Senior Producer

Job description

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 in our Design Services team, which is made up of over a dozen multidisciplinary human centred designers and producers who work to understand and define the needs of people and organisations and bring them through a design process towards solutions that make a real difference.

Then there’s you!

A Senior Producer who’s dedicated to ensuring design research, strategic design, service design, and co-design projects are delivered effectively and efficiently, on time and within budget. You’re a problem solver with foresight, empathy and resourcefulness—someone who thrives in environments where things shift and evolve and who’s confident helping teams stay aligned through that change.

You manage change, not just plans. You bring focus and clarity to project environments that evolve in response to emerging needs, shaped by what we learn through the design process. You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity, not by enforcing rigid plans, but by helping the team and client make informed decisions as things evolve. You hold scope, budget and timelines purposefully, making adjustments when needed to ensure the work remains doable, purposeful and human-centred.

You bring just enough structure, setting up the right rituals, rhythms and documentation to help people stay connected, informed and moving together. And you know that delivery isn’t just about tasks, it’s about relationships. You work in partnership with Leads, clients and collaborators and aren’t afraid of honest conversations or feedback. You’re open, reflective and able to navigate tension constructively, because you know that’s often where the good work starts.

Some of the responsibilities you’ll be holding:

• Overseeing the day-to-day flow of multiple projects, keeping everything on track as you juggle different scales and complexities
• Making thoughtful delivery and resourcing choices that fit within our bigger business picture, balancing immediate needs with long-term goals for a lasting impact
• Keeping a close eye on project progress and actively resolving any risks or bottlenecks to keep momentum and quality high
• Supporting and guiding cross-functional teams, making sure they have what they need to bring their best work to life
• Building genuine, lasting relationships with clients, stakeholders, research participants, and community members—creating experiences that make everyone feel informed, valued, and connected from start to finish
• Helping shape proposals for new projects and supporting marketing initiatives
• Working closely with our Producers and Leads to shape clear, reliable systems, processes, and tools that help us deliver safe, ethical, and impactful work—on time, within scope, and on budget
• Finding ways to improve our project delivery by capturing lessons, gathering feedback, and turning best practices into everyday habits

You’ll be expected to have knowledge and experience in these areas:

• Experience managing large, complex strategic design projects with challenging stakeholder environments and ambiguous outcomes
• Experience working with a range of practitioners, including service designers, strategic designers, business designers, UX researchers and communication designers
• A working knowledge of the principles of human centred design and design thinking and the conditions required to ensure their success
• Experience and adaptability with project management, knowledge management and invoicing tools (e.g., Kantata, Notion, Xero), with the ability to quickly learn and integrate new systems as needed
• Experience managing ‘Research Ops,’ including participant recruitment, scheduling, research tools, data management, consent processes, and ensuring ethical standards throughout
• Experience in a range of project management methodologies, fit for complex, flexible practices focussed on delivering value for customers efficiently (e.g. Agile, Lean, etc.)
• A keen interest and growing practice in understanding how AI tools can bring efficiency to design project delivery

If you were here last week, you would have:

• Facilitated a kickoff workshop with your team and a government client to align on the project background, delivery scope, and ways of working for design research addressing housing accessibility
• Helped your team navigate a complex project with an ambiguous scope—guiding the client through the design process, managing evolving needs and making sure everyone stayed on the same page even as the path shifted
• Identified a major risk in a co-design project focused on improving youth mental health services, collaborating with your team to mitigate potential impacts and ensure ethical standards
• Worked with contractors and partners to coordinate a smooth feedback loop with a client—helping guide the delivery of animated training assets designed for carers in aged care facilities
• Spotted an opportunity for additional work with a social services client, guiding your team to shape a proposal that delivers added value for their community engagement efforts within budget constraints
• Contributed to resourcing and forecast planning to ensure the right team members are allocated to projects, optimising billable utilisation and meeting delivery timelines
• Drafted a statement of work for a service design initiative on digital tools for disability support services, detailing scope, approach, risks, and dependencies while allowing flexibility for new insights
• Led a client WIP meeting to provide progress updates, including key findings from recent user testing on a mental health service prototype for young adults
• Proposed improvements to our team’s approach to data privacy and participant consent, introducing ideas to test in upcoming projects focused on sensitive topics like child protection

Here’s how we remunerate and support the experience, growth, and wellbeing of our team:

The salary range for this role is $105,000 to $127,000 plus superannuation.

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 4 days per week), flexible hours, and personalised start/finish times
• Enhanced leave benefits: Enjoy 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 these questions:
   • What’s attracted you to this role and why do you think it would be a good fit for you?
   • Tell us about a time you adapted your approach to a complex and ambiguous project environment, ensuring your team was able to deliver successful results, on time and on budget