Institution: SAI University

Location: OMR, Chennai

Function: Placements / Career Services / Industry Relations

Experience: 5–12 years

Company Description

Sai University (SaiU), India’s youngest State university, was founded to equip learners with advanced skills for both current and emerging careers. The institution combines the academic rigor of traditional learning models with the speed and impact of modern technology. SaiU focuses on pedagogic innovation to create an agile, future-ready liberal educational environment.

The university is committed to reimagining higher education in India by promoting interdisciplinary learning, industry engagement, and practical skill development.

Role Purpose

SAI University is seeking an experienced and well-connected Manager – Placements & Industry Relations to build and strengthen relationships with employers, HR leaders, Talent Acquisition teams and industry professionals, with the objective of creating high-quality placement, internship and career opportunities for students.

The role requires a highly proactive, relationship-driven professional who can open doors with employers, build a strong recruiter network, create a sustainable placement pipeline and mobilise industry professionals to help prepare students for the workplace

.

The position will work closely with students, faculty, academic leadership, employers, recruiters, alumni and external industry experts to improve both career opportunities and student employability

.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

1. Campus Placements and Employer Acquisition

· Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective employers for campus recruitment.

· Proactively engage HR leaders, Talent Acquisition professionals, campus recruiters and business leaders.

· Bring reputed companies and high-quality employment opportunities to SAI University.

· Identify organisations and roles aligned with the University's academic programmes and student profiles.

· Manage employer engagement from initial outreach through recruitment, offers and joining.

Key outcomes:

Growth in active recruiters, placement opportunities, offers and successful student placements.

2. Corporate and Industry Relations

· Build long-term relationships with companies and senior industry professionals.

· Develop sustained corporate engagement rather than relationships limited to the placement season.

· Position SAI University as a preferred institution for recruitment, internships and industry engagement.

· Maintain regular engagement with existing recruiters while continuously expanding the employer network.

Key outcomes:

Stronger employer relationships, repeat recruiters and expansion of the corporate network.

3.



Internships and Experiential Opportunities

· Develop internship opportunities across industries and functions relevant to SAI University students.

· Build partnerships for internships, live projects, industry assignments and other workplace exposure.

· Work with employers and academic teams to identify opportunities that complement students' academic learning and career aspirations.

Key outcomes:

Quality and diversity of internship and experiential-learning opportunities, including conversion opportunities where available.

4. Student Employability and Career Readiness

· Assess student readiness for placements and identify important employability gaps.

· Develop a structured placement-readiness programme covering CVs, LinkedIn profiles, interviews, aptitude, communication, technical preparation and workplace skills.

· Prepare students for different recruitment formats and employer expectations.

· Use recruiter feedback to continuously strengthen student preparation.

Key outcomes:

Higher student participation and readiness for recruitment processes and improved employer feedback.

5. Industry Mentoring and Coaching

· Build a network of industry professionals, recruiters, alumni, entrepreneurs and domain experts who can engage with students.

· Organise mentoring sessions, mock interviews, career conversations, CV clinics, recruitment workshops and industry interactions.

· Connect students with practitioners who can provide practical insights into careers, skills and contemporary workplace expectations.

Key outcomes:

Regular and meaningful industry participation in student career development.

6. Placement Strategy and Execution

· Develop and execute the University's annual placement and employer-engagement plan.

· Map target sectors, companies and employment opportunities relevant to different student cohorts.

· Coordinate placement calendars, employer interactions, recruitment processes and student participation.

· Ensure professional and responsive coordination between employers, students and relevant University stakeholders.

Key outcomes:

Efficient placement processes and measurable improvement in placement outcomes.

7. Placement Data, Reporting and Employer Feedback

· Maintain accurate data on employers, opportunities, applications, interviews, offers,



internships and final outcomes.

· Develop periodic placement and employer-engagement reports for University leadership.

· Track recruiter feedback, student outcomes and emerging hiring trends.

· Use insights from placement data and employer conversations to refine future outreach and student preparation.

Key outcomes:

Reliable placement MIS, actionable insights and transparent reporting on placement performance.

Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

· 5–12 years of relevant experience in campus placements, corporate relations, university career services, Talent Acquisition, employer engagement, recruitment, business development or related areas.

· Demonstrated experience in developing relationships with employers and generating recruitment or internship opportunities.

· Strong qualified network among HR leaders, Talent Acquisition professionals, recruiters and corporate decision-makers

.

· Understanding of campus recruitment processes and employer expectations.

· Experience working with students, young professionals or early-career talent would be valuable.

Skills and Competencies The successful candidate should demonstrate:

· Strong corporate networking and relationship-building ability

· Employer acquisition and business-development orientation

· Excellent communication and presentation skills

· Negotiation and stakeholder-management capability

· Strong student engagement and mentoring orientation

· Ability to build relationships across diverse sectors and functions

· Strong planning, coordination and execution skills

· Comfort with data, placement MIS and outcome tracking

· High levels of ownership, persistence and follow-through

· A hands-on, proactive and outcome-oriented working style

Suggested Performance Measures

1. Number and quality of active recruiting companies

2. New employers acquired

3. Repeat recruiters retained

4. Placement opportunities generated

5. Internship opportunities generated

6. Student placement and internship outcomes

7. Quality and relevance of roles offered

8. Industry mentors and professionals engaged

9. Student participation in career-readiness programmes

10. Employer/recruiter feedback

11. Offer-to-joining conversion

12. Accuracy and timeliness of placement MIS The Manager – Placements & Industry Relations will be responsible for building a strong employer ecosystem around SAI University, generating high-quality placement and internship opportunities, developing sustained relationships with HR and Talent Acquisition leaders, and mobilising industry professionals to mentor and prepare students for recruitment and the workplace.

📌 Manager – Placements & Industry Relations (Chennai)
🏢 Sai University
📍 Chennai