Principal Product Manager

Job Title: Principal Product Manager, Data and AI Solutions

Location(s): Heidelberg, Berlin or London

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 group.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup

About the Role

The Principal Product Manager, Data and AI Solutions, is a senior product management position responsible for driving Springer’s Data and AI product strategy. This role combines business development, product management, and technical leadership to establish sustainable revenue streams, expand strategic partnerships, and deliver innovative AI-driven solutions in content and IP licensing.

This role can be in our Heidelberg, Berlin or London offices on a hybrid working model.

Role Responsibilities:

• Strategic Product Management & Business Development
• Develop and execute product strategies for AI and IP licensing, aligning with current and future market needs.
• Build and maintain a comprehensive product roadmap for new business models in AI licensing.
• Conduct in-depth market analysis to identify opportunities, risks, and emerging trends in AI and digital licensing.
• Manage the full product lifecycle, from ideation through launch, evaluation, and iteration.
• Develop and validate commercial offerings, positioning, and pricing in partnership with customers and business development teams.
• Oversee technical development and integration of AI technologies into existing systems.

Business Development & Partnerships

• Work with commercial teams for AI licensing, establishing and growing sustainable revenue streams.
• Build and manage relationships with key AI companies, from Big Tech to startups, and liaise with commercial and marketing teams to expand SpringerNature’s Data and AI business.
• Structure and negotiate complex data licensing and strategic partnership agreements.

• Develop business cases for new partnership models, including ROI frameworks.

• Manage existing licensee accounts, report on partnership performance, and provide strategic recommendations.

• Represent SpringerNature at industry events as an ambassador for our AI initiatives.

Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with legal, sales, content, technology, and operations teams to ensure successful implementation of licensing agreements and product launches.

• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to align product vision with organizational goals and customer needs.

• Promote SpringerNature’s role in the evolving AI landscape and design vertical-specific AI applications in target disciplines.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure generative AI licensing and applications comply with ethical norms and industry standards for integrity, bias, and safety.

• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies for AI applications.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in product management with a commercial outlook in AI, technology, or SaaS sectors.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing complex partnership deals, especially in content or data licensing.
• Strong technical background and experience with new product development and market launches.
• In-depth knowledge of academic publishing, research integrity, and content licensing is preferred.
• Established network in the AI ecosystem, including connections to large AI developers and startups, is a plus.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and comfortable with ambiguity; able to operate as a player-coach.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and product management tools (Aha, Jira) preferred.
• Strong analytic skills, comfortable with A/B testing and data-driven decision-making.

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

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

#LI-EP1

#J-18808-Ljbffr