Director of University Relations

About the Role

As a key member of the upGrad GSP global leadership team, the Director, UK will drive the growth of our on-campus university partnerships and recruitment ecosystem across the United Kingdom.

This role focuses on building and expanding relationships with Career Services, Employability Teams, and Graduate Recruitment / Placement departments of UK universities to enable on-campus recruitment opportunities for students.

You will own the entire partnership lifecycle—from identification and outreach to negotiation, onboarding, and long-term relationship management—while ensuring strong outcomes aligned to upGrad GSP's student employability vision.

The Director will also closely collaborate with country teams, product, recruitment, and marketing to shape strategy, align institutional expectations, and jointly deliver success through a unified global approach.

Key Responsibilities

1. On-Campus Recruitment Partnership Development

Develop and execute a strategy to grow upGrad's portfolio of on-campus recruitment and employability partnerships with UK universities.

Identify, engage, and convert university Career Services, Employability Offices, Graduate Outcomes, and Placement Teams.

Lead commercial discussions, contract negotiations, and partner sign-ups with a clear focus on employment-linked outcomes.

Position upGrad GSP as a trusted partner for universities seeking enhanced graduate employability support.

1. Institutional Account Management & Growth

Own end-to-end partner lifecycle management—from onboarding and activation to ongoing relationship expansion.

Ensure clear articulation of upGrad's value proposition to institutional stakeholders.

Analyze market trends to identify opportunities for new programs, career pathways, and placement-focused collaborations.

Serve as the escalation point for partner performance, student progression, and resolution of issues.

1. Recruitment & Student Outcomes Strategy

Work with cross-functional teams to design recruitment and employability initiatives tailored for UK institutions.

Align on-campus university goals with upGrad's student recruitment and career outcomes strategy.

Optimize partner acquisition and activation processes to support strong student placement pipelines.

1. Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

Collaborate with global recruitment and partnerships teams to ensure consistent service delivery across regions.

Provide strategic inputs to product and marketing teams on university requirements, industry needs, and market expectations.

Lead coordination with source-country teams for student pathways, recruitment planning, and partner success tracking.

1. Operations, Performance & Governance

Monitor and report on institutional partner performance, market shifts, and progress against recruitment and career outcome targets.

Manage commercial contracts and support forecasting, risk management, and operational excellence.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance partner satisfaction and performance.

Qualifications & Experience

7–10 years of experience in UK higher education partnerships, employability programs, campus recruitment, or related university engagement roles.

Demonstrated success in signing and managing partnerships with UK university career/employability/placement departments.

Strong understanding of the UK higher education ecosystem, graduate outcomes landscape, and on-campus recruitment workflows.

Experience in roles involving partnership acquisition, relationship management, and commercial negotiation.

Proven ability to influence stakeholders across seniority levels within universities.

Experience working in cross-border or matrixed environments preferred.

Must have strong networks connected to student employability and university recruitment functions.

Skills & Attributes

Strong commercial acumen with experience negotiating and closing institutional partnerships.

Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.

Data-driven, analytical mindset with the ability to interpret market and partner insights.

High cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and ability to work in fast-paced global environments.

Strong communication, presentation, and consultative skills.

Entrepreneurial, outcomes-focused, and committed to high service quality.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need