Head of Strategic Partnerships, Europe

Job Title:  Head of Strategic Partnerships, Europe

Location: London - hybrid working model

Application Deadline: 8th November

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At Springer Nature, we recognise that talent is developed through a range of career paths. We encourage applications from individuals with strong transferable skills, provided they are supported by relevant experience that shows how those skills have been successfully applied in practice. Our hiring approach balances skills, experience, and potential to ensure each role is fulfilled with both short term effectiveness and long-term growth in mind.  

About the Role

The Strategic Partnerships team is part of Springer Nature's Commercial Partnerships business and provides publicly and privately funded institutions, foundations, government organisations, research institutes and academic institutions with solutions designed to support research excellence, scientific impact and global visibility.

As Head of Strategic Partnerships Europe, you will responsible for leading the Strategic Partnerships business across Europe, driving sustainable revenue growth, customer engagement and market expansion across academia, government, research institutions, funding agencies and foundations.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership for the European Strategic Partnerships team, with responsibility for developing and executing regional commercial strategy, achieving revenue and growth targets, and fostering a high-performance, customer-centric culture. You will lead a team of Strategic Partnerships Managers based in London and work closely with commercial, product, marketing, legal and operational stakeholders to maximise market opportunities and ensure a coherent go-to-market strategy. 

Reporting to the Commercial Director, Reputation Solutions, the Head of Strategic Partnerships Europe will play a key role in shaping the future direction of the business, influencing product development, strengthening customer relationships and contributing to the overall success of Commercial Partnerships globally.

This is a hybrid role based in London. This location supports effective collaboration with the team and aligns with business needs.

Role Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership & Growth - Market intelligence, Persuasion & Negotiation skills

• Develop and execute the Strategic Partnerships Europe commercial strategy to achieve sustainable revenue growth and market expansion.

• Own and deliver regional revenue, growth and profitability targets across the Strategic Partnerships portfolio.

• Drive strategic account development and business development activities across academic institutions, research organisations, government agencies, foundations and funding bodies.

• Identify emerging market opportunities, customer needs and competitive developments to inform business strategy.

• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with key clients, partners and influencers across the European research ecosystem.

• Lead high-value commercial negotiations and support the successful closure of strategic opportunities.
  

People Leadership & Team Development - Drives results & Accountability

• Lead, develop and inspire a team of Strategic Partnerships Managers across Europe.

• Foster a high-performance culture built on accountability, collaboration, inclusion and customer focus.

• Provide coaching, mentoring and professional development support to maximise individual and team performance.

• Develop succession plans and talent pipelines to support long-term business success.

• Ensure effective objective setting, performance management and career development planning for all direct reports.

Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Management - Consultative selling, Communicates effectively & Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Product, Marketing, Editorial, Legal, Operations and Finance teams to support commercial growth and customer success.

• Partner with the Director of Strategic Partnerships Americas and other commercial leaders to ensure alignment of strategy, customer engagement approaches, pricing and market positioning.

• Act as a senior ambassador for Strategic Partnerships across Springer Nature and externally within the research and funding communities.

• Provide market intelligence and customer insight to influence product innovation and commercial decision-making.

Product & Business Development - Product and service knowledge

• Contribute to the development and enhancement of the Strategic Partnerships product portfolio.

• Support the creation of innovative solutions that meet evolving customer and market needs.

• Work with cross-functional stakeholders to develop pricing strategies, commercial propositions and go-to-market plans.

• Ensure customer feedback and market insights are effectively incorporated into future product development initiatives.

Operational Excellence - Accountability

• Drive best practice in forecasting, pipeline management, CRM adoption and sales operations.

• Ensure rigorous management of commercial performance through the use of KPIs, reporting and data-driven decision-making.

• Develop annual business plans, budgets and growth forecasts for the European region.

• Monitor commercial performance and provide regular reporting, analysis and recommendations to senior leadership.

• Ensure compliance with commercial governance, contractual obligations and company policies.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications

Essential

• Significant commercial leadership experience within a complex B2B environment.

• A proven track record of delivering sustained revenue growth and achieving commercial targets.

• Demonstrated success in strategic account development and business development.

• Experience leading and developing high-performing sales or commercial teams.

• Experience selling consultative, solution-based products and services.

• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.

• Experience operating within international and matrix organisational environments.

• Experience influencing senior internal and external stakeholders.

• Strong understanding of forecasting, pipeline management and commercial operations.

• Experience selling sponsorship, content, marketing, research, thought leadership or partnership solutions is highly desirable.

• Experience with CRM platforms, particularly Salesforce, and commercial reporting systems.

• Strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking capability.

• Outstanding leadership and people management skills with proven ability to build high-performing, engaged teams.

• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

• Exceptional communication, influencing and negotiation abilities with strong presentation and public-speaking skills.

• High level of customer focus and consultative selling capability.

• Data-driven approach to decision-making and business management with strong financial planning and forecasting skills.

• Ability to lead change and influence across a matrix organisation.

• Knowledge of CRM and sales operations best practices.

• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

• Experience in the STM, academic publishing, research communications or adjacent sectors is advantageous.

• A qualification in science, business, marketing or a related discipline would be advantageous.

• Additional European languages would be advantageous.

At Springer Nature, our mission is to be part of progress – and that begins with inclusion: of people, perspectives, and ideas. We believe that diverse perspectives drive progress, and we are committed to creating an environment where people and ideas can flourish. If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation. Find out more about our DEI work here: https://group.springernature.com/gp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatureCareers/ 

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