Apollo Hospitals

About Us:

Apollo Knowledge is a strategic business vertical within the integrated Apollo Hospitals & Healthcare group, with its interests spread across the entire Healthcare Education Services spectrum. Education, Skilling, Up-skilling, Training and Workforce Services have the potential to be key drivers of healthcare by augmenting the overall healthcare delivery value chain. This is the focus of Apollo Knowledge as a company. Our campus canvas stretches far and wide into different states of India and put together we graduate over 2000 students annually - this number is set to double within next 1-2 years. With some well-established, diversified assets that exist today and some promising high-growth businesses in pipeline, Apollo Knowledge is poised to serve the ever-growing demand within key segments of healthcare both at India and internationally.

Job Purpose:

This role exists to lead business and organization strategy cum execution for the India-based campus education units that include:

- 2 Medical Colleges (with attached teaching hospitals)

- 2 Colleges of Physiotherapy

- 2 Healthcare & Allied Health Management Colleges

- 1 State Private University (aspiring for Deemed-to-be-University status)

The role-holder's mandate is to devise a standard operating rhythm ensuring that all campus units communicate seamlessly and effectively with corporate leadership for efficient operations delivery and execution.

Taking strategic ownership of mid-range and long-range planning, the individual will be accountable to the Apollo Knowledge CEO for delivering the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) while ensuring regulatory compliance, financial sustainability, and academic excellence across institutions.

Key Duties / Accountabilities:

1. Institutional Strategy & Operations Leadership

- Develop and implement standard operating processes to unify and streamline education, administration, and financial operations across all campus units.

- Ensure seamless coordination between campus leadership (COOs) and corporate leadership for smooth execution of institutional goals.

- Oversee the growth strategy, operational efficiencies, and regulatory adherence across all education units.

2. P&L Management & Financial Oversight

- Take strategic ownership of budgeting, revenue planning, and cost optimization for all campus units.

- Drive financial sustainability through fee structuring, funding utilization, grants, and endowments.

- Oversee financial performance monitoring, reporting, and investment planning aligned with institutional growth objectives.

3. Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation Governance

Regulatory Approvals & Compliance:

- Secure approvals and affiliations from UGC (University Grants Commission), AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council), NBA (National Board of Accreditation), NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework), etc.

- Ensure adherence to state and central education department regulations.

- Manage compliance with MCI/NMC (National Medical Commission), PCI (Pharmacy Council of India), and other professional councils.

Liaison with Government & Accreditation Bodies:

- Engage with Ministry of Education, State Higher Education Councils, and regulatory authorities to facilitate policy alignment.

- Oversee applications and inspections for new programs, course approvals, and institutional accreditations.

- Ensure smooth coordination for land use permissions, institutional audits, and compliance verifications.

Accreditation & Ranking Compliance:

- Manage documentation and processes for NAAC/NBA accreditations, NIRF rankings, and international rankings (QS, Times Higher Education, etc.).

- Ensure adherence to faculty-student ratio, research output, infrastructure standards, and quality benchmarks.

Compliance with University & Examination Regulations:

- Ensure that curriculum, examination processes, and academic regulations comply with UGC/AICTE norms.

- Oversee distance/online education programs in compliance with UGC-DEB regulations.

Legal & Statutory Compliance:

- Ensure adherence to RTE (Right to Education Act), RTI (Right to Information Act), University Act, and AICTE/UGC regulatory policies.

- Handle regulatory disputes, legal queries, and compliance audits.

Institutional Governance & Policy Adherence:

- Draft and oversee policies for admissions, faculty recruitment, fee regulations, and institutional governance.

- Ensure compliance with SC/ST/OBC reservations, PwD (Persons with Disabilities) norms, and EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) reservations.

Monitoring & Reporting:

- Ensure submission of periodic reports to UGC, AICTE, state governments, and accreditation bodies.

- Oversee regulatory audits, institutional inspections, and compliance submissions.

4. Academic & Institutional Growth Strategy

- Oversee faculty recruitment, curriculum standardization, and academic excellence across institutions.

- Guide new program development, seat expansions, and industry collaborations to enhance educational offerings.

- Align institutional policies with National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and international academic benchmarks.

5. Organizational Leadership & Governance

- Drive mid-range and long-term strategic planning, ensuring alignment with the Annual Operating Plan (AOP).

- Strengthen governance structures to maintain transparency, efficiency, and accountability in campus operations.

- Ensure each campus unit meets its performance, compliance, and operational targets.

6. Stakeholder & Government Liaison

- Represent the institution in engagements with regulatory bodies, government agencies, and accreditation councils.

- Manage relationships with corporate leadership, trustees, and key external stakeholders.

- Ensure smooth coordination for inspections, compliance audits, and regulatory approvals.

7. Campus Life & Experience

- Design and implement student life programs that go beyond academics to support personal growth, employability, and global citizenship.

- Ensure high levels of student satisfaction, safety, inclusion, and mental well-being through responsive services and feedback systems.

- Promote co-curricular innovation, international exposure, and career development initiatives.

Essential Qualifications & Critical Experiences:

- Master's degree from an accredited institution with a major in Finance/Operations/Marketing & Sales

- 18+ years of leadership experience in higher education, medical college operations, regulatory compliance, and financial management.

- Significant P & L Leadership experience in education/skilling/ed-tech companies with progressive experience in Tech/Product-based Sales & Marketing roles eventually growing into general management roles

- Agile & savvy with embedding technology into various aspects of education business management thru' blended learning for academic delivery, digital campus management for fee collection & financials, CRM for student enrolments etc.,

- Deep understanding of academics acquired from working in regulated campus-based education set-ups

- Master's/Doctorate in Education Management, Healthcare Administration, Regulatory Affairs, or

- Business Administration (MBA).

- Proven expertise in P&L management, institutional governance, and regulatory affairs.

- Strong understanding of higher education accreditation, licensing, and quality standards.

Key Interfaces / Relationships

- Internal- Apollo Family Council, AK CEO, AK Corporate Leadership Team & DRs, Entity COOs & DRs, Academicians/Administrators, Faculty Leaders

- External- Key officials at Regulatory Authorities, Clients/Partners, Strategy Consultants/Market Research firms

Indicative Key Result Areas (KRA's)

- Vision & Strategy for Medium-term Growth & Expansion of the regulated higher education businesses.

- Annual, 3-year & 5-year strategic plans with strong execution rigor for sustainable institutional growth.

- Achievement of AOP KPIs - Revenue growth, EBITDA improvement, and Cash Surplus optimization.

- Upgrade & improvement in NAAC accreditation status and higher NIRF rankings to enhance institutional reputation.

- Ensuring seamless regulatory compliance by securing and maintaining approvals from UGC, AICTE, NAAC, NBA, NMC, and other accreditation bodies.

- Strengthening stakeholder relationships with government bodies, regulatory authorities, and accreditation agencies.

- Financial & operational efficiency through cost optimization, infrastructure utilization, and resource planning.

- Driving academic excellence by introducing new programs, improving faculty-student ratios, and fostering research growth.

- AOP KPI's - Revenues, EBIDTA & Cash Surplus