Latest Job Vacancies at Oxford University Press Southern Africa

Product Director: Southern Africa

(Permanent position)

Oxford University Press is recruiting for a strategic Product Director to head up its Schools, Higher Education, Dictionaries and TVET publishing lists in southern Africa.

• We are looking for someone with a desire to lead and inspire our talented and creative product team, an ability to identify and evaluate opportunities for business growth, and a track-record of successfully designing and implementing effective product strategies.
• This is a senior role that involves exploring business opportunities, growing and maintaining profitable product offerings, planning, designing and implementing print and digital publishing programmes, and directing the implementation of OUP’s policies and procedures.

The successful candidate will be required to build rapport with authors, partners, Ministries, and other business stakeholders, while embodying the organisation’s values and ethical principles.

The Product Director will report to the Managing Director, Africa. This post is based in Goodwood, Cape Town.

Requirements

Principal Accountabilities:

• Product Strategy and Planning: Create and lead the product vision and strategy, ensuring that is competitive, and delivers value informed by customer needs and market trends. Identify, evaluate and prioritise opportunities in key market segments to formulate a product plan. Proactively manage priorities, budgets and timelines in conjunction with the Publishing Managers.
• Innovation: Lead on product innovation, including delivering and rigorously validating pilot projects to explore market trends and opportunities.
• Commissioning and Author Care: In collaboration with the Publishing Managers, supervise the commissioning of authors, ensure that relations with authors are fostered and developed and input into the negotiation of author and partner contracts.
• Market, Product and Impact Research: Develop and maintain knowledge of the market, competitor landscape, institutions, customers and the usage and performance of our products. Ensure that product feedback and market research is evaluated, confirmed, and used to improve existing products and inform marketing campaigns and new business proposals. 
• Design and Editorial: In collaboration with the Publishing Managers, supervise project development and the shaping of content so that the final product is suitable for its intended market and meets the necessary quality standard. Supervise the creative design and visual identity of products in collaboration with the Publishing Services Manager.
• Digital Product: In collaboration with the Publishing Manager for Digital Products, create a strategic roadmap for digital products and supervise digital product creation.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing: Collaborate with and support the Sales and Marketing teams to ensure effective promotion of frontlist and backlist products.
• People: Establish OUP as the best product and publishing organisation in the region. Recruit, manage, and motivate product teams to ensure product plans are delivered effectively, and to a high standard.
• Operational effectiveness and change management: Ensure operational effectiveness and successful implementation of change, ensure that new processes, workflows, and systems are implemented effectively.
• Finance and Resources: Create and monitor the product team budget, including the budget for staff resourcing to deliver the Press’ product plan and maximize its profitability and effectiveness.
• Government Business: Keep up to date about policy changes, trends or plans made by Ministries of Education at National and Provincial Level in all the markets we operate in. Identify threats and/or opportunities and suggest appropriate strategic responses.
• Wider Press: Participate in global, divisional and branch level product initiatives. Ensure that Due Diligence, OUP Compliance policy and ethical practices are followed.

Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant degree or equivalent experience in a professionally managed organization and handling a team in a senior managerial capacity
• Significant experience in progressively responsible leadership roles in professional organizations including leading transformation and change to deliver better outcomes
• Deep knowledge of the educational publishing sector, including Schools, Higher Education and TVET
• A proven track-record of developing and delivering educational product and business strategy
• Experience of designing innovative business models and identifying partnership opportunities
• Strong business acumen along with knowledge of financial, commercial, and business processes
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organisation
• Strong problem-solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make data-led decisions
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and focus on results

Attributes:

• Strong action and results-driven leader
• Shows resilience and commitment
• Problem solver
• Highly organised multi-tasker
• Innovative and creative thinker
• Effective communicator with high emotional intelligence
• Demonstrates a passion for education
• Curiosity about the role of new technologies in supporting learning

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Oxford University Press is recruiting for a dynamic and results-orientated Sales Director to lead our sales teams in OUP Southern Africa.

• The role provides strategic and tactical leadership to the sales team with the aim of setting and meeting strategic objectives, exceeding financial targets, ensuring maximum customer retention, drive revenue growth through new business opportunities.
• The successful candidate will be required to build rapport with partners, Ministries, and other business stakeholders, while embodying the organisation’s values and ethical principles.
• The Sales Director will report to the Managing Director, Africa.

This post is based in Goodwood, Cape Town.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Sales Strategy & Planning:Contribute to overall business strategy and ensure that southern Africa sales strategies and plans are aligned with market trends, business objectives, long-term revenue growth and market share targets. Provide leadership and strategic direction to all sales teams. Oversee the design and implementation of innovative sales strategies for all our products and services, including actively driving sales growth and customer retention for our digital platforms and products.
• Sales Plans: Identify, evaluate and prioritise opportunities in key market segments to formulate sales plans, set key performance indicators and monitor progress. Proactively manage priorities, budgets, forecasts, and timelines in conjunction with the Sales Managers.
• Market Trends and Education Policy Changes: Keep up to date with market trends, education policy changes, and plans made by Ministries of Education at National and Provincial Level in all the markets we operate in. Identify threats and/or opportunities and suggest appropriate strategic responses.
• Sales and Market Data: Analyse market data to identify market trends and opportunities, to benchmark market share and sales in each market segment and to drive sales strategy. Lead on the use of our Salesforce CRM system and broader data collection tools to drive data-driven decisions across the business, inform sales activity and adjust sales tactics to maximise results. 
• Customer focus: Assist the Sales Managers to build and update comprehensive customer profiles and personas and ensure that these are central to the overall business strategy. Synthesize and share customer feedback in the business and suggest appropriate responses. Be the voice of the customer in the business and advocate for products that solve customer pain points and for improved customer experience. Respond to customer complaints and suggestions appropriately and professionally.
• Competitor Landscape: Monitor the changing competitor landscape and analyse competitor sales and product strategies. Share these analyses and insights with the business and take learnings into account to design and refine sales and strategies and tactics.
• Business Development:Develop a strategy for proactive business development, taking market trends and opportunities into account. Seek and develop relationships with new partners, identify alternative channels, and/or donor funding opportunities. 
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management: Represent the Press at the highest levels and establish ethical working relationships with all key stakeholders and partners. Build a strong network of senior people and influencers in the education ecosystem across southern Africa and regularly share market intelligence gained. Proactively participate in lobbying relating to procurement systems, curriculum cycles, industry policies and legislation. Ensure that the sales team regularly interacts with all relevant stakeholders and officials.
• People: Create and develop a world-class, resilient, and future-focused sales team that can adapt and respond to dynamic market conditions and is driven by a culture of high performance. Plan, deploy and mobilise sales resources to achieve revenue targets in-year and over the 5-year planning cycle. Develop the team to successfully promote and sell education solutions, services, and digital products.
• Operational effectiveness and change management:Manage and monitor sales operational effectiveness to drive efficiencies and customer satisfaction. Review sales workflows, systems and processes and ensure that feedback leads to continuous improvement. Implement new processes, workflows, and systems in line with OUP change management methodologies. 
• Collaborate with Product and Marketing: Understand the needs of customers and provide data-led insights to the organisation to inform sales, marketing and product opportunities and strategies in existing and adjacent markets. Collaborate with and support the Product and Marketing teams to ensure a cohesive business strategy and implementation plan.
• Finance and Resources: Create and monitor the sales team budget, including the budget for staff resourcing to deliver the Press’ targets and maximize its profitability and reach.
• Wider Press: Participate in global and divisional initiatives and take lead on initiatives and process implementation in Africa.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant qualification and at least 5 years’ experience of leading a high-performing, energetic sales team in a senior management role within a professionally managed organisation
• Proven track-record of setting and leading sales strategy, managing budgets, achieving sales growth and exceeding sales targets
• Strong analytical skills and experience of Salesforce implementation and data-led sales strategies and planning
• Proven track record of networking, relationship management and developing positive ethical working relationships with stakeholders
• Proven track-record of business development, including designing and implementing innovative business models and partnerships
• Successful track-record of selling digital products and solutions
• Ability to multi-task and handle a fast-paced work environment
• Strong business acumen along with knowledge of financial, commercial, and business processes
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organisation and with staff in remote locations
• Strong problem-solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation
• Knowledge of the education sector in southern Africa is desirable

Attributes:

• Strong action and results-driven leader
• Shows resilience and commitment
• Problem solver
• Strategic thinker
• Comfortable with ambiguity and resilient
• Ability to develop and build strong teams
• Highly organised multi-tasker
• Innovative and creative thinker
• Effective communicator with high emotional intelligence
• Excellent negotiator and networker
• Demonstrates a passion for education
• Curiosity about the role of new technologies in supporting learning

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Description

Oxford University Press Southern Africa

• Oxford University Press advances knowledge and learning of all kinds, from a child reading their first words to a researcher expanding the frontiers of their field. Our work is constantly evolving, and the possibilities are endless. We strive to reach more and more people around the world to achieve their potential.
• Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It is our mission to further the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Finance Internship

Principal Accountabilities:

• Have broad understanding a typical finance shared services set-up and the function 
• Understand each component of the Finance function in detail
• Have solid knowledge of an ERP system, preferably SAP
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office programs
• Be able to present a topic to various audiences with finance and across other areas of the business
• exposure to multiple department: Accounts Payable and Receivable, Treasury, Royalties, Taxation, R2R, and Commercial

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• BCom general / Finance degree / diploma
• Computer literacy - Word, Excel (advanced), PowerPoint
• Sound communication and presentation skill s
• Effective time management
• Ability to multitask and perform under pressure
• Ability to work in a team 
• South African citizen
• Access to reliable transport

Attributes

• Ability and willingness to learn: Have an open mindset and attitude to learn
• Collaboration: Working with internal and external teams 
• Initiative: Foster new ideas and solutions to projects and processes
• Resilience: Ability to manage time well, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Analytical thinking: Being able to analyse and capture data

go to method of application »

Description

Oxford University Press Southern Africa

• Oxford University Press advances knowledge and learning of all kinds, from a child reading their first words to a researcher expanding the frontiers of their field. Our work is constantly evolving, and the possibilities are endless. We strive to reach more and more people around the world to achieve their potential.

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It is our mission to further the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Human Resources Internship

Principal Accountabilities

• General documentation and administration
• Talent management 
• Recruitment and selection
• Benefit administration
• Training and development
• Diversity and inclusion
• Reporting
• Data capturing
• Project Management

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience 

• HR/Industrial Psychology degree/diploma
• Computer literacy - Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• Sound communication and presentation skills
• Effective time management
• Ability to multi-task and perform under pressure
• Ability to work in a team
• South African citizen
• Innovative and agile
• Access to reliable transport

Attributes

• Ability and willingness to learn: Be open to learn
• Enjoy collaboration: Working with internal and external teams
• Initiative: Foster new ideas and solutions to projects and processes 
• Resilience: Ability to manage time well, work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Analytical thinking: Be able to analyse and capture data

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