Australian PM hiring cools sharply after its mid-October peak
The 30-day count is almost flat, but the weekly pace has eased a lot since 19 October, and most open roles still ask for years of experience.
is what the typical role asks for. 22% ask for 10 years or more.
42% of open roles state years44 new roles in the last 30 days, against 45 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreat 88 companies hiring in Australia.
Issue of 2 November 2026This week's read
There are 109 open Product Manager roles in Australia right now, spread across 88 companies. The 30-day count looks steady: 44 new roles this window against 45 before, a 2% dip. But look week by week and the story changes. New postings peaked at 17 in the week of 19 October, then dropped to 8 by 26 October, a 53% fall from that peak. If you are timing applications, the weekly pace has clearly eased from where it was two weeks ago.
This is not an entry-level market. The median minimum experience asked is 5 years, and 22% of postings want 10 years or more. By title, 30% of roles are labelled senior and 15% principal, against 44% mid and only 4% junior. Only 42% of roles state a years requirement at all, so plenty of listings leave it unsaid.
Two things are rare here: remote work and published pay. Only 3% of open roles are remote, so most hiring expects you in an office or hybrid setup. Only 6% of postings state a salary, which is too few to say what the market actually pays for this role.
Netwealth and Westpac Group are the biggest named hirers, each with 4 open roles, followed by CBA, realestate.com.au Pty and TPG Telecom with 3 apiece. Together the top 8 employers hold 21% of all open roles, so hiring is spread across many smaller players too. The median role stays open 23 days before it is filled or pulled.
On skills, AI and machine learning stands out, named in 20% of postings, well ahead of SQL and Salesforce at 5% each. Agile is named in 14% of roles, Jira in 9%, and Confluence and OKRs in 7% each. By industry, payments leads at 13%, ahead of financial services at 10%, banking and healthcare at 9%, and SaaS at 8%. Certifications barely feature: CSPO and Professional Scrum Product Owner each appear in just 2% of postings.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Don't wait on timing
Weekly postings fell 53% from the 19 October peak to the week of 26 October. If you have a role in mind, moving sooner rather than later makes sense given the slower pace now.
- Experience bar is real
The median minimum is 5 years, and 22% of postings ask for 10 or more. Titles skew senior too: 30% senior, 15% principal. Be ready to show years, not just skills.
- Plan for office, not remote
Only 3% of open roles are remote. If location flexibility matters to you, check each listing closely rather than assuming remote is common in this market.
Momentum
New Product roles each week
Last 30 days: 44 new roles, against 45 the 30 days before (-2%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 7 |
| 14 Sep | 16 |
| 21 Sep | 8 |
| 28 Sep | 11 |
| 5 Oct | 10 |
| 12 Oct | 10 |
| 19 Oct | 17 |
| 26 Oct | 8 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Product roles
88 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 21% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Netwealth | 4 | |
| Westpac Group | 4 | |
| CBA | 3 | |
| realestate.com.au Pty | 3 | |
| TPG Telecom | 3 | |
| Amazon | 2 | |
| ASSA ABLOY | 2 | |
| AustralianSuper | 2 |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology Product roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 106 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Payments 13%, Financial services 10%, Banking 9%. Certifications named: CSPO 2%, Professional Scrum Product Owner 2%, CIMA 1%. 3% of open roles say they are remote.
Cite this report