Manager of Placements and Industry Connect

ECA Global

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the campus placement, employability, and graduate outcomes strategy.
• Lead employer engagement and business development activities.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with employers.
• Secure internships, work-integrated learning opportunities, industry projects, and graduate employment opportunities.
• Act as the lead liaison for the Corporate Academia Advisory Board, leveraging members' expertise and networks.
• Facilitate engagement between employers, academic staff, and students.
• Drive initiatives that increase employer visits to campus for recruitment, networking, guest lectures, mentoring, workshops, and industry events.
• Lead employability initiatives to prepare students for internships and graduate employment.
• Establish partnerships with professional bodies, industry associations, and recruitment agencies.
• Monitor labour market trends and employer demand.
• Represent the campus at employer, industry, and networking events.
• Work collaboratively with academic teams to integrate employability and industry engagement activities.
• Drive continuous improvement in graduate employment outcomes.
• Lead the delivery of internship, placement, and industry project programmes.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of high-quality placement opportunities.
• Ensure students are successfully matched to internships and placements.
• Monitor placement participation, completion, and conversion into graduate employment.
• Oversee the quality and effectiveness of placement experiences.
• Lead the placement team to deliver agreed 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 appropriately.
• Produce management information and performance reports.
• 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.
• 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 and expand employer networks.
• Promote the quality, skills, and capabilities of Birkbeck students to prospective employers.
• Collaborate with employers to identify workforce needs and opportunities for future talent pipelines.
• Support initiatives that improve the quality of graduate employment opportunities.
• Measure and demonstrate the impact of employer partnerships.
• Uphold institutional values including equality, diversity, and inclusion in all partnership activities.
• Ensure compliance with data protection (DPDPA 2023) and safety regulations (OSH Code).

Requirements & Tech Stack

• CRM systems
• Employability platforms
• Student lifecycle processes
• Library Management Systems (LMS)
• Digital resource platforms
• Student systems and platforms aligned to the student lifecycle (e.g., GNUMS or equivalent)

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• Relevant professional qualifications in careers, employability, business, or management.

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.

General Skills and Attributes

• 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.
• Ability to develop and manage employer partnerships and industry networks.
• Experience designing and delivering student placement and employability programmes.
• Ability to analyse data, track outcomes, and improve service performance.
• Project management skills.
• 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.