At Open Universities Australia (OUA), we believe everyone should have access to quality education, no matter their background or stage of life.

For more than 30 years, we’ve helped over 400,000 students take their next step, often during some of the most important moments of their lives. Whether someone is changing careers, returning to study or pursuing a lifelong goal, the work we do helps open new possibilities every day. That’s what makes working at OUA meaningful. Every experience we create, every conversation we have and every decision we make can have a real impact on someone’s future. 

When we do our best work, we help change lives. 

Two Roles. One Product Leadership Team. 

We’re hiring two Product Principals who will together shape how OUA creates value for the 400,000+ students we serve and the university partners who make that possible.

These are genuinely enterprise-level product roles, not just execution leadership. You’ll set direction, influence how the organisation thinks about product, and own measurable outcomes that matter.

Product Principal – Student Impact 

This role is for a product leader who wants to go deep on student outcomes. You’ll own product strategy across student-focused domains and strengthen OUA’s ability to understand student needs, improve the student experience and drive meaningful impact on acquisition, enrolment, retention, progression and student success.

What you’ll own: 

• Product strategy and direction across student-facing products and experiences 

• Prioritisation decisions that balance student value, experience and organisational performance 

• Discovery practices that generate real insight from student feedback, behaviour and data 

• Cross-functional alignment with Engineering, UX & Service Design, Data & Insights, Advisory Services and Marketing 

• Development of Product Managers within student-focused domains
   

Product Principal – Partner Value 

This role is for a product leader who understands how to translate commercial intent into marketplace outcomes. You’ll bridge CPPO-owned partner strategy and the product decisions that make OUA’s marketplace more effective for the university partners who power it. 

What you’ll own: 

• Product strategy and direction across partner-facing products and marketplace capabilities 

• Translating commercial partner intent into clear product direction and measurable outcomes 

• Discovery that surfaces partner needs, marketplace dynamics and product ROI opportunities 

• Cross-functional alignment with Product & Partnerships, Engineering, UX & Service Design, Data & Insights and Marketing 

• Development of Product Managers within partner-focused domains
   

What both roles have in common 

Whether your domain is students or partners, these roles share the same enterprise expectations and leadership philosophy: 

• Shape product strategy with clear direction, measurable outcomes and evidence-informed decision-making 

• Lead prioritisation across a product portfolio, balancing multiple competing considerations 

• Establish and communicate meaningful performance measures so outcomes are visible and actively managed 

• Lead and grow Product Managers, strengthening capability across discovery, delivery and value realisation 

• Influence executive and senior leadership forums on product direction and investment decisions 

• Contribute to OUA’s product operating model and cross-functional ways of working
   

Who we’re looking for 

You’re an experienced product leader who knows the difference between owning a roadmap and owning an outcome. You’re comfortable with ambiguity, credible with executives and energised by the kind of complex, cross-functional challenges that don’t have obvious answers. 

Essential experience: 

• Significant experience in Product Management, Product Leadership or Product Strategy roles within complex customer-focused environments 

• Demonstrated track record defining product strategy and driving measurable customer, partner, organisational or marketplace outcomes 

• Experience working within modern product operating models, agile delivery, empowered product teams and PM/UX/Engineering collaboration 

• Strong understanding of discovery practices, product performance measurement and value realisation 

• Experience leading, coaching and developing Product Managers 

You will also demonstrate: 

• Enterprise and systems thinking, connecting strategy, operations and organisational performance 

• Strong judgement in complex, ambiguous and commercially sensitive environments 

• Ability to balance competing priorities, student outcomes, partner value, organisational performance and long-term sustainability 

• The confidence and credibility to lead through influence, collaboration and clear accountability
   

Why you’ll love working at OUA 

OUA is a not-for-profit organisation with a strong people-first mindset. We do meaningful work that helps change lives through education, while creating an environment where our people feel supported, valued and empowered to grow. 

When you join OUA, you become part of a warm, inclusive and curious culture where your ideas matter, your wellbeing is prioritised and your development is encouraged. 

Flexibility and ways of working 

• Hybrid working, with three days working from home each week 

• Workation leave, work from anywhere for up to 10 days each year 

Leave that supports you 

• 12 weeks paid parental leave for primary carers, regardless of gender 

• Additional purchased leave to support greater flexibility 

• Menstrual and menopausal wellbeing leave, with up to six additional paid days each year 

• Inclusive leave to celebrate cultural, religious or personal events 

Health and wellbeing 

• Discounted health insurance 

• Annual flu vaccinations 

• A paid Calm subscription to support your wellbeing 

Learning, growth and financial benefits 

• Short term incentives and not-for-profit salary packaging, including novated leasing 

• Subsidised study opportunities and study leave 

• Learning and professional development opportunities 

OUA is committed to building and fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace. Our marketplace is for everyone, so is our workplace. Come and share your personal experiences, your perspectives and your background with us as we continue to help students transform their lives.

We strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to get in touch, even if you don’t meet all the requirements of the advertised position. It’s highly likely you’ll bring something to the workplace that we haven’t thought of yet, and we would love to hear from you.