Head of Collections Management and Acquisition

Job Title: Head of Collections Management and Acquisition

Location: London

Closing date: September 1st, 2024

The Head of Collections Management and Acquisition is responsible for leading a team (20 to 25 people) to acquire high-value content in close collaboration with the applicable journal teams. The team will build global subject-based collections within specific disciplines, particularly in our Springer Nature Journals portfolio, and grow submissions and published articles via targeted outreach to help deliver sustainable content growth in alignment with journal development priorities.

The responsibilities include:

1. Lead a Commissioning and Project Management team

• Recruit highly qualified and motivated people into Commissioning Editor and Managing Editor roles
  
• Ensure that the team is onboarded and trained to a high standard
  
• Energize team members to meet clear objectives and expectations for delivery
  
• Instill a performance-focused culture that supports reliable delivery of targets
  
• Report on progress toward targets and goals
  
• Engage regularly with your team members via the formal performance review processes that focus both on targets, achievements and personal development
  
• Creating a positive environment that drives high engagement levels within the team
  

2. Deliver and input into the strategy for building content via Collections

• Align with the journal owners on content development planning and agree projects to bring forward
  
• Control performance of collections at all stages of their lifecycle to feed into development of a framework for how to grow content with collections
  
• Control collections performance to determine how to maximize the output of collections activity by targeting the greatest opportunity journals
  
• Control the performance of the end-to-end collections process itself to effect continuous improvements and identify where innovation is needed or would be impactful
  
• Test and implement newly defined strategies and improvement initiatives
  

3. Recruit and manage Guest Editors

• Recruit and train Guest Editors to ensure appropriate content handling
  
• Develop strong relationships with Guest Editors
  
• Drive engagement and high level of satisfaction within the Guest Editors community in close collaboration with the Editor Engagement and Marketing teams
  

4. Support the development of tools needed to reliably deliver Collections content at scale

• Work with the Analytics Centre of Excellence to optimize the performance and usage of machine learning technology aimed at identifying and inviting the best potential authors on your journal portfolio
  
• Work with the Analytics Centre of Excellence to optimize the expansion of automatic collection topic identification
  
• Work with the Submission and Peer Review system team to optimize the management and delivery of collections content
  
• Work with Product & Platform Group to optimize delivery of Collections content on our platforms
  

5. Work with key internal stakeholders to ensure the goals of the Collections Management and Acquisition team are achieved and the needs of our research communities are met

• Build close working relationships with Publishing teams to ensure all requirements and perspectives are shared
  
• Build close working relationships with other internal divisions as needed e.g. Product & Platform group, Technology, Production, Customer Service, etc.
  

Experience, skills and qualifications:

• Professional line management skills
  
• Experience of working with editorial and publishing teams
  
• Proven ability to train and develop staff members within their role and within the organization
  
• Motivated and capable of planning, leading and delivering results
  
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders for programme delivery
  
• Track record of working with different nationalities and cultures
  
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build both internal and external relationships
  
• The flexibility to work with a varied workload, often under pressure
  
• Flexibility to travel when needed
  
• Knowledge and experience of the world of science
  
• Experience of the organizational complexities in a matrix organization
  

Applicants should send:

• A cover letter that conveys their interest and motivation for the role and indicates salary expectations,
  
• A CV (which should include a brief account of the applicant's research accomplishments and of other relevant experience)
  

Candidates will be considered on an on-going basis. Early applications are encouraged.

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.

Support networks that focus on fostering dialogue around diversity, community building, advice and advocacy

• Wellbeing initiatives to support in maintaining a healthy work life balance
  
• 24-hour access to our learning and development platform LEAP and LinkedIn Learning to help develop your skills
  
• A fantastic benefits package
  

Further information about life at Springer Nature, hybrid working and the range of benefits available in your preferred location will be shared during the interview process.

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