About Academik America

Academik America is an Austin, Tx based global organisation working across professional standards, credentialing, accreditation, institutional development, and emerging areas of education and workforce capability. Through its initiatives, Academik America works with universities, professionals, employers, and institutional partners internationally, particularly in disciplines being reshaped by technology and the future of work.

Search & Selection Partner

This mandate is being exclusively managed by Hunt & Vector India as the organization's retained search partner.

The Role

Academik America is seeking an accomplished and highly networked Executive Director – South Asia & Middle East to strengthen its institutional presence, strategic relationships, and public engagement across two of the world's most dynamic education markets.

This is a senior, externally facing leadership role designed for someone who can represent Academik America credibly with universities, higher-education groups, government bodies, policymakers, associations, industry leaders, and other influential stakeholders.

The position goes well beyond conventional business development. Its mandate combines advocacy, institutional relations, government engagement, strategic partnerships, regional representation, and ecosystem development.

The Executive Director will help position Academik America and its initiatives at the centre of important conversations around professional standards, emerging technologies, higher education, workforce readiness, accreditation, certification, and institutional capability building. He will serve as an advocacy lead for Academik America's mission and initiatives across the region.-

Key Responsibilities

University & Institutional Relations

- Build and deepen senior-level relationships with universities, colleges, education groups, research institutions, and other academic stakeholders across South Asia and the Middle East.
- Engage Vice Chancellors, Presidents, Provosts, Deans, Directors, and other academic leaders on opportunities for collaboration with Academik America and its associated initiatives.
- Identify strategically important institutions and develop long-term institutional relationships rather than transactional engagements.
- Represent Academik America in discussions involving accreditation, professional certification, faculty development, institutional capacity building, and emerging education initiatives.

Government & Public-Sector Relations

- Develop relationships with relevant ministries, government agencies, regulators, public universities, skills bodies, and national education organizations.
- Identify opportunities for Academik America to contribute to national and regional conversations relating to AI, data science, emerging technology, workforce transformation, and higher-education quality.
- Support engagement with government-led education, skilling, technology,



and workforce initiatives.
- Facilitate institutional and policy-level introductions where Academik America's expertise can add meaningful value.

Advocacy & External Engagement

- Serve as an advocacy lead for Academik America's mission and initiatives across the region.
- Strengthen awareness and understanding of international professional standards, certification, accreditation, and workforce-readiness frameworks.
- Participate in conferences, university forums, leadership roundtables, policy discussions, and selected industry events.
- Build relationships with academic associations, professional bodies, chambers, industry councils, foundations, and other ecosystem partners.
- Help establish Academik America as a respected voice in conversations shaping the future of education and emerging professional disciplines.

Strategic Partnerships

- Identify and develop high-value partnerships with institutions, governments, associations, enterprises, and education networks.
- Create opportunities for regional collaborations, Centres of Excellence, institutional alliances, faculty initiatives, professional-development programs, and other strategic projects.
- Work across Academik America's global initiatives to identify areas where multiple platforms can create greater institutional value.
- Develop relationships that can evolve into substantial, multi-year engagements.

Regional Leadership

- Provide senior representation for Academik America across South Asia and the Middle East.
- Develop a strong understanding of the higher education, government, workforce, and professional-certification landscape across priority markets.
- Identify emerging opportunities and advise leadership on regional priorities, institutional developments, and stakeholder dynamics.
- Work closely with Country Managers and other regional colleagues while maintaining a distinct focus on senior institutional, governmental, and strategic relationships.
- Support selected high-level engagements involving Academik America's global leadership.

Geographic Coverage The role will initially focus on priority markets across:

South Asia: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and other relevant markets.

Middle East: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and other strategically important markets.

The geographic mandate may evolve as Academik America's regional initiatives expand.

Education & Experience

- 10–15 years of relevant skilled experience, preferably across higher education, institutional relations, strategic partnerships, government engagement,



public affairs, consulting, professional bodies, workforce development, or related areas.
- A Master's degree in Business, Management, Strategy, Public Policy, International Relations, Education Management, or a closely related discipline is preferred.
- Strong preference for candidates with postgraduate education from leading institutions such as ISB, IIMs, or other comparable high-quality business and management schools in India or internationally.
- Candidates with an exceptional track record of institutional or government engagement may also be considered where their professional experience demonstrates equivalent depth and credibility.

Ideal Profile

We are looking for a senior professional who combines credibility, relationship intelligence, executive presence, and an understanding of the education ecosystem.

The ideal candidate may come from higher education, education leadership, government relations, institutional partnerships, professional bodies, consulting, public affairs, industry associations, workforce development, or an adjacent domain.

They should ideally bring

- Significant experience dealing with senior academic, government, institutional, or corporate stakeholders.
- Strong relationships within the higher-education or public-sector ecosystem in South Asia and/or the Middle East.
- The ability to engage confidently with Vice-Chancellors, university presidents, senior government officials, policymakers, CEOs, and institutional leaders.
- An understanding of how universities, governments, professional bodies, and industry interact around education and workforce development.
- Strong communication, representation, and relationship-management capabilities.
- The maturity to manage complex, long-cycle institutional relationships.
- An international outlook and the ability to represent a U.S.-headquartered organization across culturally diverse markets.
- The ability to operate independently while working closely with global leadership.

What Will Define Success

Success in this role will not be measured simply by the volume of outreach.

It will be reflected in the quality and strategic importance of relationships created, Academik America's access to influential institutions and decision-makers, the strength of its regional reputation, and partnerships that create sustained institutional impact.

The Executive Director will be expected to progressively build a network in which Academik America is viewed not merely as a provider, but as a credible institutional partner and participant in the future of education, professional standards, and workforce transformation.

Compensation

This high-impact leadership appointment carries a premium, market-leading compensation package designed to attract exceptional executive talent.

How to apply

Interested candidates may apply directly to [email protected] with their CVs.

📌 Executive Director – South Asia & Middle East (India)
🏢 Academik America
📍 India