Role & responsibilities

1. Institutional Business Development

- Develop and execute a focused institutional sales strategy for the education, research and technical institution segment.
- Build and maintain a comprehensive target-account universe covering IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, central/state universities, leading engineering colleges, private universities, technical institutes and research institutions.
- Identify new institutions, departments, laboratories, centres of excellence and research programs that could benefit from Makers hives robotics and automation solutions.
- Proactively scout for upcoming projects, laboratory setups, modernization programs, research grants, technology centres, incubation centres, skill-development initiatives and institutional capex opportunities.
- Develop new accounts while expanding business within existing institutional customers.

2. Opportunity Scouting & Pipeline Creation

- Establish a systematic process for identifying institutional opportunities well ahead of formal RFQs/tenders.
- Map upcoming projects, funded research programs, new laboratories, faculty research initiatives and institutional technology requirements.
- Identify the right stakeholders and decision-makers within each institution and establish early engagement.
- Build and maintain a qualified opportunity pipeline with clear opportunity size, stage, probability, timeline, stakeholders and next actions.
- Track opportunities from lead identification need discovery technical engagement demonstration specification budget approval RFQ/tender negotiation order closure.

3. Strategic Account Mapping

- Develop detailed account plans for priority institutions.
- Map key stakeholders including:
- Directors / Deans
- HODs
- Professors and faculty members
- Principal Investigators
- Research Scientists
- Laboratory Heads
- Centre of Excellence leaders
- Procurement teams
- Purchase Officers
- Finance / Administration teams
- Industry Partnership / Innovation teams
- Build strong, long-term relationships with academic, technical and commercial stakeholders.
- Identify multiple departments and use cases within the same institution to maximize account potential.

4. Solution Selling & Technical Engagement

- Understand customer requirements and translate them into appropriate Makershive robotics and automation solutions.
- Conduct product presentations, technical discussions, demonstrations and proof-of-concept engagements in collaboration with internal technical teams.
- Position Makers hive solutions around industrial automation, robotics education, research, AI, advanced manufacturing, skilling and Industry 4.0 applications.
- Work closely with faculty and researchers to understand their research and training requirements and propose relevant solutions.
- Influence technical specifications and solution architecture wherever appropriate and ethically permissible.

5. Institutional Procurement & Tender Management

- Monitor institutional procurement portals, GeM, e-procurement platforms, university procurement notices and other relevant sources for opportunities.
- Identify and qualify relevant RFQs, RFPs, tenders and institutional procurement opportunities.




- Coordinate preparation of technical and commercial proposals with internal teams.
- Ensure timely submission of quotations, technical documents, compliance documents and tender responses.
- Track the complete procurement cycle from RFQ/RFP through evaluation, negotiation, purchase order and closure.
- Develop an understanding of procurement processes followed by IITs, NITs, universities, government institutions and private educational institutions.

6. Government & Public Institution Opportunities

- Identify opportunities arising from government-funded education, research, skilling, technology and laboratory modernization programs.
- Develop relationships with relevant government-funded institutions and public-sector educational bodies.
- Track government grants, institutional funding programs and major capex initiatives that could
- create demand for robotics and automation solutions.
- Coordinate with the Government Business team wherever opportunities overlap with government procurement or national/state programs.

7. Private Institutional Business

- Identify and develop opportunities across leading private engineering colleges, universities, deemed universities and technical institutions.
- Build relationships with trustees, promoters, management, Directors, Deans and Heads of Departments.
- Identify opportunities for setting up robotics laboratories, automation labs, centres of excellence, innovation labs and advanced manufacturing facilities.
- Develop repeat-business opportunities through expansion across departments, campuses and institutions.

8. Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

- Identify potential partnerships with universities, technology institutes, incubation centres, industry associations, skill-development organizations and technology partners.
- Develop opportunities for joint technology labs, Centres of Excellence, training programs, research collaborations and industry-academia partnerships.
- Participate in relevant conferences, exhibitions, seminars, faculty workshops and industry events to generate institutional leads.
- Build a strong network within the engineering education and research ecosystem.

9. Market Intelligence

- Monitor competitor activities, pricing, product positioning and institutional presence.
- Track robotics, automation, AI, Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing trends within the education and research ecosystem.
- Identify emerging technologies and institutional requirements that can create new business opportunities.
- Provide regular market intelligence and customer feedback to the Product, Marketing and Leadership teams.

10. Sales Planning & Performance Management

- Own the institutional sales target for the assigned geography / accounts.
- Develop monthly, quarterly and annual sales plans.




- Maintain accurate sales forecasts and opportunity pipelines.
- Track key performance indicators including:
- New institutional accounts opened
- Qualified opportunities generated
- Pipeline value
- Demonstrations conducted
- RFQs / tenders identified
- Proposals submitted
- Orders won
- Revenue generated
- Average deal size
- Conversion rate
- Repeat business
- Maintain CRM discipline and provide regular business reviews to the VP Sales & Marketing.

11. Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Product, Engineering, Application, Finance, Operations and Government Business teams.
- Coordinate technical demonstrations, site visits, solution design, commercial proposals and order execution.
- Ensure smooth handover from opportunity development to order fulfilment and customer success.
- Provide market feedback to help Makers hive strengthen its institutional product and solution portfolio.

Qualification

- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Technology, Science, Business or a related discipline; MBA / PGDM in Sales & Marketing will be an added advantage.
- 510 years of experience in B2B / institutional sales, preferably selling industrial automation, robotics, laboratory equipment, scientific instruments, engineering solutions, capital equipment, technology solutions or similar products.
- Experience in selling to IITs, NITs, universities, engineering colleges, research institutions, government-funded institutions or large private educational institutions will be strongly preferred.
- Proven track record of identifying and converting complex institutional / capital-equipment opportunities.
- Strong understanding of institutional procurement and tender processes.
- Existing relationships / network within premier engineering and technical institutions will be a significant advantage.
- Ability to engage confidently with professors, researchers, HODs, Deans, Directors, procurement teams and senior institutional leadership.
- Robust consultative and solution-selling capability.
- Excellent presentation, negotiation and communication skills.
- Strong commercial understanding and ability to manage long sales cycles.
- Highly proactive, entrepreneurial and comfortable with extensive field travel.
- Strong analytical and market-mapping capabilities.
- Ability to work independently and create business opportunities rather than relying only on inbound leads.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with ambiguity and evolving product offerings.

Key Competencies

- Institutional Business Development
- Strategic Account Management
- Consultative / Solution Selling
- Opportunity Scouting
- Stakeholder Mapping & Management
- Capital Equipment Sales
- Tender & Institutional Procurement
- Technical Presentation & Demonstration
- Negotiation & Commercial Acumen
- Pipeline Management
- Market Intelligence
- Relationship Building
- Ownership & Execution
- Collaboration
- High Energy & Field Orientation

Role: Manager – Institutional Business

Reporting: VP – Sales & Marketing

Organization: Makers Hive Innovations

Location: Hyderabad / Mumbai / Bangalore

Direct Reports: Individual Contributor Role

📌 Manager-Institutional Business (Hyderabad)
🏢 Makers Hive Innovations
📍 Hyderabad