Deputy Director - External Relations (Alumni Relations)

Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM); Vammivanipalem; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) invites a seasoned Head of External Relations to chart and execute its campus-wide engagement with industry, alumni, and strategic partners. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, build MoUs, coordinate cross-campus initiatives, and represent the university at national and international forums.

The role emphasizes deep stakeholder management, data-driven governance, event programming, and reputation building, with a focus on expanding

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with a Master's degree preferred in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Higher Education Administration, Public Relations, or a related field.
• 12+ years of relevant experience in external relations, alumni relations, corporate relations, stakeholder engagement, partnerships, institutional relations, program management, or a related function.
• Prior experience in higher education, corporate relations, non profit organizations, professional associations, or a similar stakeholder driven environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing relationships with senior leaders, corporate executives, alumni, institutions, and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop partnerships and convert relationships into measurable institutional outcomes.
• Strong leadership and team-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple teams, stakeholders, and workstreams.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong event planning and stakeholder-management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• External Relations Strategy: Develop and execute the University's external relations strategy in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Alumni & Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthen engagement with the alumni community across India and international geographies.
• Strategic Partnerships: Identify, develop, and manage partnerships with corporates, institutions, and other external organizations.
• Events & Engagement Programs: Lead external engagement initiatives including alumni events, industry meets, and conferences.
• Industry & Corporate Relations: Build a network of corporate leaders and opportunities for engagement, internships, and projects.
• University Representation & Reputation Building: Represent GITAM in external engagements and strengthen visibility.
• Team Leadership: Lead the External Relations team, set goals, processes, and performance metrics.
• Data, Reporting & Governance: Develop dashboards and reports; monitor engagement metrics; maintain governance records.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with academic schools, admissions, career services, research, communications, and advancement.
• Continuous Improvement: Evaluate initiatives and develop scalable engagement frameworks.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Strategic Partnerships

Alumni Relations

Event Planning

Data-driven Governance

Team Management

Negotiation

Education

Master's degree in Business Administration / Marketing / Higher Education Administration

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

MS Office

Job description

Role & responsibilities:

1. External Relations Strategy

• Support the development and execution of the University's external relations strategy in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Identify and develop strategic relationships with industry leaders, corporates, institutions, alumni, and other influential stakeholders.
• Represent GITAM in relevant external forums, meetings, conferences, and networking platforms.

2. Alumni & Stakeholder Engagement

• Strengthen engagement with the GITAM alumni community across India and international geographies.
• Build and maintain relationships with senior alumni, industry professionals, corporate leaders, and institutional partners
• Identify opportunities to leverage external networks for mentoring, student opportunities, industry engagement, knowledge sharing, internships, placements, collaborations, and institutional growth.

3. Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, develop, and manage strategic partnerships with corporates, institutions, professional bodies, and other external organizations.
• Facilitate opportunities for MoUs, collaborations, joint initiatives, knowledge partnerships, industry engagement, and other strategic programs.
• Ensure effective coordination between external partners and relevant internal stakeholders.

4. Events & Engagement Programs

• Lead and oversee high-impact external engagement initiatives, including alumni events, leadership interactions, industry meets, conferences, reunions, networking events, and institutional programs.
• Develop event strategies, stakeholder plans, communication plans, and execution frameworks.
• Ensure that external commitments are aligned with internal approvals, priorities, and execution readiness.

5. Industry & Corporate Relations

• Build a strong network of corporate and industry leaders and identify opportunities for meaningful engagement with GITAM.
• Facilitate industry interactions, leadership sessions, student opportunities, internships, projects, mentoring, and other forms of collaboration.
• Work with academic and functional teams to convert external relationships into measurable institutional outcomes.

6. University Representation & Reputation Building

• Represent GITAM professionally in external engagements and strategic forums.
• Support initiatives that strengthen GITAM's institutional visibility, reputation, and relationships with key external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for GITAM leadership and faculty to engage with influential external networks.

7. Team Leadership

• Provide leadership, mentoring, and direction to the External Relations team.
• Establish clear goals, work plans, processes, and performance metrics for the team.
• Encourage collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across the function.

8. Data, Reporting & Governance

• Develop dashboards and regular reports to track external relations performance and outcomes.
• Monitor metrics such as active alumni engagement, strategic partnerships, corporate engagement, events, student opportunities, stakeholder participation, and collaborations.
• Maintain appropriate documentation, databases, engagement records, and governance processes.

9. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with academic schools, admissions, career services, research, communications, advancement, and other functional teams.
• Understand institutional priorities and identify external engagement opportunities that support them.
• Ensure seamless coordination and timely execution of initiatives across campuses.

10. Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate the effectiveness of external engagement initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop scalable processes and frameworks for stakeholder engagement.
• Stay updated on trends and best practices in alumni relations, corporate relations, higher education partnerships, and institutional engagement.

Preferred candidate profile

• Bachelor's degree with a Master's degree preferred in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Higher Education Administration, Public Relations, or a related field.
• 12+ years of relevant experience in external relations, alumni relations, corporate relations, stakeholder engagement, partnerships, institutional relations, program management, or a related function.
• Prior experience in higher education, corporate relations, non profit organizations, professional associations, or a similar stakeholder driven environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing relationships with senior leaders, corporate executives, alumni, institutions, and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop partnerships and convert relationships into measurable institutional outcomes.
• Strong leadership and team-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple teams, stakeholders, and workstreams.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong event planning and stakeholder-management capabilities.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take ownership of outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data, dashboards, and reports to measure engagement and impact.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, multi-campus university environment with frequent interaction with senior leadership and external stakeholders.