Academic Portfolio Manager - Business

at; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PD & mentoring

Culture Club

Wellbeing activities

Parental leave

Purchased leave

Study assistance

Mental health support

Income protection

Health insurance rates

Employee perks platform

Job summary

OES in Australia seeks an Academic Portfolio Manager (Business portfolio) to lead a portfolio of online academic programs. You will work with university partners and internal stakeholders to set strategy, oversee operations, quality assurance and workforce planning to deliver outstanding student outcomes and commercial success.

This full-time role offers hybrid work from our Cremorne, VIC office or remote depending on location.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in business or education management complemented by significant leadership and management experience.
• Knowledge of education, online and face to face delivery of Business programmes from a university background.
• Proven success leading large-scale operational teams and delivering sustainable business growth within education or corporate setting.
• Strong people leadership capabilities, with experience coaching managers, building high-performing teams, driving accountability, and leading workforce planning initiatives.
• Demonstrated commercial and financial acumen, including responsibility for budgets, resource allocation, financial performance, and operational efficiency.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively with senior executives and external partners.
• Highly developed analytical and strategic thinking skills, using data and insights to inform decision-making, improve performance, and identify growth opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Drive student success by leading the delivery of high-quality academic Business programs that support exceptional learning experiences and positive student outcomes.
• Champion operational excellence through robust quality assurance processes, effective governance, and compliance with university and accreditation requirements.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams by coaching Academic Leads, fostering engagement, and building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Oversee portfolio performance and financial sustainability through workforce planning, resource allocation, and management of disciplinary staffing budgets.
• Build and strengthen strategic university partnerships by collaborating with senior academic stakeholders to deliver shared goals and long‑term program success.
• Identify and deliver growth opportunities by driving program innovation, continuous improvement initiatives, and the expansion of courses and partnerships.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Financial acumen

University education delivery

Education

Postgraduate qualification in business or education management

Job description

OES is a vibrant and values led organisation, and we are passionate about enhancing lives through education. We work with university partners, training institutes, and professional bodies worldwide, to develop and enable immersive and engaging learning experiences. We empower our teams to bestudent-focused, innovative and embrace change with a growth mindset to ensure we achieve our vision of being the world’s most impactful enabler of education. We encourage our people to grow and develop through teamwork and a diverse range of projects,programsand challenging work. We trust our people to deliver, so when you work with OES, you will join a team who are empowered toimpactevery day.

The Opportunity:

We are looking for anAcademic Portfolio Manager (Businessportfolio). In thispivotal leadershiproleyou willdrive the success and growth of a portfolio of online academic programs. Working closely withouruniversity partnerand internal stakeholders, you will lead strategy, operations, quality assurance, and workforce planning to deliver outstanding student outcomes while ensuring commercial success. This is an opportunity to influence program innovation, build strong senior stakeholder relationships, and lead a high-performing team dedicated to excellence in online education.

This is afull-timerole and can be hybrid (working from our office in Cremorne, VIC or fully remote depending on your location).

Your new role:

• Drive student successby leading the delivery of high-quality academicBusinessprograms that support exceptional learning experiences and positive student outcomes.
• Champion operational excellencethrough robust quality assurance processes, effective governance, and compliance with university and accreditation requirements.
• Lead and develop high-performing teamsby coaching Academic Leads, fostering engagement, and building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Oversee portfolio performance and financial sustainabilitythrough workforce planning, resource allocation, and management of disciplinary staffing budgets.
• Build and strengthen strategic university partnershipsby collaborating with senior academic stakeholders to deliver shared goals and long‑term program success.
• Identifyand deliver growth opportunitiesby driving program innovation, continuous improvement initiatives, and the expansion of courses and partnerships.

Who we need:

• Postgraduate qualificationin business or education managementcomplemented by significant leadership and management experience.
• Knowledge of education, experienceofonline and face to face delivery ofBusinessprogrammesfrom a university background.
• Proven success leading large-scale operational teamsand delivering sustainable business growth within education orcorporate setting.
• Strong people leadership capabilities, with experience coaching managers, building high-performing teams, driving accountability, and leading workforce planning initiatives.
• Demonstrated commercial and financial acumen, including responsibility for budgets, resource allocation, financial performance, and operational efficiency.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively with senior executives and external partners.
• Highly developed analytical and strategic thinking skills, using data and insights to inform decision-making, improve performance, andidentifygrowth opportunities.

What’sin it for you?

Along with joining a passionate,energeticand highly skilled team, this role will allow you to gain exposure to many growth and development opportunities. Ultimately, youwill be joining a values-driven, collaborative business where your creativity and innovation will be nurtured and celebrated.

We pride ourselves on being a 'People First' employer and if you join the OES Team, you willbenefitfrom:

• Professional development and mentoring
• OES Culture Club and events calendar
• Health and wellbeing activities
• Paid parental leave
• Purchased leave
• Studyassistanceand leave for eligible employees
• Mental health support resources and Employeeassistanceprogram (EAP)
• Income protection insurance
• Access to corporate health insurance rates
• Access to our employee benefits platform - offering retail discounts & novated leasing

Your application will include the following questions:

• Current Salary
• Expected Salary
• Right to Work
• Do you have a disability that requires accommodations during the recruitment process or in the workplace? - Yes/No/Do not wish to disclose. We ask this question to ensure an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. Providing this information allows us to offer reasonable accommodations and create an equitable environment for all candidates. Your response is confidential and will not impact your application. Sharing this information is voluntary, but it helps us support you in the best way possible.
• This role can be worked as a remote position however you must be based in Australia. Please confirm that you are permanently based within Australia?

At OES, we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, where we encourage candidates of any nationality, age, background, disability, and gender identity to apply. If you feel aligned to the role and would like to further explore your suitability, we welcome your application and would love to consider your fit for the role at OES.

At OES, we partner with universities who share our vision to engage, challenge and motivate students at every step of the study journey.

We’ve been at the forefront of innovative higher education for more than a decade, collaborating with university and VET partners to enhance the study experience and attract new student audiences.

We have the expertise, market insights and proven delivery frameworks to create a seamless student experience and achieve our partners’ strategic objectives.