Head of Talent and Corporate Relations, India, supporting the University of Leeds

What are we seeking? Are you an exceptional business developer with a strong understanding of the Indian labour market and employer landscape? We are seeking a driven professional to shape partnerships that enhance career outcomes for students and graduates at one of the UK’s largest Russell Group universities, ranked in the global top 100 (QS World University Rankings 2027), a client of Acumen. Supporting the Student Opportunity service within the Directorate of Student Success & Educational Engagement, working closely with the client’s International Office and Acumen India in-Country representatives, you will help build strategic partnerships in India that enhance student and graduate employability. Supporting Acumen in‑country representation mandate, you will act as a dedicated resource for employability and business development activities in India, helping build strategic partnerships with employers, industry bodies, higher and professional education partners, and India’s start‑up ecosystem. Alumni will be central to this work, acting as ambassadors, connectors, mentors, employers, and advocates. Operating at the intersection of higher education and labour markets, you will help convert employer insight and market intelligence into high‑impact opportunities. You will help champion a distinctive talent proposition, helping position the client’s graduates as globally experienced professionals. A key priority of the role will be to explore and assess the potential phased development of client’s India Talent Hub, a flagship employability and talent partnership initiative in India. Bringing together employers, start‑ups, alumni, investors, industry, and the client, the postholder will investigate how the Hub could create exclusive internships, experiential learning, and graduate career and entrepreneurship opportunities through the client’s India Graduate Careers Advancement Programme. We are looking for an experienced business development professional with a strong understanding of the Indian market. You will be commercially astute, highly collaborative, and confident operating independently and across organisational boundaries. With a proven ability to identify opportunities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment, you will bring energy, insight, and strategic focus to this role. You will be based in India, or willing and able to relocate, with the appropriate right to work. The role requires regular travel across India and internationally, along with occasional evening and weekend working. Responsibilities India Talent Hub Support the phased development of the client's India Talent Hub, as part of service delivery, aligned to demand, partnerships and institutional priorities - strengthening employer engagement, alumni connectivity, graduate employability and the client’s profile in India. Client profile building and stakeholder engagement Support the client’s profile-building in India through strategic employability related activities, events and partnerships, acting in a liaison and coordination capacity as part of Acumen's in-country representation services. Engage with agents and prospective students to share information regarding the client’s employability support value proposition in India and outcomes. Business Development Support the building of strategic employer partnerships across priority sectors in India, including Multinational Corporations (MNCs) , Global Capability Centres (GCCs), Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and the Indian start-up ecosystem, facilitating introductions and liaison to assist the client in positioning itself as a trusted international talent partner. Identify and communicate opportunities arising from the UK–India Vision 2035, Viksit Bharat @2047, and the UK–India Free Trade Agreement to drive collaboration in innovation, employment, and priority industries, supporting the client’s profile and partnerships through Acumen's in-country representation activities. Support the development of long-term hiring pipelines for internships and graduate roles, facilitating employer participation in employability, enterprise, and experiential learning initiatives in a liaison and coordination capacity. Support a city-based engagement strategy across India’s major metro centres (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR) and other key growth cities (e.g. Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad), taking a prioritised approach to where and how activity is developed, aligned with client’s strategy. Engage with employer forums, industry body events, and networks, supporting the client's profile-building activities in a liaison capacity. Facilitate awareness of the value of globally trained graduates and alumni of the client, supporting the creation of structured recruitment pathways and positioning alumni as contributors to national and bilateral priorities, in a liaison and introductory capacity. Coordinate employer relationships and liaise across the client university to enable facilitate cross-referrals and support strategic partnership opportunities. Alumni Engagement Liaise with the client’s advancement team to support alumni engagement; assisting in building and supporting active alumni volunteer and supporter networks; connecting former Spark students with current students to explore business creation; and facilitating alumni connections as career mentors, advocates and employer connectors. Employability Facilitate the communication of employability needs and aspirations of the client’s educated Indian graduates to India-based employers, including start-ups, in a liaison and introductory capacity. Support delivery of the India Graduate Careers Advancement Programme through employer, alumni, and graduate engagement, in a coordination and liaison capacity. Liaise with the Careers Service and Alumni Engagement team to facilitate India-focused employer events, career mentoring opportunities, internships, and experiential learning, with clear referral routes to specialist University-based careers support. Market Intelligence Gather and provide in-country insight on India’s graduate recruitment market, including skills demand, employer needs, priority sectors, and policy developments. Help translate market intelligence into strategic insight, including production of an annual India Talent Report to inform the client's personnel in their employability strategy and decision-making. These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post. What Will You Bring to the Role? Essential Based in India, or willing and able to relocate, with appropriate right to work, and willingness to travel regularly within India and internationally as required. Fluent Hindi and strong professional English. Proven experience in business development, employer engagement, talent acquisition or a related field, with a strong track record in building corporate relationships and identifying mutual value. Demonstrated ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, including HR leaders, with strong commercial awareness and the confidence to communicate the client’s approved priorities and value proposition externally. Strong understanding of the Indian labour market, employer landscape and graduate recruitment practices. Excellent relationship building skills, with the ability to develop and sustain partnerships across employers, industry and strategic stakeholders. Highly organised, with strong planning and time management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex, matrix environment. Collaborative and adaptable, with experience of working across teams and functions to deliver shared objectives and contribute to cross organisational initiatives. Desirable Established employer, HR or industry networks in India. Experience of working with higher education institutions, alumni, or across entrepreneurship, start-up or innovation ecosystems. Experience of campus-based graduate recruitment within India. Experience of working across multiple regions in India or understanding of regional economic and labour market dynamics. Website Address: Social Media: