Head - HEAT and Dictionaries, Product

OUP; Dadri; Remote; INR 7,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford University Press India seeks a senior leader to transform the Higher Education, Lexical, and Trade publishing lists and drive growth in reach and revenue across HE and trade segments.

You will shape strategy, work with sales, marketing, editors, and external academic experts, and guide product development to meet market needs in India.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree with 10 to 15 years of experience in Education, EdTech, or Publishing.
• Deep knowledge of publishing, with extensive HE publishing experience.
• Strong ability to conduct market studies and analyse trends.
• Proven project lifecycle management and budgeting skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead and transform HEAT lists with strategic product development.
• Conduct in-depth market studies to guide strategy.
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, editors, and external experts.
• Oversee product quality and lifecycle management.

Skills

Market research

Product strategy

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Postgraduate degree

Job description

About the Role

Introduction –

This is a senior leadership opportunity to play a pivotal role in transforming Oxford University Press India’s Higher Education, Lexical, and Trade publishing lists. The role offers significant scope to influence strategy, shape product direction, and drive long‑term growth in reach and revenue across key education and trade segments.

For experienced publishing professionals, this role represents a positive career move into a highly strategic position where market insight, innovation, and leadership come together. It aligns closely with OUP’s mission of advancing knowledge and learning by delivering high‑quality, relevant, and market‑responsive products for higher education institutions and learners.

The role is intellectually stimulating and impactful, combining market research, product strategy, stakeholder engagement, and people leadership. You will work closely with sales, marketing, editors, and external academic and industry experts, and contribute directly to shaping the future of the HEAT portfolio in India.

Opportunity –

In this role, you will lead and manage the Higher Education, Lexical, and Trade lists, with responsibility for transforming the business vertical at OUP India. You will conduct in‑depth market studies and stay closely attuned to trends in the Higher Education space to inform product strategy and list development.

You will design and execute a transformational plan for the Higher Education lists, defining product lifecycles, scopes of work, deliverables, and timelines. You will guide editors across different stages of product development, helping them prioritise effectively, respond to market feedback, and mitigate risks where required. Product quality oversight will be a key responsibility, with regular reviews at all stages to ensure high standards are met.

The role involves close collaboration with marketing teams to develop and execute strong go‑to‑market plans, as well as with sales teams, institutional stakeholders, and end users to ensure products meet market needs and drive continuous growth in reach and revenue.

At a strategic level, you will contribute to business planning for the HEAT lists, monitor budgets, timelines, and resource utilisation, and represent the department in cross‑divisional initiatives and external engagements. You will also actively network within the Higher Education space to build market understanding and identify content contributors, reviewers, domain experts, and institutional partners.

About You

Essential / Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate degree with 10 to 15 years of experience, preferably in the Education, EdTech, or Publishing sector
• Deep knowledge of publishing, with extensive experience in higher education publishing
• Strong ability to conduct market studies and analyse trends to guide product and portfolio transformation
• Core functional competencies to run projects efficiently and manage complex product lifecycles
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to deliver within strict deadlines and budgets
• Proven problem‑solving and risk management capabilities
• Agility and ability to adapt to changing and challenging environments
• Effective written and verbal communication skills

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of editors, fostering a collaborative and high‑performance culture
• Manage resource planning, performance reviews, and professional development initiatives
• Facilitate strong cross‑functional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders

Business & Strategic Capabilities

• Contribute to strategic planning and growth of the HEAT lists aligned with educational and commercial objectives
• Monitor project budgets, timelines, and deliverables to ensure optimal resource utilisation
• Represent the function in cross‑divisional initiatives and external engagements

Queries

Please contact [e-mail] with any queries relating to this role.

We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.

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Salary: Dependent on Skills & Experience

Division: Education

Department: Product_ Trade