Head - Corporate Relations

MIT Academy of Engineering; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

MIT Academy of Engineering in Pune seeks a senior corporate relations leader to build partnerships with industry, manage internship programs, and drive employability initiatives for students. You will lead MoU negotiations, industry-sponsored projects, and consultancy engagements while coordinating with HR and academic teams to align curricula with market needs.

The role requires a strong network, strategic planning, and a track record of delivering placements and industry collaborations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology, or a related field; a Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent, with specialization in Marketing / HR / General Management) is preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in corporate relations, training & placement, industry liaison, or business development, preferably within an academic or engineering institution.
• Demonstrated track record of building industry partnerships, driving placement outcomes and managing cross-functional teams.
• Prior experience engaging with corporate HR teams, senior industry leaders, and academic stakeholders will be an added advantage.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relationships with businesses and organizations across relevant industries.
• Develop outreach strategies to engage potential corporate partners, showcasing the institute’s strengths and capabilities.
• Collaborate with corporate partners to create and manage internship programs for students.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of internships and facilitate feedback to enhance the program.
• Facilitate partnerships for industry-sponsored projects, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in real-world applications.
• Coordinate with faculty and industry representatives to identify project opportunities aligned with academic programs.
• Explore avenues for providing technical consultancy services to industry through faculty expertise and student involvement.
• Develop a model for consultancy engagements that ensures mutually beneficial relationships.
• Lead negotiations and discussions to finalize Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with corporate partners.
• Ensure signed MoUs are executed efficiently and monitored for effective, ongoing collaboration.
• Drive initiatives to enhance placement opportunities for students, focusing on securing positions with competitive salary packages.
• Work closely with the career services team to identify high-growth sectors and tailor training programs accordingly.
• Organize regular meetings and networking events with HR representatives from partner companies to discuss recruitment needs and share industry insights.
• Develop forums for dialogue between corporate partners and academic departments, fostering a collaborative approach to curriculum and talent development.
• Provide individual and group counselling sessions to students on career options, industry trends, and job requirements.
• Assess student strengths and areas for development through one-on-one discussions and career assessments.
• Guide students in creating effective resumes and cover letters, and in interview preparation.
• Maintain ongoing communication with students to track their progress and provide continuous support.
• Design, implement, and oversee employability training programs focused on improving both soft and technical skills.
• Collaborate with industry professionals to ensure training content remains current and relevant to market demands.
• Conduct workshops, seminars, and training sessions covering communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, technical skills, and leadership.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training programs through feedback mechanisms and adjust as necessary to meet student and industry needs.

Skills

Industry networking

Relationship management

Negotiation

Strategic planning

Leadership

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

MoU / contract negotiations

Data-driven / analytics

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Technology

MBA or equivalent preferred

Job description

• Establish and maintain relationships with businesses and organizations across relevant industries.
• Develop outreach strategies to engage potential corporate partners, showcasing the institute’s strengths and capabilities.
• Collaborate with corporate partners to create and manage internship programs for students.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of internships and facilitate feedback to enhance the program.

3. Industry-Sponsored Projects

• Facilitate partnerships for industry-sponsored projects, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in real-world applications.
• Coordinate with faculty and industry representatives to identify project opportunities aligned with academic programs.

4. Technical Consultancy Work

• Explore avenues for providing technical consultancy services to industry through faculty expertise and student involvement.
• Develop a model for consultancy engagements that ensures mutually beneficial relationships.

5. MoU Signing with Industry

• Lead negotiations and discussions to finalize Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with corporate partners.
• Ensure signed MoUs are executed efficiently and monitored for effective, ongoing collaboration.

6. Placement of Students with Higher Packages

• Drive initiatives to enhance placement opportunities for students, focusing on securing positions with competitive salary packages.
• Work closely with the career services team to identify high-growth sectors and tailor training programs accordingly.

7. HR Meets

• Organize regular meetings and networking events with HR representatives from partner companies to discuss recruitment needs and share industry insights.
• Develop forums for dialogue between corporate partners and academic departments, fostering a collaborative approach to curriculum and talent development.

8. Student Counselling

• Provide individual and group counselling sessions to students on career options, industry trends, and job requirements.
• Assess student strengths and areas for development through one-on-one discussions and career assessments.
• Guide students in creating effective resumes and cover letters, and in interview preparation.
• Maintain ongoing communication with students to track their progress and provide continuous support.

9. Employability Training Programs

• Design, implement, and oversee employability training programs focused on improving both soft and technical skills.
• Collaborate with industry professionals to ensure training content remains current and relevant to market demands.
• Conduct workshops, seminars, and training sessions covering communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, technical skills, and leadership.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training programs through feedback mechanisms and adjust as necessary to meet student and industry needs.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology, or a related field; a Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent, with specialization in Marketing / HR / General Management) is preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in corporate relations, training & placement, industry liaison, or business development, preferably within an academic or engineering institution.
• Demonstrated track record of building industry partnerships, driving placement outcomes and managing cross-functional teams.
• Prior experience engaging with corporate HR teams, senior industry leaders, and academic stakeholders will be an added advantage.

KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong industry network and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal abilities.
• Strategic planning and program management capability.
• Leadership skills with experience managing and mentoring a team.
• Strong understanding of industry trends, recruitment practices, and employability requirements.
• Proficiency in stakeholder engagement, presentations, and MoU / contract negotiations.
• Data-driven, target-oriented approach to placements and outreach.
• Number of new corporate partnerships and MoUs established annually.
• Number and quality of internship opportunities secured for students.
• Placement percentage and average / highest salary packages achieved.
• Number of industry-sponsored projects and consultancy engagements facilitated.
• Number of employability training programs, workshops, and HR meets conducted.
• Student and recruiter satisfaction feedback scores.