Director of Innovation

Sanoma Spain is seeking a strategic Head / Director of New Business Development and Innovation to join its Executive Committee in a newly created role reporting directly to the CEO. This executive will play a critical role in identifying, developing, and executing new business opportunities that align with Sanoma Spain’s long-term growth strategy, with the objective of expanding and diversifying the company's portfolio beyond its current core business.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement a comprehensive new business development strategy, aligned with Sanoma Spain’s strategic vision and growth objectives.

• Lead and build a high-performing new business development team, focused on identifying and capturing opportunities in adjacent market niches.

• Drive innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset across the organization, leveraging current assets and capabilities to create scalable, future-oriented business models.

• Conduct market research and trend analysis to uncover emerging opportunities, assess the competitive landscape, and identify potential growth areas.

• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and industry influencers to explore strategic alliances and partnerships.

• Lead cross-functional teams in the execution of new business initiatives, ensuring strategic alignment and timely delivery.

• Prepare and present business cases with financial projections and risk assessments to senior management.

• Negotiate strategic partnerships and monetization models based on AI, digital content, or other scalable models.

• Track, monitor, and report on the performance of new initiatives, adjusting strategies to maximize impact and success.

• Stay abreast of industry trends, innovations, and emerging technologies relevant to the edtech, media, and digital content sectors.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or related field.

• MBA or similar postgraduate degree preferred.

• 7–10+ years of experience in business development, strategic planning, or innovation leadership.

• Experience in edtech, media, or digital content sectors is highly desirable.

• Open to candidates from strategic consulting firms with deep knowledge in edtech and a pragmatic, hands-on approach.

• Experience in AI-driven content monetization in adjacent sectors will be considered a strong asset.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and financial modeling skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams in a collaborative, non-hierarchical environment.

• Proven track record of driving new revenue streams and business models from ideation to execution.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

• Fully fluent in English and Spanish.

About Sanoma Learning

How do you prepare students for the world, engage their curiosity and inspire them to grow? That is the main question of teachers all around the world. At Sanoma Learning, it has always been our mission to help to find and develop best-in-class answers to this question. If you join us, it means that you embark on an exciting journey to help shape the future of learning for primary, secondary and vocational education. We believe that your journey is our success as a company.
Sanoma Learning is a leading K12 European learning company, operating in 12 countries. Our learning products and services enable and support teachers and schools to develop the talents of every child to reach their potential. By offering printed and digital learning content, as well as digital learning and teaching platforms for primary, secondary and vocational education, we want to grow our positive impact on learning across Europe. With over 3000 employees, we help shape the future of education for 25+ million of students.
So, are you ready to start your journey to help shape the future of learning and help teachers to support all students to reach their potential?
Sanoma Learning is an equal opportunity employer; we are committed to inclusion and diversity, ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristics.