Director, Asia Expansion and Development
Tokyo, JP
CIC Offices – Expansion /
Full-time /
Hybrid
CIC Tokyo seeks a Director to expand into new Japanese and key Asian markets. This full-time role requires over ten years of experience in commercial real estate or shared workspace development. You will collaborate with Development and Corporate Finance teams, utilize a network of real estate contacts, and drive CIC's growth through your industry expertise and partnership skills. This impactful position supports CIC's latest expansion phase.
ABOUT CIC & CIC TOKYO
CIC builds and operates a global network of innovation campuses where startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities connect, work, and grow. Founded in 1999, CIC manages more than 111.000 square meters of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe and Asia. Additionally, CIC develops innovation-related programming, builds and enables industry clusters, and provides world-class innovation consulting.
CIC Tokyo is our first site located in Asia. Opened in October 2020 in one of the business districts of Minato-ku, CIC Tokyo is a one-of-a-kind innovation-oriented center in Japan with a total area of about 6,000 square meters on the 15th and 16th floors of the Toranomon Hills Business Tower. We provide a vast workspace with the capacity to house more than 250 companies. CIC Tokyo is centered on companies that aim to grow, and communities and services that are looking to accelerate their business growth and global expansion. Because of its influence in startup and innovation scenery, CIC Tokyo has frequent visits of VIPs such as Prime Minister Kishida, Governor Koike, and other business leaders in Japan. It is now recognized as a prestigious center of new businesses and startups by business leaders throughout the country.
YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK
This unique opportunity places you at the heart of a high-performing team in Tokyo. You'll report directly to the Vice President of Global Expansion and Corporate Development and Japan Chairperson, working closely with our CEO, and lead our pipeline development and transaction efforts across major Asian cities. From initial site selection to final deal execution, you will manage the entire development process, closely collaborating with our in-house design and construction team. Your role involves identifying and presenting the most viable new locations, proactively addressing potential questions, and ensuring that only the best opportunities are pursued. As a pivotal figure, you will guide our business leaders and development partners, ensuring the timely and successful rollout of expansion projects critical to our new initiatives.
Potential responsibilities will include:
• Building a pipeline of high-quality projects in a portfolio of markets you own, drawing upon and creatively employing a broad range of deal and financing structures, as well as establishing high-level relationships with landlords, brokers, and partner organizations.
• Leading the site selection process, building an investment case for the projects you've identified, and securing internal approval from the investment committee while collaborating with multiple internal and external stakeholders and participants. This process includes, but is not limited to, planning for design and construction as well as successfully navigating through and owning the approval, contract negotiation, agreement, and project kick-off stages for new projects.
• Compellingly presenting the CIC value proposition, how our business works, and the impact of our innovation communities for building owners and other prospective partners.
• Drafting and reviewing early-stage agreements and contracts with prospective partners.
• Coordinating, organizing, liaising, and communicating across internal and external teams and individuals to successfully stand up and deliver work projects and agreements, ensuring everyone is successfully completing their pieces of the shared work.
• Preparing sound qualitative models and analyses, and presentations that demonstrate with evidence and argument the strategic recommendations for new products and new initiatives.
• Identifying and finding solutions for any insufficient information, speed bumps, and roadblocks from the earliest moments in a project, and keeping work on track, communicating and executing with our existing and future partners, stakeholders, and collaborators.
• Contributing to a culture of learning and improvement by seizing opportunities to train, coach, and share knowledge with the rest of the team.
ABOUT YOU
We seek a seasoned professional and strategist to identify and advance prime opportunities for CIC’s new locations. This role demands collaboration with internal teams and a high profile among stakeholders and potential partners. The right candidate will use their knowledge to anticipate questions, select promising ventures, and ensure project success, taking ownership of a portfolio of expansion projects.
The ideal candidate excels as a relationship builder and dealmaker, characterized by a strong analytical orientation and a data-driven approach. They should have a robust work ethic, meet self-imposed deadlines, and exceed expectations. With extensive experience in commercial real estate and urban planning, they should have strong communication and organizational skills. They must understand the financial underpinnings of real estate transactions to collaborate on deal models and financial structures. Motivated and proactive, they are poised to contribute significantly to our mission-driven goals.
YOU HAVE
• Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience, including experience in commercial real estate, the shared space industry, hospitality, and business development.
• College degree required, MBA or equivalent desired.
• Strong finance understanding and comfort with Excel and pivot tables, and ideally some familiarity with budgets.
• Transaction experience with a variety of commercial real estate (office and or hotels), urban planning, and development projects and deal structures, such as acquisitions, joint ventures, management contracts, and leasing.
• Understanding of financial drivers and structures for real estate transactions, as well as the core drivers of our business, with the ability to develop deal models, financing structures, and model new deal structures or products.
• Native Japanese and fluent business English proficiency (in speaking, writing and reading).
• Fluency in Chinese and/or Korean is a plus.
• Ability to legally work in Japan. CIC is unable to sponsor visas for this role at this time.
Expectations include:
• Network of real estate contacts in Japan, and ideally contacts in other CIC target markets.
• Well versed in contract negotiations and experience with managements is preferred
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of time.
• Ability to drive transactions as well as the experience, confidence, and communication skills to work seamlessly with executive leadership.
OUR OFFER
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience.
• Permanent contract.
• Commuting / Transportation allowance.
• Massage session once a month.
• Allocated budget for training (customized to specific requirements of the role and organization's objectives).
Please submit your application in English. Thank you!
CIC welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
