Senior Manager - Administration & Workplace Operations

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Job Description:

Position Summary

The Senior Manager - Administration & Workplace Operations will lead office administration, workplace services, technical facilities, leases and real estate support, and will also facilitate workplace EHS and ESG across India, with the concerned functional leader. Based in Mumbai, the role leads the India administration team and outsourced service partners to deliver workplaces that are safe, compliant, reliable, cost-effective and valued by employees.

The position partners closely with business leaders, Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, IT, Legal, Environment, Health & Safety, Security and the Global Real Estate team. As the function matures, the role may take on wider regional (APAC) workplace responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Administration & Workplace Leadership

• Lead, develop and set clear goals for the India administration team responsible for day-to-day office operations at all leased and co-working sites.
• Establish standard service levels, operating procedures and a single set of performance metrics across all India locations.
• Run a single admin helpdesk with defined response and closure times, and use employee feedback to improve services.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve operational efficiency and employee experience.

Workplace Services: Security, Housekeeping & Front Office

• Facilitate and collaborate with EHS and ESG lead to implement relevant initiatives across India offices.
• Manage security, housekeeping, pantry or cafeteria, pest control, front office, mailroom and courier services through outsourced partners.
• Select, contract and govern service agencies through clear SLAs, monthly scorecards and periodic performance reviews.
• Ensure security agencies hold valid PSARA licences and that guards, housekeeping staff and drivers are background verified.
• Oversee access control, CCTV, visitor management, emergency response and the safety of employees working late or night shifts.

Travel, Accommodation & Visitor Management

• Manage hotel bookings for group stays and events, using preferred hotels and negotiated corporate rates in each city.
• Plan end-to-end arrangements for global and senior visitors, including hotels, airport transfers, local transport, office access and duty-of-care measures.
• Maintain approved travel and transport vendors with vetted drivers and clear safety standards.

Technical Facilities, Engineering & Maintenance

• Oversee operation and maintenance of office building services, including electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, fire and life-safety systems, lifts, UPS, DG sets, access control and other critical utilities.
• Maintain asset registers and govern preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance, annual maintenance contracts, equipment uptime and lifecycle replacement plans.
• Lead office fit-outs, refurbishments, relocations, expansions, reinstatement and minor civil works from scoping and budgeting through execution, commissioning, handover and close-out.
• Review layouts, drawings, bills of quantities, specifications and contractor proposals with internal experts, consultants, landlords and the Global Real Estate team.
• Ensure only competent and authorised vendors perform technical work, and monitor their quality, safety, timelines, costs, snag closure and warranties.

Leases, Co-working & Global Real Estate Partnership

• Maintain lease abstracts and a critical-dates calendar (lock-in, notice, escalation, renewal and expiry) for all leased and co-working sites.
• Lead lease renewals, renegotiations, exits and reinstatement with the Global Real Estate team, landlords, brokers and Legal.
• Manage co-working contracts and track seat utilisation so that seats match actual demand.
• Act as the primary India liaison to the Global Real Estate organisation on site selection, due diligence, occupancy reviews, projects and total occupancy cost.
• Ensure landlords and property managers deliver agreed services, repairs, approvals and lease obligations, and drive adoption of global workplace standards and design guidelines.

Statutory Compliance, Building Governance & Risk

• Ensure administration, facilities, fit-out, maintenance and vendor activities comply with central, state and municipal requirements, company policies, lease conditions and building rules.
• Maintain a location-wise compliance calendar and evidence repository for registrations, licences, permits, certificates, inspections, renewals and statutory tests.
• Coordinate compliance for occupancy, fire and life safety, electrical systems, lifts, DG sets, environmental requirements, waste disposal, accessibility and workplace safety, with relevant internal specialists.
• Ensure contractors meet labour, wage, social security, insurance and licensing requirements, with monthly verification of PF, ESI and wage payments before invoices are released.
• Support statutory inspections, audits, risk assessments, emergency drills and incident investigations, and close compliance gaps on time.
• Track changes in laws and codes (including the Labour Codes) with Legal, HR and EHS, and translate them into site-level controls.
• Escalate material safety, legal, regulatory, landlord or business continuity risks promptly, with documented mitigation and closure plans.

Environment, Health & Safety and ESG

• Implement the workplace EHS programme across offices, including fire wardens, first aiders, drills, inspections and incident and near-miss reporting.
• Collect and report site-level ESG data, including electricity, DG diesel, water and waste, in line with global reporting requirements.
• Drive energy efficiency, utility conservation, waste segregation and responsible e-waste disposal through authorised recyclers.

Financial Management, Procurement & Expense Governance

• Prepare and manage operating and capital budgets for administration and workplace functions, and support annual planning and forecasting.
• Enforce purchase order discipline for all admin purchases and services; raise indents, process expense claims and secure approvals within the delegation of authority.
• Run tenders and commercial evaluations with Procurement, and manage vendor contracts and service agreements.
• Identify and deliver cost optimisation, including vendor consolidation and right-sizing of co-working seats, without compromising compliance or service.

Business Partnership & Growth

• Serve as a trusted advisor to India leadership on workplace, operational and office-related matters.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Procurement, IT and business leaders to support organisational objectives, including growth, new sites and workplace changes.
• Build scalable operating models for workplace services, including evaluation of integrated facility management, and support business continuity planning.

Key Performance Indicators

• Statutory compliance: 100% of applicable licences, certificates and inspections valid at every site.
• Contractor compliance: 100% of service vendors verified for PF, ESI and wages before invoice release.
• Cost: admin cost per seat within budget, with agreed annual savings delivered.
• Service: helpdesk requests closed within agreed SLA; employee satisfaction with admin services at or above target.
• Facilities: preventive maintenance completed on schedule; critical equipment uptime at or above target.
• Real estate: zero missed lease notice dates; co-working utilisation at or above target.
• Safety and ESG: Collaborate with EHS and ESG Head and facilitate safety drills ensuring completion as planned, zero serious incidents, and timely ESG data submission.

Educational Qualifications & Certifications

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Electrical or Mechanical), Architecture, Facilities Management or a related discipline; or any bachelor’s degree with substantial hands-on experience in facilities, fit-outs, building services and statutory compliance.

Preferred

• Postgraduate qualification in Business Administration, Operations, Real Estate, Facilities Management or Project Management.
• Certifications such as IFMA (FMP/CFM), PMP/PRINCE2, NEBOSH/IOSH, fire and life-safety training, energy management or green-building (IGBC/LEED).

Experience & Skills

Essential

• 12+ years of progressive experience in corporate administration, facilities management or workplace operations, including at least 5 years leading multi-site teams.
• Experience managing multi-site office operations across Indian cities in a multinational or similarly complex organisation.
• Strong vendor management: tendering, SLAs, contract negotiation and performance governance for security, housekeeping and technical services.
• Sound working knowledge of Indian statutory requirements for office premises, contractor and labour compliance, fire and life safety, and licences.
• Experience preparing and managing budgets and delivering cost optimisation.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience with office fit-outs, refurbishments or relocations, and landlord interfaces.
• Working knowledge of MEP, HVAC, fire and life-safety and critical utility systems, sufficient to review risks and challenge proposals.
• Lease negotiation and co-working portfolio management experience.
• Good understanding of workplace EHS programmes and ESG data reporting.
• Experience working with a global real estate or facilities team in a matrix organisation.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong service orientation, with employee experience as a measure of success.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and work effectively with HR, Finance, Procurement, IT, Legal, EHS, Security and Real Estate.
• Calm, decisive incident and crisis management.
• Integrity and high standards in vendor dealings and compliance.
• Data-driven approach to reporting, decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution.