Position overview: The Manager of Placements and Industry Connect is responsible for developing and leading industry engagement, employer partnerships, student placements, and graduate employment initiatives at Birkbeck, University of London’s Bengaluru campus.

Central to this role is proactively engaging with employers and industry stakeholders to identify, create, and secure employment opportunities for graduates.

The postholder will lead the campus's engagement with the Corporate Academia Advisory Board, using its expertise and networks to expand placement and graduate employment opportunities, strengthen industry partnerships, and support industry-informed curriculum development.

Main duties

Leading Industry Engagement and Student Employability Initiatives

- Develop and implement the campus placement, employability and graduate outcomes strategy.
- Lead employer engagement and business development activities to increase the number, profile and quality of companies engaging with the campus.
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with employers that align with the campus's preferred employer profile and workforce priorities.
- Secure internships, work-integrated learning opportunities, industry projects and graduate employment opportunities for students and graduates.
- Act as the lead liaison for the Corporate Academia Advisory Board, leveraging members' expertise, networks and market insights to strengthen graduate employability and employment outcomes.
- Facilitate engagement between employers, academic staff and students to ensure programmes remain aligned to industry expectations and workforce requirements.
- Drive initiatives that increase the number of employers visiting campus for recruitment, networking, guest lectures, mentoring, workshops and industry events.
- Lead employability initiatives that prepare students for successful transition into internships and graduate employment, including career readiness, interview preparation, networking and professional skills development.
- Establish partnerships with professional bodies, industry associations and recruitment agencies to expand employment pathways for students and graduates.
- Monitor labour market trends and employer demand to identify emerging opportunities for student placements and graduate recruitment.
- Represent the campus at employer, industry and networking events to enhance Birkbeck's reputation and visibility within the business community.
- Work collaboratively with academic teams to integrate employability and industry engagement activities within the student experience.




- Drive continuous improvement in graduate employment outcomes through targeted employer engagement strategies.

Leading Placement Operations and Management
- Lead the delivery of internship, placement and industry project programmes that maximise student participation and employment outcomes.
- Develop and maintain a pipeline of high-quality placement opportunities with employers that meet agreed campus criteria.
- Ensure students are successfully matched to internships and placements that support career aspirations and employability outcomes.
- Monitor placement participation, completion and conversion into graduate employment opportunities.
- Oversee the quality and effectiveness of placement experiences for both students and employers.
- Lead the placement team to deliver agreed placement, internship and graduate employment objectives.
- Establish performance measures and interventions to increase internship uptake and graduate employment rates.
- Maintain oversight of placement-related risk, compliance and quality assurance requirements.
- Ensure placement agreements, documentation and employer records are maintained apropriately.
- Produce management information and performance reports relating to placements, internships, graduate outcomes and employer engagement activity.

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Strengthening Birkbeck’s Reputation with Employers in the Region

- Act as the primary senior contact for employers engaging with the campus.
- Position Birkbeck as a preferred source of graduate talent and a valued partner for industry collaboration.
- Develop and sustain relationships with employers capable of providing high-quality placements, internships, graduate recruitment and training opportunities.
- Increase employer participation in campus recruitment activities, industry events, projects and student engagement initiatives.
- Leverage the Corporate Academia Advisory Board to strengthen corporate engagement, expand employer networks and improve graduate employment outcomes.
- Promote the quality, skills and capabilities of Birkbeck students to prospective employers and industry stakeholders.
- Collaborate with employers to identify workforce needs and opportunities for future talent pipelines.




- Support initiatives that improve the quality of graduate employment opportunities, including salary outcomes and career progression prospects.
- Measure and demonstrate the impact of employer partnerships through employment, internship and graduate outcome metrics.
- Uphold institutional values including equality, diversity and inclusion in all partnership activities.
- Ensure compliance with data protection (DPDPA 2023) and safety regulations (OSH Code).

Person Specific General Requirements

Candidates must be able to demostrate the following:

- Knowledge of student employability, placements, and career development within a higher education environment.
- Understanding of industry engagement practices and employer partnership development.
- Knowledge of labour market trends and graduate outcomes.
- Awareness of regulatory and compliance considerations relating to student placements.
- Understanding of CRM systems, employability platforms, and student lifecycle processes.

Technical ad/or Work-Based Skills
- Ability to develop and manage employer partnerships and industry networks.
- Competence in using Library Management Systems (LMS) and digital resource platforms.
- Experience designing and delivering student placement and employability programmes.
- Ability to analyse data, track outcomes, and improve service performance
- Experience using student systems and platforms aligned to the student lifecycle (e.g. GNUMS or equivalent).
- Project management skills to deliver initiatives and scale industry engagement activities.

General Skills and Attributes

• Strong leadership and team management capability.

- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to work strategically while managing operational delivery.
- Strong organisational and planning skills.
- Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Ability to build relationships and influence internal and external stakeholders.
- High level of initiative and problem-solving capability.

Experience

- Experience in employability, placements, careers services, or industry engagement.
- Experience managing employer relationships and partnerships.
- Experience leading programmes or initiatives that improve student outcomes.
- Experience managing staff or coordinating teams
- Experience working in a higher education setting.
- Experience contributing to service improvement, projects, or innovation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Degree in relevant discipline or equivalent experience.

- Relevant professional qualifications in careers, employability, business, or management

📌 Manager of Placements and Industry Connect (Bengaluru)
🏢 ECA Global
📍 Bengaluru