Industrial Partnerships Manager, Coimbatore

Role snapshot

We are hiring one senior, field based person to open the doors of Coimbatore's manufacturing units for our physical AI data collection program.

About DATACLAP and the program

DATACLAP is a Coimbatore based AI data services company. We provide data annotation, human feedback and quality assurance to AI and robotics companies in North America and Europe.

Robots are now being trained to do real factory work: machining, assembly, fitting, welding, soldering, packing and inspection. To learn, they need recordings of skilled people doing these tasks on real shop floors. We are building a network of manufacturing units in and around Coimbatore where our team records this work, with the owner's permission and on agreed terms.

We record hands, tools and task movements, not product drawings or trade secrets. Every partner signs a clear agreement covering confidentiality, timings, payment and worker consent. Partner units earn extra income from floor time and equipment they already have.

The role

You will be our face to Coimbatore's industry. You will find the right units, earn the trust of their owners, negotiate access and keep every partnership healthy. Most of your week is on the road: in SIDCO estates, job work sheds, foundries, machine shops and larger plants across Ganapathy, Kurichi, Thudiyalur, Peelamedu, Sulur, Malumichampatti and beyond.

This is not a desk sales job. It suits someone who already knows who runs what in this city, who can sit with a 15 person machine shop owner over tea and also present to a plant head at a large group company.

What you will do

• Map the cluster. Build and maintain a list of target units by process type (CNC and VMC machining, conventional lathe work, fabrication and welding, foundry, electrical assembly, pump and motor assembly, textile machinery, inspection).

• Open doors. Use your existing network and industry associations to get introductions to owners, partners and plant heads of both small job work units and larger manufacturers.

• Pitch and persuade. Explain the program in simple Tamil or English, handle concerns about confidentiality, production disruption and worker privacy, and turn interest into a yes.

• Negotiate access agreements. Agree on recording hours, floor space, machine usage, fees to the unit, payment to participating workers and confidentiality terms, then get agreements signed.

• Onboard sites. Coordinate the first visit, site walkthrough and setup with our operations team so recording starts smoothly and safely.

• Recruit participants. Help identify skilled operators, fitters and technicians willing to be recorded, and make sure consent is properly collected.

• Own the relationships. Visit active partners regularly, solve problems quickly, keep payments and paperwork on time and renew or expand agreements.

• Keep the pipeline visible. Track every unit from first contact to active site in our tracker, and share a short weekly update on visits, conversions and site health.

• Feed back from the field. Tell us which industries, tasks and pricing work best so we can sharpen the offer.

Who we are looking for

• 10+ years of work in Coimbatore's manufacturing ecosystem, in vendor development, industrial sales, purchase, supply chain, marketing or channel management.

• An existing, active network of owners and decision makers in local manufacturing units, from small job work shops to large plants. You should be able to name at least 20 units you could get a meeting with in your first month.

• A proven record of persuading business owners to say yes, and of keeping those relationships going for years.

• Fluent Tamil and good working English, spoken and written.

• Comfortable on shop floors and with how small units actually run: job work, outsourcing, shift patterns, cash flow and owner priorities.

• Willing to be in the field at least 4 days a week, with your own two wheeler or car (travel costs reimbursed).

• Organised and disciplined about follow up, using Excel, Google Sheets or a simple CRM.

• High integrity and discretion. Partners will trust you with access to their premises and people.

Nice to have

• Diploma or degree in mechanical, production or electrical engineering.

• Active membership or contacts in industry bodies such as CODISSIA, SIEMA, COINDIA or local estate associations.

• Experience with both MSME job work units and larger OEM or Tier 1 supplier plants.

• Working Hindi, to speak with the many migrant skilled workers on Coimbatore shop floors.

• Some exposure to technology companies, startups or new business models, and curiosity about AI and robotics.

What we offer and how to apply

• A fixed monthly salary plus an incentive for every partner site that goes live and stays active.

• Full reimbursement of field travel.

• A founding role in a new line of business, with the chance to build and lead a field team as the network grows.

• Direct work with the founder, and a front row seat in physical AI and robotics.

To apply, send your CV(hr@data-clap.com) with a short note (half a page is enough) answering two questions:

1. Which kinds of manufacturing units in Coimbatore can you get us into in your first 30 days? Types and areas are enough; no names needed.

2. Tell us about one business owner you persuaded to try something new. What did they worry about, and how did you win them over?