Head - Skill Development & Academy

Reporting: Head Human Resources

Location: Chennai

Travel: Extensive travel across India

About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced Skill Development & Academy leader to build and drive a Pan-India talent development and employability initiative.

The role will focus on identifying young talent through colleges, NGOs and other institutional partnerships, training and grooming them for employment and creating a strong talent pipeline for the organisation.

This is a hands-on, sourcing-oriented role and would be ideal for someone who brings experience across recruitment, campus hiring, training, placement and business management.

Key Responsibilities:

- Build and drive a Pan-India academy/skill development program from talent sourcing to training and placement.

- Develop partnerships with colleges, universities, NGOs, training institutions and other external organisations to build a sustainable talent pipeline.

- Visit colleges and institutions to identify and source suitable candidates for various programs.

- Design and drive training and development programs focused on job readiness, employability and industry skills.

- Own the complete candidate journey including sourcing, screening, selection, training, assessment, grooming and placement.

- Work closely with business teams to understand talent requirements and align academy programs with organisational needs.

- Develop innovative sourcing strategies to reach talent across different locations and backgrounds.

- Build and manage a team responsible for sourcing, training, partnerships and placement.

- Establish and monitor key metrics such as candidate enrolment, training completion, placement, retention, cost and program effectiveness.

- Build and manage relationships with external partners and ensure effective execution of tie-ups.

- Manage budgets and bring a strong commercial and P&L orientation to the academy.

- Identify opportunities to improve the scale, reach and effectiveness of the program.

- Lead initiatives that create meaningful employment opportunities for young talent while building a sustainable talent pipeline for the organisation.

What We Are Looking For:

- 12+ years of relevant experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, skill development, academy management, campus hiring, training or employability programs.

- Strong recruitment and sourcing mindset with hands-on experience in building talent pipelines.

- Experience in working with colleges, NGOs, educational institutions, government bodies or training partners will be an advantage.

- Experience in managing training and placement-oriented programs.

- Strong team management and stakeholder management skills.

- Exposure to P&L, budgeting, cost management or business operations is preferred.

- Strong networking and relationship-building skills.

- Willingness to travel extensively across India.

- Strong communication, influencing and execution skills.

- Passion for youth development, employability and creating social impact.

- Ability to build and scale a new initiative with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate would be someone who combines recruitment, training, placement and business orientation. Candidates from academy-led organisations, skill development companies, campus recruitment, employability initiatives, vocational training, NGO-led livelihood programs or similar environments would be relevant.

The role is not limited to traditional L&D profiles. Candidates with a strong recruitment and business-building orientation are encouraged to apply.