Program Support Assistant

About The Antara Foundation

The Antara Foundation works to reduce preventable health challenges faced by women and children. Its mission is to give every mother and child a fair chance at a healthy start. The organization partners with government systems and local communities to strengthen public health delivery and improve maternal and child health outcomes at scale.

The foundation operates through two closely linked approaches: improving the quality of care delivered by the public health system and enabling communities to seek and support better health outcomes. The team is young, energetic, and passionate, and currently works across 8 districts, 38 blocks, 5,700 villages, with 8,800 FLWs, reaching 379,000 women and 650,000 children in central India. The organization plans to expand to multiple locations across India in the coming years.

Role Summary

The Program Support Assistant will ensure that the state office and guest house run efficiently, safely, and in line with organizational standards. This position covers administrative operations, facility upkeep, housekeeping, vendor and contract coordination, transport and fleet management, procurement, travel arrangements, asset control, and general office support to create a productive environment for staff and visitors.

Reporting Structure and Location

This role reports to the Director - Programs in Odisha and the Sr. Associate - Administration. The duty station is Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the district office and guest house, ensuring cleanliness, hygiene, safety, security, and overall upkeep.
• Manage preventive and corrective upkeep for office infrastructure, furniture, equipment, electrical systems, plumbing, and other facilities.
• Track and protect office and guest house assets, including regular verification and maintenance.
• Keep guest accommodations ready at all times with clean rooms, fresh linen, towels, toiletries, and timely laundry replacement.
• Ensure housekeeping standards are maintained, including washroom cleanliness and the availability of tea, coffee, and other guest essentials.
• Resolve maintenance issues quickly so guests have a comfortable stay.
• Identify, onboard, and manage vendors for administration, housekeeping, transport, maintenance, hospitality, and related support services.
• Review vendor performance regularly and confirm compliance with expected service standards.
• Negotiate commercial terms, manage contracts and vendor agreements, and follow procurement rules.
• Check vendor bills and documentation, and work with Finance to ensure timely payment processing.
• Supervise housekeeping, pantry, security, and support teams to maintain high service quality.
• Prepare work rosters, monitor attendance and leave, and provide day-to-day supervision.
• Keep offices, washrooms, pantry spaces, meeting rooms, and common areas clean and orderly.
• Ensure pantry services run smoothly, including refreshments for staff and visitors.
• Arrange meals and hospitality support for guest house occupants when needed.
• Coordinate transport for staff and visitors, ensuring vehicles are available on time.
• Monitor transport vendors and drivers for safety, punctuality, cleanliness, and service quality.
• Track vehicle use, mileage, maintenance schedules, fuel efficiency, statutory compliance, and related records.
• Work with Program, Finance, and Administration teams to improve transport utilization and control costs.
• Handle procurement of office supplies, pantry items, furniture, equipment, and other administrative needs as per internal guidelines.
• Collect quotations, prepare comparison statements, support approval workflows, and coordinate purchases.
• Maintain inventory records and ensure adequate stock of consumables and office supplies.
• Support fixed asset tagging, tracking, verification, and maintenance.
• Coordinate travel and accommodation for staff, consultants, and visitors against approved travel requests.
• Book hotels, guest house stays, and local or intercity transport including train and bus arrangements.
• Plan and coordinate logistics to ensure smooth travel experiences.
• Maintain preventive maintenance schedules for office infrastructure and facilities.
• Coordinate pest control, deep cleaning, AC servicing, water purifier maintenance, water tank cleaning, electrical inspections, and similar statutory maintenance tasks.
• Ensure adherence to workplace health, safety, and administrative standards.
• Keep administrative records, documentation, and filing systems complete and accurate.
• Verify supporting documents and bills before forwarding them for payment.
• Enter administrative expenses into the organization’s accounting system where required.
• Coordinate with Finance on policy compliance, statutory requirements, and FCRA-related documentation when applicable.
• Provide first-level support for routine IT issues involving laptops, desktops, printers, projectors, internet, Wi-Fi, and other office equipment.
• Coordinate with IT vendors or central IT support to resolve technical issues in a timely manner.
• Make sure office equipment remains functional through routine servicing and preventive care.
• Support events, meetings, workshops, and official visits through end-to-end administrative coordination.
• Maintain trackers, reports, and other administrative records as needed.
• Carry out additional administration-related tasks assigned by district leadership or the central administration team.

Skills and Qualifications

• A graduate degree with 3 to 5 years of relevant administrative support experience.
• Practical understanding of office administration and support functions.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities, along with good people skills.
• Comfort using MS Office tools such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Good planning, coordination, and multitasking capability.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in multicultural teams.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English, Hindi, and Odia.
• Working knowledge of accounting software will be an added advantage.

Additional Information

The organization’s website is antarafoundation.org. The role is based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. No stipend or salary range was specified in the source.

Application Notes

The source did not provide vacancy count, start date, or application deadline details.