IQAC Coordinator Research, Innovation & External Engagement

Role purpose

The role provides IQAC with independent quality oversight of VGU's research, innovation, industry and international engagement. It monitors performance, validates evidence, benchmarks against peers and recommends interventions to improve outcomes and accreditation readiness.

Scope boundary: Research, incubation, IPR, corporate relations and international offices continue to execute their activities. This role monitors, validates, benchmarks and reports on them to IQAC, and coordinates quality initiatives across them.

Key responsibilities

A. Research and knowledge creation

1. Monitor and enhance institutional performance in research, innovation and knowledge creation.
2. Coordinate quality initiatives for research publications, patents, consultancy, funded projects and research collaborations.
3. Monitor research quality indicators and prepare institutional research performance reports.

B. Innovation, entrepreneurship and IPR

1. Coordinate quality enhancement initiatives for innovation, incubation, entrepreneurship and IPR, including IIC activities and ratings.

C. Industry and international engagement

1. Monitor industry-academia engagement: MoUs, internships, live projects, consultancy and corporate partnerships.
2. Track internationalisation: international collaborations, student and faculty mobility, and global academic engagement.
3. Develop quality benchmarks for industry and international partnerships, including an annual MoU activity review.
4. Monitor extension and outreach activities linked to research and industry engagement.

D. Accreditation, analysis and reporting

1. Maintain audit-ready evidence on research, innovation, industry and internationalisation for NAAC, NIRF, NBA and other accreditations and rankings.
2. Identify performance gaps and recommend interventions with owners and timelines.
3. Coordinate best-practice initiatives arising from research, innovation and industry engagement.
4. Prepare periodic dashboards and reports for IQAC.
5. Support benchmarking of VGU against comparable institutions and national and international indicators.

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• PhD in any discipline, with a strong record of research publications and funded projects.
• At least 10 years of teaching or research experience in higher education, at Associate Professor level or above.
• Hands-on experience with NAAC SSR/AQAR and NIRF data preparation and submission.

Desirable

• Experience with patents, technology transfer, incubation or industry consultancy.
• Experience managing international collaborations or mobility programmes.
• Working knowledge of research analytics tools such as Scopus, SciVal, Web of Science or InCites.

Skills

• Data analysis and dashboard reporting (Excel, Power BI or similar).
• Report writing and presentation to senior leadership.
• Cross-department coordination and stakeholder influence without direct authority.