Training and Placement Officer - Design

MIT Academy of Engineering; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

MIT Academy of Engineering invites an experienced Design Placement & Industry Relations Lead to build and sustain strong ties with design studios, branding agencies, and corporate design teams. You will oversee internship programs, placements, live projects, and MoU signings to create high-value opportunities for B.Des and M.Des students.

The role requires a postgraduate management qualification, 10+ years in design placement and training, and a proven ability to secure placements across UI/UX,

Qualifications

• Postgraduate management qualification (MBA or equivalent).
• Minimum 10 years in design placement/training/placement roles with a strong track record in placing design students.
• Familiarity with the design education ecosystem (B.Des / M.Des curricula and specializations) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify, establish, and maintain relationships with design studios, branding & communication agencies, product design firms, UX consultancies, and corporate in-house design teams.
• Develop outreach strategies tailored to the design industry, showcasing MITAOE Design students’ portfolios across UI/UX, Graphics/Communication Design, and Product Design specializations.
• Collaborate with industry partners to create, structure, and manage 6/12-month internship programs for B.Des and M.Des students.
• Monitor intern performance, collect host feedback, and continuously improve internship quality and outcomes.
• Drive placement campaigns for design students with competitive packages and track metrics by specialization to close gaps.
• Facilitate live industry briefs and sponsored design projects that provide hands-on experience.
• Lead discussions to finalize MoUs with design studios, agencies, and corporate design teams.
• Organize HR meets and recruiter interactions to understand hiring needs and build a steady pipeline of opportunities.
• Design and conduct employability and design-skill training programs, including portfolio reviews and mock interviews.

Job description

• Identify, establish, and maintain relationships with design studios, branding & communication agencies, product design firms, UX consultancies, and corporate in-house design teams.
• Develop outreach strategies tailored to the design industry, showcasing MITAOE Design students’ portfolios and capabilities across UI/UX, Graphics/Communication Design, and Product Design specializations.

2. Internship Program Management (6 / 12 Months)

• Collaborate with design industry partners to create, structure, and manage 6-month and 12-month internship programs for B.Des and M.Des students.
• Monitor intern performance, gather feedback from host organizations, and continuously improve internship quality and outcomes.

3. Placement & Higher Package Drives

• Drive placement campaigns for design students, targeting recruiters offering competitive and higher salary packages.
• Track placement metrics by specialization (UI/UX, Graphics/Communication Design, Product Design, and M.Des) and design targeted strategies to close gaps.

4. Industry-Sponsored Design Projects & Live Briefs

• Facilitate live industry briefs and sponsored design projects that give students hands-on, real-world design experience.
• Coordinate with faculty and industry design leads to align project scope with curriculum and specialization tracks.

5. MoU Signing with Design Companies

• Lead discussions and negotiations to finalize Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with design studios, agencies, and corporate design teams.
• Ensure MoUs are executed efficiently and monitored for sustained, mutually beneficial collaboration.

6. HR & Recruiter Engagement

• Organize HR meets and recruiter interactions with design-focused companies to understand hiring needs and showcase student portfolio strengths.
• Build long-term recruiter relationships to create a steady pipeline of internship and placement opportunities.
• Provide career counselling to design students on specialization choices, industry expectations, and career pathways.
• Guide students in building strong design portfolios, case studies, and presentation decks aligned with industry standards.
• Support resume, cover letter, and interview preparation specific to design roles.

8. Employability & Design-Skill Training Programs

• Design and conduct training programs on design tools, portfolio building, design thinking, communication, and interview readiness.
• Collaborate with practicing designers and industry experts to keep training content current with evolving design trends and tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite).
• Organize mock interviews, portfolio reviews, and design critique sessions to prepare students for placement.

9. Data & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of internships, placements, packages, and recruiter engagement by specialization.
• Prepare regular reports and dashboards for department and institutional leadership on placement performance.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• A postgraduate degree is expected, especially an MBA or equivalent qualification in management.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 10 years of experience in design placement / training & placement roles, with a strong track record of placing design students into internships and jobs.
• Suitable and relevant industry experience in the design sector (e.g., design studios, UX / product design firms, branding agencies, or corporate design teams) is expected.
• Familiarity with the design education ecosystem (B.Des / M.Des curricula and specializations) is preferred.

KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong network within the design industry across UI/UX, Graphics/Communication Design, and Product Design.
• Sound understanding of design portfolios, the design process, and industry hiring standards.
• Excellent communication, relationship-management, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to counsel and mentor students across diverse design specializations.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and reporting skills.
• Proficiency with placement tracking tools / ERP and MS Office / presentation tools.
• Number of 6-month / 12-month internship placements secured.
• Number of final placements and average / highest packages achieved, by specialization.
• Number of new industry partnerships and MoUs signed with design companies.
• Number of live projects and sponsored design briefs facilitated.
• Number of training sessions, portfolio reviews, and mock interviews conducted.
• Student and recruiter satisfaction feedback scores.