Manager of Placements and Industry Connect

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.

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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  environment.

•  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