Job Description

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 follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup

Job Title: Academic Affairs Manager, Africa

Date: Nov 1, 2023

Location: Midrand, South Africa

Company: Springer Nature Group

Purpose of the Role

To proactively and systematically engage with key academic stakeholder organisations in Africa in order to understand their needs, influence their decisions and profile Springer Nature as constructive partners for collaboration. The Academic Affairs Manager will also share responsibility for helping coordinate the outreach efforts of senior stakeholders across the Springer Nature Research Publishing division and the broader company. Supporting and working closely with the VP Academic Affairs, s/he will manage and coordinate mechanisms for building relationships, tracking funder policies and communicating/disseminating relevant information collated internally and externally.

Responsibilities

Manage and track relations with a subset of target organizations

As directed by VP Academic Affairs, systematically build contacts and regularly liaise with a defined subset of target organizations in Africa, including funders, institutions and other organizations with overlapping interests/responsibilities such a policy-making bodies

Build a systematic understanding of key stakeholders within the target organizations, their responsibilities and the command structure among them

Represent to these organizations the breadth of areas of common interest with SN (including those relevant to SN services etc), our thought leadership activities in such areas and our constructive, open-minded and progressive approach to collaboration in such areas

Contribute regular updates of all interactions with contacts to the VP and other Academic Affairs stakeholders as required and the Academic Affairs CRM

Manage and collate data on funders, governmental and institutional stakeholders and our relationships with them

Manage, maintain and iteratively improve a database that provides a prioritized summary of global funders, governmental research institutes, higher education institutions and other key organizational stakeholders

Develop and manage tactics and strategies for systematically establishing and sharing connections between funders and relevant parts of the SN organization, including Journals, Books, research solutions and sales; identify and facilitate initiatives that leverage SN expertise and capabilities

Coordinate funder/institution policy tracking

Based on SN staff knowledge and contact with research ecosystem stakeholders, help develop and manage a repository of policies in relevant areas (eg research assessment) that can be accessed by a range of relevant Springer Nature functions

Help cross reference this resource with Springer Nature public policy stakeholders to understand how government policy is impacting or will impact future funder policy

Disseminate learning internally

Manage mechanisms to disseminate key findings from funder interactions to stakeholders across SN, potentially including but not limited to a funder relations stakeholder Hive group, a monthly funder trends newsletter and ad hoc webinars/ blogposts.

Complete strategic analyses of funder policy trends as required and make recommendations based on these for funder relation priorities and broader company strategies

Coordinate relationships and approaches across Springer Nature

Help VP AA to ensure that funder outreach efforts across Springer Nature are coordinated. Work closely with other parts of Springer Nature that have contact with research ecosystem organisations, including Institutional Sales, Institutional Partnerships, Journals, Books and senior management, to ensure optimal coordination of funder interactions

Help develop and maintain the system(s) deployed to manage key contacts and interactions in order to coordinate messaging and avoid duplication of effort

Experience/Skills and Qualification

Experience:

• Experience working in in academic communication, research funding or research publishing

• Demonstratable track record of working with key institutional or funder contacts

• In-depth understanding of research culture and the academic frameworks in Africa

• Extensive knowledge of and experience with the research landscape

• Experience and/or understanding and willingness to learn about the strategic imperatives in scholarly publishing

• Implementing projects and hitting deadlines

Skills/Knowledge:

• Excellent relationship-building skills and knowledge of different internal functions and priorities

• Keen interest in understanding, and monitoring, key developments in funder landscape and scholarly communications

• Proven strategic abilities and ability to adapt tactical implementation to changing circumstances/priorities

• Attention to detail

• Thorough understanding of the needs of key customers

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Strong presentation skills

• Highly self-motivated, resourceful and achievement oriented

• Good collaboration skills and ability to work with cross functional teams to achieve company goals

• Good level of skills in data and statistical analysis

• Attention to detail in anticipating and ensuring that key aspects of performance and of new initiatives

proceed as they should.

Qualifications:

• A first degree (or equivalent experience)

Closing Date: 17 November 2023

Springer Nature is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty and wish to submit your application in an alternative format or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments during the application and interview process, please get in touch either by phone on +44 (0)207 014 4020 or by email SpringerNatureUKCareers@springernature.com so we can make any necessary arrangements.

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

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

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit

.

Springer Nature