Associate Director, Public Policy

Airtrunk; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

AirTrunk, a leading hyperscale data centre company in the Asia Pacific & Middle East region, is seeking a senior leader to own and grow its global public policy capability from Singapore. You will build a high-calibre policy function, define positions on energy, water, planning, emissions and community issues, and direct regional government relations strategies across markets.

You will coordinate research, thought leadership and external advocacy, ensuring policy positions align with AirTrunk’s

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading public policy development and implementation in a complex, multi-market organisation.
• Proven ability to take a policy issue from problem definition through to implementation and finalisation: developing evidence and options, establishing a position, engaging stakeholders, supporting implementation and iterating in response to evidence and feedback.
• Strong ability to develop clear, evidence-based policy positions that balance commercial priorities with technical, government, regulatory, industry and community considerations.
• Strong understanding of policy and regulatory issues relevant to data centres and digital infrastructure, including energy, water, planning, emissions and community impact, with the ability to build expertise in new areas quickly.
• Experience identifying emerging policy risks and opportunities, assessing their impact and translating them into practical policy responses, research and thought leadership.
• Curious, low-ego and highly collaborative, with a genuine willingness to listen to subject matter experts, government, industry and other stakeholders and incorporate different perspectives into robust policy solutions.
• Strong relationship-building skills and proven ability to work across regional Government Relations teams and internal SMEs, providing the policy substance that underpins effective advocacy while contributing directly to external engagement where required.
• Strong leadership and executive communication skills, with the ability to set quality standards, develop others and distil complex policy issues into concise, commercially relevant advice.

Responsibilities

• Lead AirTrunk’s policy positions across energy, water, planning, community and emissions, ensuring they are evidence-based, commercially relevant and consistent across markets while reflecting local needs.
• Identify emerging policy and regulatory risks and opportunities, assess their implications, and recommend whether to advocate, monitor or act.
• Develop practical solutions that support responsible data centre growth and align AirTrunk’s interests with government and community objectives.
• Guide AirTrunk’s engagement with industry associations, policy forums and governments. Coordinate research, thought leadership and policy contributions, ensuring external advocacy reflects agreed positions.
• Partner with regional Government Relations leads to prioritise advocacy, support government engagements and incorporate stakeholder feedback into policy development.
• Keep the AVP informed of key risks, opportunities, recommendations and progress.
• Lead the global Public Policy function, initially including the Energy Policy Manager. Set priorities and quality standards, build capability as AirTrunk grows, and work with subject matter experts across Energy, Water, Planning, Community, Sustainability and Legal.

Skills

Policy leadership

Policy development

Regulatory know-how

Stakeholder engagement

Policy research

Energy policy

Data centre policy

Cross-market collaboration

Executive communication

Job description

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

AirTrunk is ahyperscale 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.

Your Impact

Lead AirTrunk's global public policy capability, developing the enduring policy positions and forward-looking policy insight that underpin our government relations and advocacy strategy across markets.

The role will build a small, high-quality policy function that identifies emerging regulatory issues early, develops credible and practical policy solutions, maintains AirTrunk's policy positions and works with regional Government Relations teams to turn those positions into targeted advocacy.

What You'll Do

Lead AirTrunk’s policy positions across energy, water, planning, community and emissions, ensuring they are evidence-based, commercially relevant and consistent across markets while reflecting local needs. Identify emerging policy and regulatory risks and opportunities, assess their implications, and recommend whether to advocate, monitor or act. Develop practical solutions that support responsible data centre growth and align AirTrunk’s interests with government and community objectives.

Guide AirTrunk’s engagement with industry associations, policy forums and governments. Coordinate research, thought leadership and policy contributions, ensuring external advocacy reflects agreed positions. Partner with regional Government Relations leads to prioritise advocacy, support government engagements and incorporate stakeholder feedback into policy development. Keep the AVP informed of key risks, opportunities, recommendations and progress.

Lead the global Public Policy function, initially including the Energy Policy Manager. Set priorities and quality standards, build capability as AirTrunk grows, and work with subject matter experts across Energy, Water, Planning, Community, Sustainability and Legal to provide clear, timely advice for executive and stakeholder engagement.

What You'll Bring

• Extensive experience leading public policy development and implementation in a complex, multi-market organisation, ideally in a regulated or infrastructure-intensive sector.

• Proven ability to take a policy issue from problem definition through to implementation and finalisation: developing evidence and options, establishing a position, engaging stakeholders, supporting implementation and iterating in response to evidence and feedback.

• Strong ability to develop clear, evidence-based policy positions that balance commercial priorities with technical, government, regulatory, industry and community considerations.

• Strong understanding of policy and regulatory issues relevant to data centres and digital infrastructure, including energy, water, planning, emissions and community impact, with the ability to build expertise in new areas quickly.

• Experience identifying emerging policy risks and opportunities, assessing their impact and translating them into practical policy responses, research and thought leadership.

• Curious, low-ego and highly collaborative, with a genuine willingness to listen to subject matter experts, government, industry and other stakeholders and incorporate different perspectives into robust policy solutions.

• Strong relationship-building skills and proven ability to work across regional Government Relations teams and internal SMEs, providing the policy substance that underpins effective advocacy while contributing directly to external engagement where required.

• Strong leadership and executive communication skills, with the ability to set quality standards, develop others and distil complex policy issues into concise, commercially relevant advice.

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.