US group is expanding in Asia and needs someone fluent in regional languages A golden opportunity is on offer for a project management professional with outstanding communication skills, a wealth of Asian languages and strong international retail construction experience. A top-notch commercial real estate investor and the world's largest developer, owner and operator of manufacturers' outlet centres is looking for a director/manager of architecture and construction for its Asia headquarters in Hong Kong. The Chelsea Property Group is a leading developer of upscale shopping centres and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Simon Property Group, the largest commercial real estate investor in the United States and a Standard & Poor's 500 Index company. At the end of last year, Chelsea wholly or partially owned 56 Premium Outlets and other shopping centres with 18.8 million sqft of gross leasable area, in 27 states across the United States, Japan, South Korea and Mexico. An active developer of new properties in the US and internationally, the Chelsea Property Group is in expansion mode in Asia and therefore expects to extend its business presence significantly over the next few years. 'The successful candidate will manage the co-ordination of development, entitlements, permits, construction, contracts, schedules and budgets of specific projects throughout Asia,' said Kevin So, senior director of international development and construction at Simon/Chelsea International. 'Whoever wins this role will be responsible for on-time and on-budget project completion of new projects and expansion,' Mr So said. The new recruit would also be required to manage the project process, monitor costs and ensure proper undertaking of building contracts, he said. This challenging role is a crucial position in project management for the organisation's projects throughout Asia. Applicants should have five to 10 years of international retail construction experience at managerial level. It is strongly advisable that applicants possess a good background and education in architecture, engineering, development or construction management. 'You must be experienced in dealing with a consultant team and contractors, and possess excellent team-building skills,' Mr So said. While fluency in spoken and written English was required, a command of Chinese, Korean, Malay and Japanese was advantageous, he said. The ideal candidate should also have a professional demeanour and international multi-tenant project-management experience. 'In addition, you must be willing to travel extensively as our projects are spread throughout Asia,' Mr So said. Shortlisted candidates will go through interviews and meet senior management in Hong Kong and the US.