Lead – Skill Development & Career Readiness

Chanakya University; Devanahalli; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Chanakya University seeks a Lead for Skill Development & Career Readiness to design and implement a structured framework across the student lifecycle, ensuring readiness for internships and placements.

The role requires leading training interventions, coordinating with Schools, placement teams, industry partners and external trainers to deliver professional and job-readiness skills at scale.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Management, Human Resources, Education, Psychology or a related discipline preferred.
• At least 10–15 years of relevant experience in skill development, learning and development, career services, employability or higher education.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a university-wide skill development and career readiness framework aligned to the needs of students.
• Identify skill gaps through assessments, student data, employer feedback and inputs from Schools.
• Design a progressive training roadmap covering communication, aptitude, problem solving, teamwork, leadership and professional effectiveness.
• Establish structured mechanisms to assess and monitor career readiness and student success.
• Collaborate with Schools, placements and industry partners to drive internship and placement readiness.

Education

Master’s degree in Management, Human Resources, Education, Psychology or a related discipline

Job description

Job Description: Lead – Skill Development & Career Readiness

The Lead – Skill Development & Career Readiness will lead the University’s efforts to build the skills, competencies and career readiness of students for internships and placements. The role will be responsible for designing and implementing a structured, progressive skill-development framework across the student lifecycle, identifying skill gaps, coordinating relevant training interventions and tracking student readiness outcomes. The role will work closely with Schools, the placement and internship teams, industry partners and external training providers to ensure that students are equipped with the professional, behavioural and job-readiness skills required for successful career outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Skill Development & Career Readiness

• Develop and implement a University-wide skill development and career readiness framework aligned to the needs of students across programmes and years of study.
• Identify skill and competency gaps through structured assessments, student data, employer feedback and inputs from Schools.
• Design a progressive training roadmap covering communication, aptitude, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, professional effectiveness, workplace readiness and other employability skills.
• Ensure that career preparation begins early in the student lifecycle and progresses towards internship and placement readiness.
• Define clear readiness benchmarks and track students against these benchmarks.

Training, Assessment & Development Interventions

• Prepare and execute the annual skill development and career readiness calendar for students.
• Design, curate and coordinate workshops, boot camps, assessments, mock interviews, group discussions, resume preparation and other placement-readiness interventions.
• Work with Schools to identify programme-specific and domain skill requirements and facilitate suitable interventions, certifications and industry-led learning.
• Identify and engage appropriate external trainers, assessment partners, industry professionals and other learning partners, wherever required.
• Monitor student participation, completion and effectiveness of training interventions and initiate corrective actions for students requiring additional support.

Career Readiness & Student Support

• Establish a structured mechanism to assess and monitor the career readiness of students, including aptitude, communication, professional skills, resume readiness and interview preparedness.
• Create targeted development plans for students who are not meeting defined readiness benchmarks.
• Facilitate career orientation, career planning and awareness of different career pathways in coordination with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure students are adequately prepared before being presented for internship and placement opportunities.
• Build a culture of student ownership and accountability towards skill development and career preparation.

Collaboration with Placements, Internships & Schools

• Work closely with the Corporate Relations & Placements team to understand recruiter expectations, selection trends and skill requirements and translate these into student development interventions.
• Coordinate with the Internships team to use internship feedback and industry exposure as inputs for further student development.
• Partner with Deans, faculty and School Career Coordinators to plan and implement School-specific career readiness initiatives, periodic meetings etc
• Work with multiple internal stakeholders including student affairs for student involvement and participation for student coordinators to support all initiatives for student readiness and placements.
• Facilitate industry interaction, practitioner sessions and other interventions that strengthen students’ understanding of workplace expectations.
• Use employer and recruiter feedback to continuously strengthen the University’s skill development framework.

Team Management, Data & Reporting

• Guide and manage the Career Development / Training team and ensure effective allocation and delivery of student development activities.
• Maintain a career readiness dashboard covering student assessments, training participation, skill gaps, readiness status and key outcomes.
• Track key indicators such as percentage of students assessed, percentage meeting readiness benchmarks, training completion, skill-gap closure and employer feedback on student preparedness.
• Provide periodic reports and updates to the Director – Career Services / Training, Internship & Placement and University leadership.
• Review the effectiveness of programmes and continuously improve interventions based on data, student outcomes and stakeholder feedback.
• Strong understanding of employability, skill development and career readiness in a higher education context.
• Ability to design and implement structured student development and training programmes at scale.
• Strong facilitation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to interpret assessment data and translate skill gaps into focused development interventions.
• Strong industry orientation and understanding of employer expectations and evolving workplace skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic leaders, faculty, placement teams, industry partners and students.
• Strong planning, execution and team management capabilities.
• Student-centric approach with the ability to engage, motivate and build accountability among young adults.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Management, Human Resources, Education, Psychology or a related discipline preferred.
• At least 10–15 years of relevant experience in skill development, learning and development, career services, employability, training, higher education or a related area.
• Prior experience in designing and delivering large-scale student or young-adult development programmes will be an advantage.
• Experience working with industry, assessment/training partners or placement and career services teams is desirable.

Reports to Director – Training, Internship & Placements