Lead - Campus Partnerships

Job Description: Lead - Campus Partnerships

Location: Hyderabad, India

Company: Deccan AI

About Deccan AI

Deccan AI is a model training and eval startup headquartered in the Bay Area. We are founded by IIT Bombay, IIM Ahmedabad and ex-Google alumni, and work with some of the top AI frontier labs in the world, e.g. Google Deepmind, Snowflake, and many more. We are backed by Prosus Ventures, and our India delivery office is in Hyderabad. Most of our roles are on-site i.e. Bay Area / Hyderabad.

What it is like to work @ Deccan

To be honest, our workplace is not for the faint-hearted. We work smart and We work fast (many of our clients require same day turnarounds for their complex data needs). We like those who take ownership, roll up their sleeves and do. We like those who thrive in ambiguity and who can operate without titles / hierarchies.But what you will find: tremendous learning, tremendous growth, and a very motivated set of colleagues who are also fun to be around.

What You’ll Do

1. Strategy & Planning

• Build and implement a campus hiring roadmap aligned with Deccan AI’s growth and talent needs.
• Identify and prioritize engineering colleges, data/AI institutes, and select business schools for engagement.
• Design assessment processes and selection frameworks tailored for campus talent.

2. Execution & Stakeholder Management

• Lead end-to-end campus recruitment including pre-placement talks, assessments, interviews, and offers.
• Partner with hiring managers and leaders to define role requirements and ensure quality hires.
• Build strong relationships with placement committees, faculty, and student bodies to establish Deccan AI as an employer of choice.

3. Employer Branding & Engagement

• Drive impactful engagement initiatives such as hackathons, case challenges, data competitions, workshops, and leadership interactions.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to design campus campaigns, digital content, and outreach strategies.
• Leverage alumni and employee networks to build advocacy and strengthen presence across target campuses.

4. Program Management

• Anchor onboarding and early career programs for campus hires, ensuring smooth integration and strong retention.
• Track key recruitment metrics (offer-to-join ratio, hiring efficiency, program success).
• Gather feedback from stakeholders and continuously improve the campus program.

Who You Are

• 8+ years of expertise in campus hiring and talent acquisition, successfully leading teams to deliver full-cycle campus recruitment.
• Strong network and relationships with universities and academic institutions across India.
• Expertise in stakeholder management, candidate assessment, and event management.
• Experience in employer branding and social media outreach for talent engagement.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
• PGDBM/MBA in HR or related field preferred.

Why This Role Rocks

• Build and lead a critical function powering the future of freelancing in AI.
• Work directly with a founding team from IIT/IIM and top global companies.
• Fast, intense, and meaningful work—you’ll see your impact weekly.
• A unique opportunity to shape how the freelance economy powers AI for good.