Director Administration And Real Estate - India

At Allstate, great things happen when our people work together to protect families and their belongings from life's uncertainties. And for more than 90 years our innovative drive has kept us a step ahead of our customers' evolving needs. From advocating for seat belts, air bags and graduated driving laws, to being an industry leader in pricing sophistication, telematics, and, more recently, device and identity protection.

Job Description
The Director - Administration & Real Estate will be responsible for end-to-end management of real estate strategy, workplace services, facilities operations, transport, security, and administration within Allstate India. This leadership role ensures delivery of safe, efficient, and employee-centric environments aligned with global standards and the organization's business objectives. The incumbent will drive strategic infrastructure planning, vendor governance, cost optimization, sustainability, and experience transformation across all locations under the Global Capability Center (GCC).

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Real Estate & Workplace Planning:

• Define and execute the real estate and workspace strategy for the GCC, including space forecasting, lease management, expansions, consolidations, and renewals in collaboration with business operations and global partners.
• Collaborate with global CRE (Corporate Real Estate) teams to ensure alignment with corporate objectives and workplace experience goals.

• Lead day-to-day facilities operations including preventive maintenance, housekeeping, cafeteria, mailroom, inventory, and asset management.
• Establish robust SOPs, SLAs, and operational KPIs for all facilities and admin-related services.

• Oversee transport operations ensuring safety, compliance, and cost-efficiency across all shifts.
• Implement digitized tools for route optimization, tracking, and employee self-service portals.
• Manage concierge, helpdesk, and hospitality services that enhance employee satisfaction.

• Ensure compliance with local laws, global EHS standards, physical security policies, and business continuity plans (BCP) for facilities.
• Lead site security operations including surveillance, access control, and incident response.
• Oversee security guard operations.
• Maintain ISO 14000 and ISO 45000 certifications.

• Lead large capital improvement initiatives in program management role, including large commercial space modifications, while business operations continue with minimal disruption in collaboration with project managers, architects, engineers, etc.

• Manage large-scale outsourced vendor relationships for facilities, housekeeping, transport, and security and ensure compliance with service level agreements and key performance indicators.
• Develop and control budgets for facilities and administrative functions with a focus on cost optimization and contract governance.

• Serve as a senior point of contact for site-level leadership, employees, and global stakeholders on Real Estate-related matters.
• Roll out employee experience initiatives that reflect a modern, agile, and inclusive workplace.

• Drive sustainable practices across infrastructure, energy usage, waste management, and green certifications.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and integrate workplace technology and automation into the Allstate India Real Estate ecosystem.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Business Administration or related field (MBA preferred).
• 15+ years of relevant experience with at least 6 years in a leadership role managing end-to-end Real Estate Services operations in a GCC or multinational corporate environment.

• Strong team leadership skills.
• Ability to co-manage work in a matrix organization with global partners (architects, engineers, construction managers, security, HR, real estate transaction/leasing experts, etc.).
• Complete understanding of India Special Economic Zone (SEZ) rules, regulations, and operational requirements.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities.
• Deep understanding of real estate leasing, facilities operations, and admin functions in large-scale corporate setups.
• Excellent negotiation, vendor management, and contract governance skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate across business, HR, IT, compliance, and global teams.
• Proficiency in workplace tools (CAFM, IWMS, transport management systems) and MS Office.

• Experience in setting up new sites or managing real estate transitions.
• Familiarity with sustainability goals and green building standards.
• Crisis management experience and ability to manage 24x7 operations.