercial/Cost Manager (Pre-Lease) to lead commercial diligence and provide cost intelligence for data centre investment and leasing decisions. You will develop robust total cost of occupancy models and benchmark proposals against market data, guiding negotiations with evidence-based analysis.

The role requires strong cost modelling, benchmarking and open-book experience, plus the ability to challenge numbers with clients and developers.

Qualifications

• Solid grounding in cost management or quantity surveying, with data centre exposure.
• Experience with open-book and cost-reimbursable structures.
• Ability to challenge developer numbers with evidence in meetings.
• Strong cost modelling and benchmarking capability.
• Local market cost knowledge and language capability is a significant advantage.
• RICS or equivalent qualification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial due diligence process for assigned opportunities from site evaluation through lease execution.
• Develop and maintain total cost of occupancy models for shortlisted options, including initial and long-term costs.
• Benchmark developer and landlord proposals against market intelligence and regional data.
• Review pricing assumptions, escalation mechanisms, pass-through costs, utility pricing structures and incentives.
• Validate budgets and reimbursable agreements with supporting evidence and benchmarks.
• Evaluate viability and value propositions across competing developers and sites.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities and propose mitigation strategies.
• Provide negotiation strategies to support lease discussions and build-to-suit agreements.
• Support investment cases and executive decision materials; maintain cost intelligence databases.
• Coordinate with project management, technical, and legal teams to embed commercial considerations.
• Maintain audit trails and decision records throughout the transaction lifecycle.
• Provide regular commercial reporting, forecasts, and risk assessments to leadership.

Skills

Cost management

Cost modelling

Negotiation

Data analysis

Benchmarking

Market intelligence

Financial analysis

Communication

Local language capability

Education

RICS or equivalent

Job description

Data Center Commercial/Cost Manager (Pre-Lease) - Japan

• Full-time

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over22,000 peoplein more than 62 countries.

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure,energyand natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects andprogrammesas we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities includeprogramme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estateservicesand investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premierprogramme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

The Commercial Pre Lease Manager is responsible for providing the commercial leadership, cost intelligence and financial analysis that underpin data centre investment and leasing decisions. Acting as the client's commercial advisor, the role ensures that costs, assumptions, pricing structures and commercial risks are rigorously challenged, quantified and communicated before commitments are made.

Working across multiple concurrent opportunities, the Commercial Pre Lease Manager develops robust total cost of occupancy models, benchmarks developer proposals against market intelligence and supports commercial negotiations with evidence based analysis. The role works closely with Project Managers, Technical Due Diligence Managers, developers and client stakeholders to ensure all commercial decisions are informed, transparent and aligned to programme objectives.

This is a front end transaction and advisory role focused on commercial evaluation, investment decision support and lease negotiations. It is not a delivery focused cost management or quantity surveying role.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the commercial due diligence process for assigned opportunities from site evaluation through lease execution.
• Develop and maintain total cost of occupancy models for all shortlisted options, assessing both initial and long term commercial implications.
• Benchmark developer and landlord proposals against market intelligence, comparable transactions and regional cost data to identify anomalies, exclusions and hidden exposures.
• Review and challenge pricing assumptions, escalation mechanisms, pass through costs, utility pricing structures, incentives and commercial commitments.
• Validate open book budgets, development costs and reimbursable agreements, ensuring all assumptions are supported by evidence and market benchmarks.
• Evaluate commercial viability and value propositions across competing developers, providers and site options.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities, quantifying financial exposure and developing mitigation strategies.
• Provide commercial recommendations and negotiation strategies to support lease discussions, term sheets and build to suit agreements, as applicable.
• Support the development of investment cases, approval papers and executive decision making materials. Maintain regional cost intelligence and benchmarking databases, providing market insights to inform future transactions.
• Work closely with project management, technical and legal teams to ensure commercial considerations are integrated into overall transaction strategies.
• Maintain clear commercial audit trails, supporting documentation and decision records throughout the transaction lifecycle.
• Provide regular commercial reporting, forecasts, risk assessments and recommendations to programme and client leadership.

Qualifications

• A solid grounding in cost management or quantity surveying, with data centre or mission-critical exposure
• Working knowledge of open-book and cost-reimbursable commercial structures
• Confidence challenging developer numbers with evidence, in the room
• Solid cost modelling and benchmarking capability
• Local market cost knowledge and language capability a significant advantage
• RICS or equivalent qualification (or progress toward it) preferred

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

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Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property ofTurner & Townsend and arenot subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team,to submit candidates for review.