Key Responsibilities 

Build &amp; Lead the Academia Partnership Strategy

<ul>
<li>Create a multi-year roadmap for industry–academia collaboration aligned to our AI-first business strategy. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Identify high-impact partnership models with top institutes (IITs, IIMs, ISB, etc.). </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Evaluate emerging trends in academia and leverage them for org advantage. </li>
</ul>

Incubation &amp; Research Collaborations

<ul>
<li>Set up and manage incubation centre partnerships within IIT/IIM ecosystems. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Drive joint research projects, applied AI initiatives, and product-led innovation with faculty and labs. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Create frameworks for IP, research adoption, learning programs and evaluation of impact. </li>
</ul>

Faculty Engagement &amp; Adjunct Faculty Program

<ul>
<li>Build and scale an adjunct faculty initiative: identify internal leaders who can teach, guest lecture, or co-develop academic content. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Develop deep, trust-based relationships with senior faculty, deans, centre heads, and program directors. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Facilitate faculty sabbaticals, visiting roles, and joint knowledge creation. </li>
</ul>

Student Engagement &amp; Talent Pipeline

<ul>
<li>Partner with institutes to shape emerging talent programs: internships, live projects, hackathons, leadership tracks, and fellowships. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Strengthen our employer brand as a deep-tech + GenAI innovation powerhouse. </li>
</ul>

Program Design &amp; Governance

<ul>
<li>Structure MOUs, partnership governance models, evaluation frameworks, and renewal mechanisms. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Ensure rigour, cadence, and visibility across all partnerships. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Set up dashboards and metrics to measure partnership ROI. </li>
</ul>

Cross-Functional Leadership

<ul>
<li>Work closely with Product, Tech, AI/ML, Marketing, CEO/CTO Office, and Leadership Development teams to embed academia insights into real business outcomes. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Drive internal excitement and participation across the org. </li>
</ul>

Representation &amp; Thought Leadership

<ul>
<li>Represent the company in academia forums, panel discussions, conclaves, and national innovation events.</li>
</ul>
 
<ul>
<li>Evangelize our vision of a GenAI-led future in academic circles. </li>
</ul>
 
What Success Looks Like 

<ul>
<li>3–5 deep, strategic partnerships with IITs/IIMs/ISB/top tier 1 colleges delivering measurable business value. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Incubation centre(s) established with clear innovation outputs. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>4–6 joint research initiatives or AI product co-creation tracks running annually. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>A scaled adjunct faculty and faculty-in-residence model. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Visible improvement in talent pipeline and campus talent brand. </li>
</ul>
 
Qualifications &amp; Skills 

<ul>
<li>10+ years of experience in academia relations, corporate partnerships, consulting, CEO/CHRO office roles, or innovation ecosystems. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Strong understanding of Indian higher education (especially IIT/IIM research &amp; incubation ecosystems). </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Exceptional stakeholder management—able to navigate CXO conversations and academic leadership with equal ease. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Entrepreneurial, high-ownership, and bias for action. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Strong communication, presence, and ability to represent the company with credibility. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Curiosity for tech, AI, research, and innovation models. </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Experience working in a tech company, startup ecosystem, or higher-education initiatives. (Good to have) </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Exposure to incubators, research labs, or government innovation bodies. (Good to have) </li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Prior experience with collaborative research or academic program design. (Good to have) </li>
</ul>

Partnerships in Thurahalli (UID-13926)

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