Senior Programme Manager (m/f/d)

1267 Springer Nature Limited; Berlin; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Springer Nature is seeking a Senior Programme Manager Operations to lead complex cross-functional initiatives across Berlin, Heidelberg or London. The role focuses on strategic operations, governance, and delivering impactful programs in a hybrid working environment.

You will collaborate with the COO Leadership Team and subject matter experts globally to drive execution, navigate ambiguity, and ensure delivery against plan.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and delivery track record across complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Start up, shape, lead and deliver projects within the Operations department ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Partner with sponsors to define scope, requirements and constraints with stakeholder alignment.
• Define, document and monitor deliverables and manage multiple workstreams and dependencies.
• Identify and mitigate risks, ensure tempo and momentum across portfolio.
• Create high-quality artefacts: roadmaps, status updates, risk registers, opportunity assessments.
• Ensure timely, relevant information to support decisions across all levels.
• Build and sustain stakeholder commitment and drive adoption of project objectives.
• Balance hands-on delivery with governance across a portfolio of initiatives.
• Support LT workshops and governance forums with strong collaboration.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

PMO

Cross-functional collaboration

English proficiency

Strategic thinking

Communication

Job description

Job Title

Senior Programme Manager Operations (m/f/d)

Location(s): Berlin, Heidelberg or London (Hybrid working model)

Closing date: 30th October 2026

Duration: 18 - 24 month secondment/fixed term contract

About Springer Nature

Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning.

We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit about.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature.

At Springer Nature, we recognise that great talent develops through many different 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.

The location(s) strategy of this role supports team structure and aligns business needs.

About Us

The role of Operations is to support our colleagues across all divisions and around the world. We provide services to and partner with our colleagues, from IT systems, production processes, procurement processes, customer service and fulfilment through to logistics and warehousing as well as managing the properties that we all work in, so that all of you are able to do your jobs working in the best environment.

We ensure the basic infrastructure is there and working smoothly to deliver our content to our customers. We also make sure we continuously assess and improve the processes behind all of this.

About the Role

You’re a strategic, but hands-on person with a passion for enabling impact at the intersection of technology and business. You thrive on connecting the dots between people, processes, and priorities. You are proactive, curious, and able to provide a calm outlook to those around you when things get hectic. You lead through influence, build trust quickly, and excel at cross-functional collaboration.

With a deep understanding of how to drive organizational change and develop teams, you’re comfortable navigating ambiguity and ensuring that strategic initiatives move from vision to execution.

As Senior Programme Manager Operations, you will (co-) lead initiatives, working closely with our Chief Operating Officer, the whole COO Leadership Team as well as key leaders and subject matter experts across our business. This is a unique opportunity to work at a senior leadership-level, having impact on the further development of a global function, learning and extending your own horizon and boost your career.

Are you ready to become part of a team that values flexibility, collaboration, and an agile mindset within a complex and dynamic environment?

Role Responsibilities

• Start up, shape, lead and deliver projects across the Operations department and in partnership with wider SN functions, ensuring successful delivery within agreed time, budget and quality parameters while demonstrating a strategic mindset and an action-oriented approach.
• Partner with initiative sponsors to define project scope, requirements and constraints, balancing competing priorities and stakeholder needs through strong stakeholder management and organisational savvy.
• Define, document and monitor project deliverables, managing complex workstreams and dependencies while maintaining focus on outcomes and execution.
• Build effective project teams by identifying the right contributors, securing resource commitments and fostering strong networks and collaboration across departments.
• Identify, assess and manage project risks and issues, demonstrating resilience and sound judgement to implement effective mitigation strategies and maintain project momentum.
• Create and maintain high-quality project artefacts, including roadmaps, status updates, risk registers and opportunity assessments, communicating complex information clearly and appropriately for audiences ranging from employees to the Supervisory Board.
• Ensure stakeholders receive timely, relevant and actionable information to support decision‑making, leveraging the ability to communicate effectively across all organisational levels.
• Build and sustain stakeholder commitment throughout the project lifecycle, demonstrating the ability to balance stakeholders, influence outcomes and drive adoption of project objectives.
• Combine hands‑on project delivery with governance support across a portfolio of initiatives, tracking risks, issues and overall portfolio health while effectively managing complexity.
• Support the planning and delivery of LT workshops and key COO & SN governance forums, applying strong collaboration, self‑awareness and organisational effectiveness to keep teams engaged and aligned.

About You

• Strong demonstrable relevant experience managing projects through the full lifecycle, from proposal to delivery and beyond.
• Proven leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
• The ability to work with a sponsor to set up a piece of work, focus on building an outcome and defining clearly requirements and constraints.
• Experience of working in a PMO environment or an understanding of the key functions of a PMO.
• Strong collaboration with multi‑discipline project teams of various sizes.
• Experience finding creative approaches to problem‑solving with the ability to focus on details while maintaining the 'big picture' view.
• The capability to ensure that the team's voices and challenges are heard and escalated.
• A broad understanding of different project management methodologies or frameworks and industry standard project management tools.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in English language and experience interacting with both business and IT individuals at all levels of the organisation.
• The ability to be super‑organised with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and switch context very quickly.
• Ability to navigate the complexities of an international corporate organisation.

Desirable

• An understanding of complexity and systems thinking.
• A proven ability to make progress and find a place to start in the face of ambiguity.
• An understanding of change management on business area level.
• Knowledge of operations & technology processes/practices, organisation structures and operating models.
• Experience using OKRs or similar frameworks to help teams define strategic objectives.

DEI

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

Job Posting End Date

31-10-2026

Additional Information

We are an ambitious and dynamic organisation, and home to some of the best-known names in research, educational and professional publishing. Working at the heart of a changing industry, we are always looking for great people who care about delivering quality to our customers and the communities we work alongside. In return, you will find that we open the doors to discovery for all our employees – offering opportunities to learn from some of the best in the business, with a culture that encourages curiosity and empowers people to find solutions and act on their instincts. Whether you are at the beginning of your career or an experienced professional, we invite you to find out more about the roles we offer and explore our current vacancies.

We are a global and progressive business, founded on a heritage of trusted and respected brands – including Springer, founded in 1842, Macmillan, founded in 1843 and Nature, first published in 1869. Nearly two centuries of progress and advancement in science and education have helped shape the business we are today. Research and learning continues to be the cornerstone of progress, and we will continue to open doors to discovery through trusted brands and innovative products and services.

Springer Nature Group was created in May 2015 through the combination of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media.