Senior Workplace Operations Manager

About the Team OpenAI’s Real Estate & Workplace (REW) team creates and operates the spaces, programs, and services that enable employees to do their best work. The team’s work spans real estate, workplace operations, design and construction, workplace experience, food programs, employee services, analytics, and global programs. As OpenAI’s presence in India grows, REW is building flexible, scalable, AI-native, people-centered workplaces that combine a consistent employee experience with strong operational and financial discipline and thoughtful adaptation to each location. Workplace & Location The preferred location for this role is Mumbai. Final base location determined by business needs. The role requires to be onsite 5 days per week, with regular travel among Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore. About the Role We are looking for an experienced Senior Workplace Operations Manager to set the operational direction, define the workplace operating model, and lead workplace operations and employee experience across OpenAI’s locations in India, including but not limited to Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore. This hands-on, country-level role combines strategic planning, senior stakeholder partnership, and day-to-day execution in a fast-changing environment. As OpenAI’s senior workplace operations owner in India, you will translate business and employee needs into a scalable, AI-native operating model and define the standards, priorities, and service outcomes that support the country’s growth. You will remain accountable for delivery through integrated facilities-management partners, contractors, and specialist vendors, while partnering closely with India business leaders, regional REW leadership, and colleagues across REW, Workplace Experience, Leasing, Design & Construction, Food, Corporate Security, IT, Finance, People, and Procurement. This is a senior individual-contributor role reporting to the Head of Workplace, JAPAC. You’ll be responsible for: - Set and own the country-wide workplace operating model, service quality, operational readiness, employee experience, and escalations across India, including but not limited to Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore.

• Keep India workplaces safe, reliable, welcoming, and ready for employees, visitors, and business priorities.
• Own integrated facilities-management governance, service standards, SLAs, KPIs, commercial accountability, and escalation paths for facilities-management partners, contractors, and specialist vendors.
• Serve as a strategic workplace partner to India business leaders and regional REW leadership, anticipate emerging needs, and align country priorities with regional REW strategy.
• Own country-level operating budgets, forecasting, resource prioritization, purchasing discipline, and vendor spend in partnership with Finance and Procurement.
• Lead operational readiness and cross-functional handover for office openings, expansions, renovations, moves, commissioning, and post-occupancy stabilization.
• Own the governance and escalation of workplace safety, facilities-related compliance, emergency preparedness, incident response, corrective actions, and business continuity in partnership with the appropriate experts.
• Define and continuously improve scalable playbooks, standard operating procedures, service standards, documentation, and reporting across sites.
• Define service KPIs and use workplace data, employee feedback, operational metrics, and financial insights to inform leadership decisions and measure improvement.
• Coordinate with Workplace Experience, Food, Corporate Security, IT, People, Finance, and Procurement on programs, executive visits, events, and office changes.
• Provide senior operational leadership during incidents, communicate clearly with business and regional stakeholders, and drive timely resolution and corrective actions.
• Advance an AI-native workplace through practical use of AI, automation, and lightweight tools to improve visibility, reduce manual work, and strengthen operational controls We’re looking for someone with: - 8+ years of experience in workplace, facilities, corporate real estate, hospitality operations, or a related field, including complex or multi-site environments.
• Demonstrated independent leadership of workplace or facilities operations across multiple locations in India, including experience building or scaling operating models in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore.
• Proven management of integrated facilities-management providers, contractors, and specialist vendors, including SLAs, performance reviews, escalations, and commercial accountability.
• Ownership of country-level operating budgets, forecasting, procurement, invoice processes, and vendor spend.
• Working knowledge of workplace safety, emergency preparedness, business continuity, and India facilities-related compliance, with sound judgment about when to involve specialists.
• A strong track record of partnering with India business leaders, regional stakeholders, executives, landlords, vendors, and cross-functional partners without formal authority.
• Strong project and change-management skills across concurrent workstreams, dependencies, and deadlines.
• A systems mindset and experience turning recurring problems into clear processes, standards, reporting, and operating rhythms.
• Clear, proactive communication of operational risks, priorities, decisions, and trade-offs.
• Senior-level independent ownership, sound risk and escalation judgment, and the ability to move confidently between country strategy and hands-on execution.
• The ability to thrive as the operating model evolves in a high-growth, fast-changing environment.
• Preferred: experience in a high-growth global technology company or similarly complex, service-intensive organization.
• Preferred: direct involvement in opening, expanding, relocating, or stabilizing offices in India.

• Highlight specific examples where you built or revamped a multi‑site operating model, including any AI or automation components.
• Prepare a short case study on a complex office opening or renovation you led, focusing on budget control and stakeholder alignment.
• Demonstrate familiarity with safety compliance frameworks and emergency response planning during the interview.
• Bring metrics or KPIs you’ve used to measure facility performance and employee experience; quantifiable results add credibility.
• Research OpenAI’s recent expansions in India and be ready to discuss how you would tailor the workplace strategy to each city’s unique needs.
• Emphasise strong communication skills; role requires clear updates to senior leaders and cross‑functional partners.
• When negotiating, inquire about the equity component and professional development budget, as they are key parts of the total rewards package.