Fueling Brains is a growing, vibrant organization poised to change the narrative of education. We are committed to transforming early childhood education through a holistic, whole-brain approach that nurtures young children into well-rounded, well-regulated, and joyful adults. By integrating educational science, technology, and childcare expertise, we aim to unveil each child's infinite potential.
Overview
We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Operations Director – Real Estate, based in Chennai, to manage the administrative, financial, and operational workflows across our growing portfolio of leased and owned real estate assets. This role acts as a strategic and operational extension of the Senior Vice President, Real Estate, and will serve as the primary liaison with cross-functional teams, including Finance, Construction, and Facilities.
A successful candidate will bring strong administrative discipline, experience in real estate accounting, and an ability to implement scalable systems and workflows. The role requires a high degree of precision, confidentiality, and the ability to manage multiple, concurrent real estate projects.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Administrative Operations & Document Control
Manage all documentation associated with leased and owned properties, including contracts, permits, and utility accounts.
Establish a centralized document control system with version tracking and easy retrieval protocols.
Maintain detailed records to support audits, renewals, and compliance monitoring.
2. Financial Oversight & Real Estate Accounting
Monitor all operational outflows related to real estate assets, including large utility cost centers.
Partner with Finance to manage payables, receivables, accruals, and reconciliation for property operations.
Track project-based capital expenditures, analyze variances, and ensure financial integrity across all locations.
3.Workflow Management & Ticketing System Implementation
Design and implement a real-time internal ticketing system for operations-related requests and issue triage.
Ensure tickets are assigned, tracked, escalated, and closed in a timely and visible manner.
Promote accountability by aligning task owners and due dates across functions.
4.Project Management & Cross-functional Coordination
Lead the operational components of multiple real estate development and improvement projects simultaneously.
Provide project status reports, risk logs, and resource tracking to SVP and other stakeholders.
Serve as the day-to-day communication bridge between internal teams and SVP.
5.Team Liaison & Executive Support
Support the SVP in driving deliverables forward by coordinating inputs across departments.
Prepare high-quality management reports, project trackers, and presentations as needed.
Coordinate meeting agendas, priorities, and follow-ups for real estate-related forums.
Preferred Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- MBA (with an operations or administration focus) preferred.
- Additionally, a degree in Building Sciences, Facilities Management, or a PMP designation will be preferred.
Experience:
- 7–10 years of progressive experience in operations within an operating real estate company (development, investment, or asset management).
- Strong background in real estate financial workflows, including budgeting, capital expenditures, and utilities management.
- Demonstrated experience managing large-scale documentation and reporting systems.
Key Skills:
- Exceptional administrative and organizational skills, with proven success managing workflows and document control.
- Strong command of Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and workflow tools (e.g., Jira, Asana,etc.).
- Proven project management capabilities with the ability to manage and prioritize across concurrent deliverables.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
- High attention to detail and ability to work independently while coordinating with international teams.
- Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data into actionable insights.
Work Environment Requirements
- Full-time, on-site role based in Chennai, India.
- Comfortable working with cross-functional and international teams, including stakeholders in Canada and the United States.
- Must be available for occasional travel and flexible to overlap with North American time zones when required (up to 30% of the time)
- Fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities shift frequently and initiative is essential.