Assistant Director Placements

Unext Learning; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Online Manipal is seeking a strategic, industry-connected leader to head the Career Services & Placements function. You will build a scalable placement ecosystem, enhance learner employability, and expand employer partnerships for a geographically dispersed online learner base.

You will oversee Corporate Outreach, Career Readiness, Student Engagement and Placement Operations, collaborating with university, marketing, product, and learner-experience teams to position Online Manipal as a preferred

Qualifications

• MBA/PGDM from a reputed institution.
• Strong recruiter and employer network across industries.
• Experience with placement platforms such as Superset, LineupX, FirstNaukri, Unstop.

Responsibilities

• Lead Corporate Outreach, Career Services, Student Engagement and Placement Operations.
• Drive placement volumes and recruiter engagement.
• Design scalable employability programmes and learner journeys.
• Collaborate with University, Marketing, Product and Learner Experience teams.
• Build scalable processes with technology, automation and analytics.
• Maintain dashboards and management reports on placement performance.

Skills

Employer network

Employer acquisition

Hiring trends

Placement platforms

Communication skills

Analytics & dashboards

Process improvement

Education

MBA/PGDM in HR or Marketing

Tools

Superset

LineupX

FirstNaukri

Unstop

Job description

Role & responsibilities

We are looking for a strategic, industry-connected, and execution-oriented leader to head the Career Services & Placements function. This role will be responsible for building a scalable placement ecosystem that enhances learner employability, expands employer partnerships, and delivers measurable career outcomes for a geographically dispersed online learner base of over 1.5L learners. The incumbent will lead the Corporate Outreach, Career Readiness, Student Engagement, and Placement Operations functions while collaborating closely with university partners, marketing, product, academic, and learner experience teams to position Online Manipal as a preferred talent partner for employers and a trusted career partner for learners.

1. Placement Strategy & Career Services

• Define and execute the overall Career Services and Placement strategy aligned with organizational goals and learner outcomes.
• Drive placement volumes, quality of opportunities, learner employability, and recruiter engagement.
• Continuously enhance the Career Services proposition through innovative initiatives, industry partnerships, and technology-enabled interventions.
• Monitor hiring trends, emerging skills, and labour market dynamics to evolve placement strategies.

2. Corporate Outreach & Employer Partnerships

• Build and strengthen strategic relationships with corporates, CHROs, Talent Acquisition leaders, staffing firms, and industry associations.
• Expand the employer ecosystem across Management, Technology, Analytics, Finance, Healthcare, and emerging sectors.
• Position online degree learners as credible, job-ready talent through sustained employer engagement.
• Negotiate long-term hiring partnerships and repeat recruitment engagements.
• Represent Online Manipal at HR forums, industry events, employer meets, and networking platforms.

3. Learner Employability & Career Readiness

• Design and deliver scalable employability programmes including career coaching, resume reviews, interview preparation, aptitude training, communication skills, and career guidance.
• Develop differentiated engagement journeys for freshers, career switchers, working professionals, and learners seeking career progression.
• Drive learner participation in placement and career development initiatives using digital engagement channels.
• Ensure learners are placement-ready through structured interventions integrated across their academic journey.

4. Placement Operations

• Own the end-to-end placement lifecycle including learner registration, profiling, employer matching, interview scheduling, offer management, onboarding support, and post-placement tracking.
• Plan and execute placement drives, virtual hiring events, career fairs, and employer engagement programmes at scale.
• Establish operational SLAs and governance mechanisms to ensure quality and consistency.
• Build scalable placement processes supported by technology, automation, and analytics.
• Maintain accurate dashboards and management reports on placement performance.

5. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with University teams to align placement initiatives with programme requirements.
• Work closely with Marketing and Brand teams to strengthen employer branding and promote learner success stories.
• Collaborate with Product and Technology teams to improve career services platforms, learner experience, and operational efficiency.
• Work with Academic teams to embed employability and industry readiness within programme delivery.

6. Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop high-performing teams across Corporate Outreach, Career Services, Student Engagement, and Placement Operations.
• Establish clear goals, performance metrics, capability development plans, and operating rhythms.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and learner-centricity.
• Drive continuous process improvement through data-driven decision-making.

Key Performance Indicators

• Placement rate and average compensation offered across eligible learners
• Number and quality of employer partnerships
• Placement volume and offer conversion rates across domains
• Learner employability and placement readiness
• Recruiter satisfaction and repeat hiring rate
• Learner satisfaction (NPS/CSAT)

Key Success Factors

• Build Online Manipal into a preferred hiring partner for employers.
• Deliver consistent improvement in placement outcomes across programmes.
• Create scalable, technology-enabled career services for a distributed online learner base.
• Establish a strong employer brand and sustainable corporate partnerships.
• Build a high-performing team capable of delivering quality outcomes at scale.

Desired Candidate Profile Experience

• 1015 years of experience in Career Services, Placements, Corporate Relations, Talent Acquisition, or HR.
• Minimum 79 years of experience leading Placement or Career Services teams.
• Proven success in building employer partnerships and delivering placement outcomes at scale.
• Experience working with Higher Education, Universities, EdTech, or Workforce Development organizations is preferred.
• Strong exposure to engaging with CHROs, Talent Acquisition leaders, and senior HR stakeholders.

Education

• MBA/PGDM from a reputed institution, preferably with specialization in HR or Marketing.

Skills

• Strong recruiter and employer network across multiple industries.
• Expertise in employer acquisition and relationship management.
• Strong understanding of hiring trends and workforce requirements.
• Experience with placement platforms such as Superset, LineupX, FirstNaukri, Unstop, or similar tools.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience using dashboards and data for decision-making.
• Ability to build scalable processes and leverage technology for operational excellence.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking with strong execution capability.
• Results orientation and ownership.
• Relationship building and influencing skills.
• Learner-centric approach.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Innovation and continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• and organizational skills