Product Manager

About Portable

We care about people and the world. We seek out areas of social need and policy failure and make transformational change using research, design and technology. Our clients are as passionate as we are and are working in government agencies, nonprofit organisations and socially-minded businesses.

There are currently 50+ of us working as researchers, strategists, designers, technologists and producers towards our mission from our head office in Collingwood, and remotely from co-working spaces and homes across Australia.

This role sits within one of our Digital Product teams — multidisciplinary groups of producers, designers, developers and strategists who care deeply about helping our clients solve meaningful problems.

Then there's you

You're an experienced Product Manager who thrives on balancing strategy and execution. You love zooming out to shape a clear vision, then diving in to lead teams through the detailed work of delivery. You're equal parts Product Manager and Product Owner – setting goals, defining roadmaps, and driving delivery through collaboration, clarity and iteration.

You'll lead the ongoing evolution of one of Portable's flagship legal tech products, while helping define and deliver an emerging, complementary product in the same space. You're at your best when connecting the dots between user needs, technology, and business outcomes – and you know how to turn ambiguity into alignment and direction.

You'll work across the business, collaborating with senior stakeholders, marketing, and delivery teams to grow our products and identify opportunities for impact. You'll also contribute to building Portable's product management capability – helping shape how we define, deliver, and scale digital products across teams and sectors.

Occasionally, you'll also lead smaller client engagements – such as vision and roadmap sessions or proof-of-concept projects – that shape what comes next.

What you'll do:

On a normal week, you might:

• Define and communicate the vision, goals and roadmap for your product/s, aligning the team and stakeholders on priorities and direction.
• Lead the delivery of product releases end-to-end – from concept and requirements through to implementation, launch and iteration.
• Work with the team to write and refine user stories, manage the backlog and facilitate sprint planning and prioritisation with delivery teams.
• Collaborate with your design, development and production teammates to ensure we're delivering the right things, the right way.
• Support the estimation of new features and initiatives, balancing scope, budget and timelines.
• Track performance, document impact and report on ROI or effectiveness of features and projects.
• Identify and coordinate interdependencies across other programs or products within Portable.
• Engage directly with users, partners and clients to understand needs and opportunities, and feed these insights into the roadmap.
• Work with marketing, business development and leadership teams to explore growth strategies for the product.
• Contribute to business development, and lead delivery of smaller client engagements (like a discovery or design sprint) as capacity allows.
• Help grow and refine Portable's internal product capability – by sharing tools, frameworks and ways of working, mentoring other product team members, and helping strengthen our product practice across the organisation.

What we are looking for: 
Must-haves

• Significant experience managing digital products or platforms – ideally 5+ years in end-to-end product delivery.
• Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, leading teams to achieve meaningful outcomes.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging senior decision-makers.
• Comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to create clarity and focus for teams.
• Experience working in agile, multidisciplinary environments alongside designers, developers and producers.
• Familiarity with backlog management, estimation, and writing user stories.
• A thoughtful, human-centred mindset – you care deeply about how your work impacts users and communities.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge or experience in legal tech or related sectors.
• Experience in an agency or consultancy environment.
• Experience growing a product into new or international markets.
• Understanding of secure development or compliance in regulated settings.
• Experience mentoring or contributing to product capability-building within a business or community of practice.

How we remunerate and support the experience, growth and wellbeing of our team:

The salary range for this role is $115,000 to $145,000 plus superannuation, depending on the level of experience. This role will ideally be based in Adelaide, but we are considering applications from people based in Melbourne or throughout the rest of Australia. 

Joining Portable means becoming part of an organisation with an award-winning workplace culture, where your contributions are valued and you're supported by a multidisciplinary team.  

Here's what else you can look forward to:

• Meaningful work with impact: We take on projects that aim to make a positive difference in areas like mental health, social justice, and accessibility
• Flexible work arrangements: We support a flexible working environment – whether it's from home, the office, or a café – with remote and hybrid options (up to 3 days per week), flexible hours, and personalised start/finish times.  This is a full-time role, though we're open to considering part-time candidates at 0.8 FTE or above.
• Enhanced leave benefits: We offer bonus annual leave based on tenure, the option to purchase additional leave, paid volunteering leave, and paid mental health days as personal leave, with no explanation or medical certificate required
• Growth and career development: We offer structured career pathways, an annual professional development allowance of $1,000 and two working days, access to our Emerging Leaders program, twice-yearly salary reviews, and ongoing leadership coaching for those ready to step up
• Wellbeing support: Through our Employee Assistance Program with The Mindroom, our team can access up to 4 counselling sessions per year, with support for general wellbeing, career planning, and managing life's challenges
• Financial incentives: Team members are eligible for a profit-sharing bonus and can explore employee share plan options, as well as salary sacrificing
• Family-friendly policies: We offer enhanced parental leave and support part-time arrangements that work around family commitments, such as school drop-offs and caring for sick loved ones

How to apply:

We are committed to building a diverse and equal team. People from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for this role, please send us:

1. Your resume
2. A short (max. 1 page) cover letter answering:
   
   1. what attracted you to this role and why you think you would be a good fit. 
   2. Tell us about a time you turned a complex or ambiguous product challenge into clarity and progress for your team.

---