Location: Berlin
About the job
Job Summary:
As a Business Engagement Manager in the Portfolio & Governance Office in our Springer Nature Technology group (CIO), you will be the expert on the business area you support - its priorities, challenges and opportunities .
For any Digital Product Development needs in Finance & Operations, you will work in lockstep with our Product Management group under the Chief Digital Office, taking alignment with the Digital Product Strategy as your starting point.
Acting as the strategic connector , you will then orchestrate the right people from across Technology teams to the table to kickstart portfolio and project planning, and to inform decision-making in our core Portfolio Governance bodies. You will remove friction and drive efficiency and effectiveness in cross-functional collaboration, and help business areas and product managers shape their strategies and ensure their portfolio's are compliant with key policies, regulations and standards – externally and internally.
By spotting and interpreting emerging business trends, you will also help inform and evolve our Technology strategy - ensuring that what we deliver is always relevant, impactful and forward-looking.
About your Business Partners - Finance & Operations:
For the Finance and Operations group functions, you will act as a strategic partner and business expert across a diverse portfolio of critical enterprise capabilities.
In Finance , this means understanding priorities in areas such as financial planning and analysis, controlling, tax services, compliance, financial shared services and risk management, ensuring Technology initiatives align with the function’s drive for accuracy, efficiency and insight.
In Operations , you will span multiple domains, including Customer Service, Production, the Competence Center for AI, Data & Analytics, General Affairs and Procurement.
You will work closely with leaders in these areas to align technology support with operational excellence, service quality and innovation goals - identifying opportunities to optimise workflows, enable data-driven decision-making and enhance customer and employee experiences. You will orchestrate cross-Technology collaboration for Finance and ensure that insights from these functions shape both operational strategies and the wider Technology strategy.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Partnership & Business Alignment:
In Digital Product Development , work in lockstep with the Product Managent Team - aligning first with their digital product strategy and key priorities before orchestrating the right Technology teams to kickstart portfolio and project planning and inform decision-making in Portfolio Governance bodies.
In Finance & Operations , partner closely with senior leaders and the Global Business Systems team to align Technology solutions with operational excellence, compliance and data-driven decision-making.
Champion Future of Work transformation , driving the adoption of AI, automation and other emerging technologies to reimagine processes, elevate productivity and future-proof business functions.
Lead strategic planning to strengthen end-to-end thinking across business capabilities, Technology capabilities, and data strategy , ensuring close alignment and co-creation with both Technology, Data and business teams.
Demand shaping & Portfolio alignment:
Align business, product and system demand within established portfolio, architecture, and governance processes.
Governance & Compliance Leadership:
Proactively embed governance, risk and compliance into business initiatives from the earliest stages, particularly in Finance , where accuracy, regulatory adherence, and audit readiness are critical.
Relationship Management & Influence:
Innovation & Future of Work:
Partner with Finance leadership and Technology teams to identify opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, automation and AI to streamline workflows, be more efficient and enable faster, smarter decision-making.
In collaboration with our Tech teams advise on emerging technologies that will modernise Finance operations and make the function future-proof - including intelligent process automation, self-service analytics, and advanced planning platforms.
Capability Development & Change Enablement:
What you will be doing:
In your first six months: Build a deep understanding of your business areas (Digital Product Development, Finance & Operations), forge trusted relationships, align closely with Product Management and the Global Business Systems team, and shape a clear engagement plan that connects business priorities, Technology strategy, and governance.
Day to day: Act as a strategic connector — translating business goals into Technology roadmaps, driving alignment across teams, resolving engagement challenges, and championing automation, AI, and data-driven innovation to modernise and future-proof your business partners’ functions.
About you
Your Experience:
Knowledge of Finance & Operations processes and systems (ERP, Tax Services, Procurement, data & analytics platforms) is a plus, but not essential.
Your Qualifications:
Uses data, insight, and structured frameworks to guide decisions, influence outcomes, and secure consensus.
