We're Hiring: International Academic Partnerships & Research Lead

Location: Raipur, Chhattisgarh | Full-time, Office-based

Organisation: Zoom Abroad – International Office

Experience: 3–7 years (relevant transferable experience considered)

Compensation: 12LPA (5–6 LPA fixed + Performance-Linked Incentives)

Industry: Higher Education | International Relations | Academic Partnerships

About Zoom Abroad

Zoom Abroad is a UK-founded international higher education organisation working with universities to create global opportunities for students, faculty members and researchers.

Through our International Office initiative, we support Indian universities in developing international academic partnerships, student and faculty mobility programmes, research collaborations and global engagement opportunities.

We are establishing an International Office in partnership with Sanjeevani University, Maharashtra, and are building a network of international university partnerships across Europe, the UK and other regions.

We are looking for a driven professional to help turn these partnerships into meaningful, measurable outcomes.

The Opportunity

This is not a conventional administrative or academic research position.

We are looking for someone who enjoys researching opportunities, connecting people, managing international relationships and getting things done.

You will take ownership of two important functions within our International Office:

- Function 1: International student and faculty exchange programmes, funded mobility opportunities, international internships and research placements.
- Function 2: International research collaborations, joint publications, collaborative research projects and research funding opportunities.

You will work closely with experienced international university professionals based in Europe and other regions, our Indian university partner, faculty members and Zoom Abroad's leadership.

Your responsibility is to ensure that opportunities are not merely identified or discussed, but actively progressed towards successful implementation.

Key Responsibilities

1. International University Partnerships

- Identify and research suitable international universities for academic collaboration.
- Build and maintain a database of potential institutional partners.
- Coordinate introductions, meetings and follow-ups with international universities.
- Support negotiations, MoUs and institutional collaboration agreements.
- Track partnership progress from initial engagement to implementation.

2. Manage International Partnership Consultants

Zoom Abroad engages experienced international university professionals on fractional consultancy arrangements.

You will:

- Coordinate with international partnership directors across assigned territories.
- Establish clear work plans, deliverables and timelines.
- Research and prepare institutional profiles before partnership discussions.
- Arrange meetings and coordinate communication between universities.
- Monitor progress against agreed KPIs.
- Identify delays, resolve operational challenges and escalate critical issues.
- Maintain an accurate international partnership pipeline.

You will be accountable for ensuring that the international partnership network produces measurable outcomes.

3. Student & Faculty Exchange Programmes

- Research international student exchange and academic mobility opportunities.
- Identify relevant Erasmus+ and other eligible international mobility programmes.




- Facilitate student exchanges, visiting faculty opportunities and academic mobility.
- Explore funded and partially funded international exchange programmes.
- Coordinate with university departments to understand academic requirements and eligibility.
- Support the development and implementation of bilateral exchange programmes.

4. Research Collaboration & Joint Publications

- Understand the research strengths, faculty expertise and academic priorities of our partner university.
- Identify international researchers and institutions working in complementary research areas.
- Facilitate faculty-to-faculty introductions and research discussions.
- Support the development of joint research projects and collaborative publication opportunities.
- Research international grant programmes and funding opportunities.
- Coordinate research proposals, meetings, documentation and follow-ups.

You are not expected to personally conduct academic research or write research papers. Your role is to facilitate, coordinate and help develop productive academic collaborations.

5. International Internships & Research Placements

- Identify international research internships, summer research programmes and academic placements.
- Explore funded internship opportunities for eligible students.
- Establish relationships with university research laboratories, academic departments and relevant organisations.
- Coordinate student eligibility, application processes, deadlines and documentation.
- Support the development of sustainable international internship pathways.

6. Project Management & Reporting

- Develop and maintain structured project plans for international collaborations.
- Manage timelines, deliverables and stakeholder communication.
- Maintain accurate records using CRM and project management systems.
- Prepare weekly progress reports and monthly performance dashboards.
- Coordinate with our university campus representative and designated institutional contacts.
- Identify bottlenecks and proactively recommend solutions.

Who We're Looking For

Essential Qualifications & Experience

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant discipline.
- 3–7 years of relevant experience in university administration, international relations, research coordination, academic partnerships, project management or similar roles.
- Excellent written and spoken English, with confidence communicating with international professionals.
- Strong online research, analytical and information-synthesis skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, stakeholders and deadlines.
- Robust organisational skills, attention to detail and ownership mentality.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace and digital collaboration tools.
- Willingness to work from our Raipur office and coordinate with international stakeholders across time zones.

Particularly Attractive Backgrounds

We welcome candidates with experience in:

- University International Relations or Global Engagement Offices.
- Research and Development Cells at universities.
- University academic administration or institutional partnerships.




- Research project or grant coordination.
- Higher education consulting.
- International education programmes.
- Academic project management or institutional business development.

Desirable, But Not Mandatory

- Familiarity with Erasmus+, Horizon Europe or other international academic funding programmes.
- Experience coordinating international MoUs or university collaborations.
- Exposure to research publications, academic journals and research proposal processes.
- Experience working with European or UK universities.
- Existing international academic contacts.

Prior study-abroad counselling experience is not required.

The Person Who Will Succeed

We value attitude and execution as much as academic qualifications.

Curious: You genuinely enjoy discovering opportunities and learning about universities, research and international education.

Proactive: You don't wait for instructions. You identify problems, find solutions and move projects forward.

Relationship-Oriented: You are confident engaging with professors, university administrators and international professionals.

Organised: You can manage multiple conversations, deadlines and stakeholders without losing track of commitments.

Accountable: You take ownership of outcomes, not just assigned activities.

Persistent: You understand that international collaborations require patience, consistent follow-up and determination.

Commercially Aware: You understand the importance of delivering measurable results within agreed budgets and timelines.

What Success Looks Like

During your first 90 days, you will be expected to:

- Develop a structured database of relevant international universities and research opportunities.
- Establish an organised working process with our international partnership consultants.
- Identify suitable student mobility, internship and research collaboration opportunities.
- Facilitate meaningful discussions between Indian and international academic stakeholders.
- Progress selected institutional collaborations towards actionable programmes.
- Establish a transparent reporting and accountability system.

Your longer-term success will be measured by active partnerships, operational mobility programmes, research collaborations, internship opportunities and delivery against agreed institutional objectives.

What We Offer

- Opportunity to help build an ambitious International Office initiative.
- Direct exposure to European and international university leaders.
- Collaboration with experienced international higher education professionals.
- Opportunity to develop expertise in international academic partnerships, research collaboration and global engagement.
- Significant ownership and professional growth.
- Competitive compensation with performance-linked incentives.
- Potential to progress into a senior international partnerships leadership role as Zoom Abroad expands.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV along with a brief response to the following:

Describe an academic, institutional or professional collaboration you helped coordinate. What was your personal contribution, and what measurable outcome did it achieve

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate initiative, independent thinking, excellent communication and the ability to turn opportunities into outcomes.

Location: Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Employment: Full-time

Zoom Abroad | Connecting Universities. Creating Global Opportunities.

📌 International Academic Partnerships & Research Lead (Raipur)
🏢 Zoom Abroad
📍 Raipur