Commercial Director, Open Access China

About Springer Nature Group

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Company Overview

Springer Nature is a leading academic publishing company committed to advancing discovery and knowledge sharing. Our Open Access (OA) business is at the forefront of the industry, driving the transition to open research and ensuring that scientific findings are accessible to all.

Role Overview

As the Commercial Director, Open Access China, you will play a vital role in shaping the OA transition strategy and delivering on OA revenue for Springer Nature Greater China. Reporting into the VP OA, you will be responsible for overseeing the local OA commercial strategy in China, the largest OA market in terms of publications and revenue. In what is a matrixed role, you will work closely with the global and local business to ensure alignment and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Springer Nature’s regional OA transition strategy

• Working with colleagues across the different business areas to develop and oversee a plan of how the different OA growth and transition areas come together including, but not limited to Transformative Agreements, journal flipping and author choice activities.
• Understand the different dynamics influencing OA growth and the transition, including pricing, revenue per article, customer behaviour, journal metrics. Apply these to strategy and activity planning.

Local OA revenue performance:

• Monitor, synthesise and communicate revenue performance and behaviour across all OA lines including journals and books, vs budget and wider market.
• With support from specialised colleagues, analyse the performance of the local OA business in China, including revenue generation, pricing, payment approaches, market share, and customer satisfaction. Identify areas for improvement and suggest and support plans to implement strategies to optimise commercial performance and support OA business growth.
• With local and global colleagues, support with creation of China specific revenue budgets.
• Own and develop relationships with local external agents as relates to OA revenue and payments.

OA commercial strategy:

• Transformative agreements: working closely with global Director, OA Agreements and VP Sales, Greater China, identify and develop the best approach and models for the region to enable OA growth.
• Pricing: working closely with central pricing colleagues, strategically manage Article Processing Charges (APC), exploring innovative approaches such as regional pricing, waivers, discount codes, value-added services, business models and institutional OA membership schemes to maximise market share, accessibility, and sustainability.
• Review and agree on a range of commercial conditions for >200 local partner journals
• Product and platforms: working with local experts, ensure clear global understanding of customer needs as relates to OA commercial strategy, including payment methods, platform usage and future views to TA services.  Stay connected to global OA improvements to understand impact on local business.
• Identify and assess business market opportunities for OA in China as appropriate.
• Communicate to wider business our clear goals and commercial plans.
   

Collaborate with global and local teams:

• As part of the local China leadership team, you will work closely with local teams especially in publishing, sales, academic affairs and product to ensure seamless coordination and alignment of the local and global OA strategy.
• As part of the OA management team, you will work closely with wider OA leadership team and act as a local horizontal function, supporting global OA growth & policy
• Collaborate on business model migration, transformative agreements, and policy development to maximise the impact of OA initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally.

Policy & local market insights:

• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, developments, and regulatory changes in the local OA market in China. Use market insights to inform business decisions, identify new opportunities, and anticipate potential challenges.
• Work closely with global policy teams to influence business decisions that support market needs and developments.
   

Qualifications and Experience
 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., publishing, business, or related disciplines). Advanced degree preferred.
• Extensive experience in the academic publishing industry, with a focus on open access.
• Strong understanding of the OA landscape, including business models, transformative agreements, and policy developments.
• Proven track record in developing and executing successful commercial strategies in the Chinese market.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence key stakeholders. Experience of working within a global matrix organisation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent presentation skills, using PPT/ other to explain and influence strategies and business cases.
• Fluency in English and Chinese (both written and spoken) is required.

Additional Information
This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the future of Open Access publishing in China and contribute to Springer Nature's global success. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic and collaborative team, working at the forefront of the academic publishing industry.

If you are passionate about Open Access, have a strategic mindset, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our team and make a meaningful impact on the world of research and discovery.

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At Springer Nature, we value the diversity of our teams and work to build an inclusive culture, where people are treated fairly and can bring their differences to work and thrive. We empower our colleagues and value their diverse perspectives as we strive to attract, nurture and develop the very best talent. 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

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

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://careers.springernature.com/