Microsoft has significantly expanded its data center operations across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The technology giant has opened up a role for a Datacenter Land Acquisition Manager, which indicates a strategy to scale up its cloud infrastructure footprint. The role highlights Microsoft's intent to enhance and increase its infrastructure across various markets by securing the necessary real estate to facilitate this growth.
Technical Real Estate Expertise Sought
The role, advertised over the weekend, is set within Microsoft's team responsible for delivering and pre-positioning real estate earmarked for the company's cloud infrastructure expansion plans. The ideal candidate will be managing various land acquisition projects throughout the APAC region. The position requires candidates with a decade's worth of experience in real estate transactions that involve significant technical elements. It also specifies the need for a thorough understanding of the technical needs of data centers, including high-level electrical, power and cooling systems, fiber optics, and other related requirements.
Additionally, the job description notes that a “strong knowledge of alternative real estate transaction approaches” is desired. While not detailed in the job ad, this could relate to unusual real estate procurement methods like Microsoft's experiment with underwater data centers, or perhaps the integration of data centers into multi-use high-rise structures, which necessitates collaboration with property developers to construct buildings capable of supporting such facilities.
Global and Regional Teams to Drive Infrastructure Projects
The role is based in Singapore and may demand travel, involving up to 25 percent of the manager's time and potential last-minute flights. Microsoft currently operates 20 data center regions across 11 markets in the APAC region, with plans for further expansion. The exact number of new data centers intended for the region remains unspecified.
This move is part of Microsoft's broader effort, as revealed in a separate job ad for a global datacenter delivery portfolio director. This role seeks an individual competent in managing and enforcing consistency in the portfolio of global infrastructure projects, highlighting Microsoft's continuous drive to develop new facilities and enhance existing ones in various geographies worldwide.
The clear intention from these job postings is that Microsoft is dedicated to expanding its team of professionals who are central to the planning and execution of new data center construction. This infrastructure development is likely to further cement Microsoft's presence in the APAC region and satisfy the increasing demand for cloud services.
