Senior Program Manager

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 group.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup

Who we are

At Springer Nature AI Labs (SNAIL), we’re shaping the future of scientific publishing through responsible, human-centered AI. Our team is at the forefront of integrating advanced AI technologies to optimize processes and enhance the user experience for researchers and academics worldwide. We value a collaborative work environment where ideas flourish, and innovation is encouraged. With our curiosity-driven, impact-first culture, we focus on delivering AI innovation at scale always with integrity and in close collaboration across functions. Our commitment to long-term growth ensures that our people are nurtured and developed to reach their full potential.

Who you are

You’re a strategic and delivery-focused leader 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 bring clarity to complexity. With a deep understanding of AI-driven innovation, you’re comfortable navigating ambiguity and ensuring that strategic initiatives move from vision to execution.

You lead through influence, build trust quickly, and excel at cross-functional collaboration. You are excited by the opportunity to build program management maturity within a fast-moving and high-performing AI environment—and you’re eager to be part of a team that values curiosity, experimentation, and authenticity.

As Senior Program Manager, you will:

• Drive Strategic Execution: Lead the coordination and delivery of our AI program portfolio across innovation, R&D, and production initiatives.

• Build Operating Excellence: Introduce frameworks and tools to streamline planning, tracking and stakeholder communication across a diverse, global team.

• Enable Team Fluency: Act as a bridge between AI innovation and product delivery; ensuring insights, learnings and technologies flow across the AI lifecycle.

• Foster Collaboration: Partner with engineering, data, product, UX and business leads to align roadmaps and manage interdependencies.

• Own Program Governance: Lead program rituals (steering groups, retros, risk reviews), report on progress and support resourcing decisions across strategic initiatives.

• Champion Culture & Communication: Help codify ways of working, encourage cross-team alignment, and support team rituals that reflect our values.

This role is a key part of amplifying the impact of AI at Springer Nature and bringing our strategy to life. You’ll work at the heart of a team that’s redefining what responsible, impactful AI looks like in the world of research.

Must-Have Qualifications

Experience

• 6+ years of experience in program management or portfolio delivery, ideally in AI, data science or R&D-heavy tech environments.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations with global, distributed teams.

• Experience in agile/hybrid delivery environments, with tools like Jira, Confluence, or Notion.

Skills & Mindset

• Strategic thinker with strong operational instincts; able to translate vision into actionable roadmaps and outcomes.

• Exceptional communicator with the ability to synthesize complexity and tailor messaging to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Bias for action, grounded in curiosity and customer focus. You know how to start small, iterate, and scale.

• A strong sense of ownership and authenticity; you do what you say, and you bring others along with empathy and clarity.

Nice-To-Have

• Familiarity with the AI development lifecycle, including research, experimentation, deployment and MLOps.

• Experience working with or within publishing, research, or academic sectors.

By joining Springer Nature, you will actively contribute to the development and implementation of AI solutions that drive the future of scientific publishing. As a leader, you will guide your team to innovate and grow, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in AI. Join us as we pioneer the future of scientific publishing through artificial intelligence.

Internal applicants: We encourage that you speak to your manager once the interview process has started. At the point of offer acceptance, it is required that you inform your manager.  If for any reason you’re unable to do so, please contact HR who can provide guidance as required.

At Springer Nature we value the diversity of our teams. We recognize the many benefits of a diverse workforce with equitable opportunities for everyone. We strive for an inclusive workplace that empowers all our colleagues to thrive. Our search for the best talent fully encompasses and embraces these values and principles. Springer Nature was awarded Diversity Team of the Year at the 2022 British Diversity Awards. 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://careers.springernature.com/

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