Research Lead

Online Education Services; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Wellbeing initiatives

Professional development opportunities

Paid parental leave

Study assistance

Income protection insurance

Health & lifestyle benefits

Job summary

Online Education Services (OES) invites a strategic Research Lead to guide a high-performing team in generating insights that influence student outcomes, product development and organisational strategy. You will partner with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Operations, Academic Partnerships and Learning Solutions to translate complex data into actionable recommendations.

You will build research capability, governance and ethical standards while fostering a culture of collaboration,

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Sciences, Marketing, Research, or a related discipline.
• Extensive proven experience in customer, student, social or market research.
• Strong expertise across qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Proven experience leading complex research programs and developing research strategy.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• A demonstrated ability to turn research insights into practical business outcomes.
• A passion for enhancing the student experience and improving outcomes through evidence-based decision making.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing research team.
• Drive the prioritisation and delivery of strategic research initiatives.
• Translate complex research findings into clear recommendations and business decisions.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Operations, Academic Partnerships, Retention and Learning Solutions.
• Combine qualitative and quantitative research, analytics and student feedback to uncover actionable insights.
• Identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities impacting the student experience.
• Champion research best practices, governance, standards and ethical frameworks.
• Build research capability and literacy across the organisation.

Skills

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Strategic research

Student-centric research

Mixed methods

Research strategy

Education

Tertiary qualification in Psychology / Social Sciences / Marketing / Research

Job description

OES is a global education services partner, working with universities, employers, and industry bodies to deliver market-leading online learning solutions. Our purpose is to enhance lives through education, and our vision is to be the world's most impactful enabler of education.

We are a values-led organisation that empowers our people to make a meaningful impact every day. Through collaboration, innovation, and a student-focused approach, we create engaging learning experiences while supporting our teams to grow, develop, and thrive in a culture that embraces change and continuous improvement.3

The Opportunity

As our Research Lead, you will lead a talented and high-performing team responsible for generating the insights that drive smarter decisions across OES. From enhancing the student experience and improving retention to informing product development and organisational strategy, your work will have a direct impact on the future of the business.Working closely with senior stakeholders, you'll ensure research is focused, actionable and aligned to strategic priorities, transforming complex findings into clear recommendations that deliver measurable results and improve student outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing research team.
• Drive the prioritisation and delivery of strategic research initiatives.
• Translate complex research findings into clear recommendations and business decisions.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Operations, Academic Partnerships, Retention and Learning Solutions.
• Combine qualitative and quantitative research, analytics and student feedback to uncover actionable insights.
• Identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities impacting the student experience.
• Champion research best practices, governance, standards and ethical frameworks.
• Build research capability and literacy across the organisation.

About you

You are a strategic research leader who is equally comfortable leading people, influencing stakeholders and translating insights into action.

To be successful, you'll bring:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Sciences, Marketing, Research, or a related discipline.
• Extensive proven experience in customer, student, social or market research.
• Strong expertise across qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Proven experience leading complex research programs and developing research strategy.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• A demonstrated ability to turn research insights into practical business outcomes.
• A passion for enhancing the student experience and improving outcomes through evidence-based decision making.

What’s in it for you?

At OES, we're transforming lives through education. You'll join a high-performing, values-led organisation where your work directly influences business decisions, drives meaningful outcomes, and supports some of the world's leading education providers. If you enjoy working with smart people, solving complex challenges, and making a genuine impact, you'll thrive here. We empower our leaders to think strategically, challenge convention, and deliver meaningful outcomes while building high-performing teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

We offer a flexible hybrid working model, comprehensive wellbeing initiatives, professional development opportunities, paid parental leave, study assistance, income protection insurance, and a range of health and lifestyle benefits designed to support our people both personally and professionally.

If you're a research leader who thrives on solving complex problems, influencing strategy and creating better outcomes for students, we'd love to hear from you.

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.