Head of Content Innovation (m/w/d)

Job title: Head of Content Innovation (m/w/d)

Locations: Heidelberg, London or Pune

Terms: Full-time, fixed term: April 1st - December 31st, 2025

Application deadline: ongoing; we encourage early submissions.

About Springer Nature Group

Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 180 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities - enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow. Visit and

The Content Innovation Team Mission

We transform the scholarly publishing experience by integrating human expertise with advanced technologies.

We deliver scalable and personalised content solutions which drive growth and impact across the research lifecycle.

We make research content generation, evaluation, and consumption an innovation positive experience for researchers, reviewers, and editors.

About the role:

Drive the creation of new content types, research experiences and publishing workflows that will enable greater and more rapid growth and development of Springer Nature's Research Publishing. You quickly build prototypes for the Research group working closely together with relevant Research Publishing business units to scale new solutions upon handover. Your strong expertise, knowledge and background in Research Publishing, strategy and reporting are critical to success in this role.

This role can be in our Heidelberg, London or Pune offices on a hybrid working model.

Key Responsibilities:

Discover - work closely with customers, partners, and colleagues to identify new opportunities for greater revenue growth, better serving the needs of research(ers)

Undertake research, monitor new trends, technologies and techniques to understand and consider all possibilities

Engage with research communities, track early career researcher needs

Track competitors, work with market research, editorial, and technology colleagues

Develop - be a leader in the content innovation process and team

Apply a rapid, agile process of content design which includes testing, refining and application

Design new content meeting both human and machine-readable application needs

Contribute to developing tools supporting editorial workflows

Plan - work closely with publishing and editorial, technology, and the commercial teams to plan new opportunities

Work with commercial and strategic marketing colleagues to establish business models

Develop implementation strategies considering technological and human factors

Implement - transition implementation responsibilities to relevant business unit

Work with relevant business units to transition implementation and scaling

Provide advisory support and training during handover

Develop formal documentation for transitions

Leadership - contribute actively to the Springer Nature leadership team to develop, agree and communicate a strategic narrative that we will use to guide and inspire the entire group.

Contribute to strategic narrative and content innovation purpose

Foster a culture supporting cross-functional collaboration

Drive diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Content Innovation team

Required skills and experience:

• Technical expertise

Strong knowledge of design thinking and consumer perspective

Experience working with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

• Professional background

Proven expertise in Research and Research Publishing strategy

Successful track record delivering innovative content

Significant experience in digital content and community interaction

Experience building successful investment cases

Knowledge of scientific research world (desirable)

• Stakeholder and management skills

Ability to manage multiple stakeholders

Experience implementing strategies in complex organizations

Track record working across geographies and cultures

Experience presenting to senior management

Excellent internal and external relationship-building skills

• Individual attributes

Self-starter with results-focused approach

Comfortable with less structured functions

Excellent analytical and communication skills

Flexibility to work varied workload under pressure

Ability to travel regularly

• Personal Characteristics

Innovative mind-set

Creativity to implement transformative content solutions

Performance-driven approach

Intellectual confidence to challenge status quo

Please apply sending your CV. We encourage early applications.

At Springer Nature, we value the diversity of our teams and work to build an inclusive culture, where people are treated fairly and can bring their differences to work and thrive. We empower our colleagues and value their diverse perspectives as we strive to attract, nurture and develop the very best talent.

Springer Nature was awarded Diversity Team of the Year at the 2022 British Diversity Awards. Find out more about our DEI work here

If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation.

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit