Business Engagement Manager - Finance & Operations

Job Title: Business Engagement Manager - Finance & Operations

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:

• Serve as the primary Technology partner for your designated business areas, acting as a strategic tech advisor and catalyst for value creation. 

• 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 Technology’s value proposition while ensuring all initiatives meet Enterprise Architecture, Governance and Compliance standards. 

• 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. 

• Promote Technology’s value proposition while ensuring all initiatives meet enterprise architecture, governance, and compliance standards. 

Demand shaping & Portfolio alignment:

• Align business, product and system demand within established portfolio, architecture, and governance processes. 

• Collaborate with IT Portfolio Management, Enterprise Architecture, Governance and the Global Business Systems team to ensure seamless management across the full portfolio lifecycle. 

• Provide data-driven insights and strategic recommendations to strengthen corporate planning cycles, investment decisions and Finance transformation roadmaps. 

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. 

• Partner with IT Governance and Security to prepare for and support audits, mitigate risks and maintain regulatory readiness. 

Relationship Management & Influence:

• Build and sustain trusted, senior-level relationships across Business, Product Management and Technology functions. 

• Act as the bridge and translator between non-technical and technical teams, ensuring clarity, alignment and shared purpose. 

• Be the voice of the business within Technology - and of Technology within the Business. 

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. 

• Act as a connector between business needs and the Competence Center for AI, Data & Analytics to ensure Finance and Operations teams can leverage cutting-edge capabilities and have future-ready data management. 

• Champion a culture of Future of Work innovation, encouraging adoption of new tools and approaches that improve productivity, compliance and customer experience. 

Capability Development & Change Enablement:

• Champion strategic change initiatives that position Technology as a driver of business transformation. 

• Strengthen the Business Engagement Manager discipline by standardising approaches, sharing best practices and uplifting capability maturity. 

• Foster a culture of transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement that to accelerate outcomes and deliver on our promise of being a reliable and trusted partner 
   

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:

• 10+ years in IT and strong experience in strategy or business relationship management, ideally in global, matrixed organisations. 

• Knowledge of Finance & Operations processes and systems (ERP, Tax Services, Procurement, data & analytics platforms) is a plus, but not essential. 

• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and guide strategy-aligned Technology decisions without direct solutioning or delivery ownership 

• Strong understanding of corporate structures, the complexity of a global IT operating model and how to navigate them effectively. 

• Experience partnering with senior leaders to shape and cascade strategy in complex, cross-functional environments. 

Your Qualifications:

• Brings business acumen and a strategic mindset, translating business goals into Technology opportunities that deliver long-term value. 

• Builds trusted relationships at all levels, using influence, credibility and emotional intelligence to drive alignment. 

• Communicates complex Technology topics clearly, tailoring messages for both business and technical audiences. 

• Drives strategic change and continuous improvement, constructively challenging the status quo to elevate Technology’s impact. 

• Navigates complexity and ambiguity with composure, balancing competing priorities without relying on formal authority. 

• Anticipates emerging business needs and market shifts, positioning Technology as a proactive, forward-looking partner. 

• Breaks down silos and fosters cross-functional collaboration, aligning diverse teams around shared outcomes. 

• Acts as a curious, proactive self-starter, spotting opportunities and driving innovation and value delivery. 

• Facilitates strategic dialogue between business stakeholders and Technology teams to align on priorities and trade-offs. 

• Uses data, insight, and structured frameworks to guide decisions, influence outcomes, and secure consensus. 

• Handles difficult conversations and escalations with confidence, empathy, and diplomacy - protecting relationships while staying aligned to strategic priorities. 

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