Senior Manager - International University Partnerships

Designation - Senior Manager - University Alliance & Partnerships

Business Unit - Higher Education

Department - Partnerships/Alliances

Experience Range - 5-10 years

Location - Bengaluru, Karnataka

About upGrad:

Founded in 2015, upGrad is Asia's largest integrated Learning, Skilling, Workforce Development, and Placement company. Its offerings include online and hybrid degrees, study abroad programs, certifications, bootcamps, and doctorates for working professionals. Through its B2B arm, upGrad also provides enterprise training, recruitment, and staffing services. With 10M+ learners across 100+ countries, 300+ global university partners, 2500+ pathway connections, and 20,000+ recruitment partners, upGrad continues to empower careers worldwide.

Role Overview:

We are looking for a strategic and commercially driven professional to lead international university

partnerships and alliances. This role will be responsible for building and scaling collaborations with

universities, driving regional business growth, launching academic programs, and managing the end to-end partnership lifecycle. The incumbent will own revenue and profitability targets while serving as the primary relationship manager for partner institutions.

Key Responsibilities:

University Partnerships & Business Growth -

• Identify, acquire, and onboard leading universities and higher education institutions.
• Develop and execute regional partnership strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Build and nurture relationships with senior university stakeholders including Vice

Chancellors, Deans, Registrars, and Governing Boards.

• Expand existing partnerships through new programs/courses, geographies, and commercial

models.

Revenue & P&L Ownership -

• Own regional revenue, profitability, and growth targets.
• Develop commercial proposals, pricing strategies, and multi-year partnership pipelines.
• Negotiate partnership agreements to create sustainable and profitable outcomes.
• Monitor performance, optimize investments, and improve partner productivity.

Partnership Lifecycle Management -

• Manage the complete partnership journey—from prospecting and negotiations to contract

execution, renewals, and expansion.

• Lead due diligence, approvals, MoUs, and commercial agreements.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction across all partnerships.

Program Development & Cross-Functional Leadership -

• Collaborate with university partners to launch industry-relevant academic programs.
• Work closely with Academic, Product, Admissions, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Operations,

and Student Success teams to deliver successful outcomes.

• Track program performance and drive scale-up opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA/PGDM preferred.
• 5–10+ years of experience in Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, or University

Alliances in EdTech, Higher Education, Online Learning, Universities, or Academic Services

preferred.

• Proven track record of managing high-value institutional partnerships, revenue growth, and

P&L ownership.