Director: Sales

About the Role

We are looking for a talented and highly driven Director: Sales to join our Senior Management Team (SMT) for leading the full Sales function across Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand, with accountability for all sales teams, channels, and customer segments. The role sets and executes a bold, competitive sales strategy to deliver sustainable growth in market while strengthening OUP’s brand and reputation as a trusted leader in Education.

As a senior member of the executive leadership team, the role contributes to ANZ strategy and decision making, works collaboratively across Publishing, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Business Development, and constructively challenges the status quo to unlock competitive advantage as market conditions, customer expectations, and competitive dynamics evolve. The role builds a high-performance sales organisation, ensures disciplined execution across states and channels, and maintains strong customer and partner relationships, underpinned by robust use of Salesforce, high-quality reporting, and accurate forecasting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end Sales function across ANZ, including all sales teams, channels, and customer segments, to deliver sustained growth and commercial performance.
• Set and execute the overall Sales strategy, ensuring alignment with business strategy and long-term organisational objectives.
• Plan, direct, and continuously evolve sales execution in response to changing market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive pressures.
• Build and sustain OUP’s brand and reputation as a leader in Education across all markets and customer groups through strong customer engagement and educational credibility.
• Create and lead a culture of high performance, motivation, accountability, and success across the entire sales organisation.
• Ensure sales teams operate as product experts and Education experts, with deep understanding of curriculum, pedagogy, and customer needs.
• Improve customer acquisition, reach, retention, and territory coverage across all ANZ sales portfolios.
• Manage and support key customers, including major institutional customers, resellers, and strategic partners, to drive growth and long-term value.
• Work closely with Marketing to drive lead generation, improve lead quality, and embed disciplined end to end lead management.
• Partner with Product and Digital teams on product lifecycle management to ensure sales strategies are aligned to market needs and product roadmaps.
• Collaborate with the Director of Business Development on new sales opportunities, partnerships, and growth initiatives where appropriate.
• Embed best practice sales processes across all teams, including KPIs and lead measures, segmentation frameworks, and disciplined territory and planning cycles.
• Build organisational capability through structured training, coaching, and leadership development across all sales roles.
• Recruit, develop, and set clear objectives for high performing sales leaders and teams, building depth, succession, and future capability.
• Own and oversee the effective use of Salesforce across the sales function, ensuring high quality pipeline management, reporting, forecasting, and data led decision making.
• Deliver sales, profit, and overhead targets, regularly reviewing performance and implementing corrective action as required.
• Lead major sales related projects, including CRM optimisation, sales effectiveness initiatives, channel strategy changes, and capability programs.
• Ensure governance and compliance with OUP Group policies, maintaining consistent standards, clear communication, and risk management across the sales function.
• Act as a senior leader of the business, contributing to organisational decision making, cross functional leadership, and the overall success of OUP ANZ.

About You

• Senior sales leadership with a track record of winning in competitive markets and delivering sustained growth.
• Commercial and strategic capability, with the ability to set a clear direction and execute at pace.
• People leadership, building high-performing teams with high standards and strong accountability.
• Key customer and partner management, with the confidence to negotiate firmly and strategically.
• Sales operations and CRM discipline, with hands-on Salesforce experience and rigorous forecasting accuracy.
• Education or adjacent sector experience.
• Change leadership, including challenging legacy approaches where needed.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Marketing and Product.
• Regional or international exposure.
• Wholesale or partner-led sales models.

Highly flexible working environment

• Two work-from-home days per week and rostered Friday afternoons off (fortnightly).
• Access to contemporary offices and facilities close to Southern Cross Station.
• Varied learning and development opportunities.
• The opportunity to support Skyline Education Foundation through our Workplace Giving Program.
• Comprehensive wellbeing program, including an EAP available to you and your family.
• Other enterprise level benefits including Long Service Leave at 5 years, 2 days of paid Volunteering Leave and Study Leave per year and more.

Apply now! If you possess the right skills for this role and want to join our hardworking and motivated team, please submit your cover letter and full resume, telling us why you are the best person for the job, in one PDF.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are committed to creating a workplace that values diversity, equity and inclusion and ensures equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from First Nations peoples and from people of all backgrounds, including people with disability, who bring diverse perspectives, lived experience, and community connections. If you require adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know so we can support your participation.

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.