Research Integrity Adviser

Role: Research Integrity Adviser

Location: Heidelberg, Dordrecht or London

Closing date: Wednesday 4th November 2026

Research integrity and publication ethics are at the heart of everything we do. Springer Nature strives to share outstanding and robust research. With the help of our external academic editors and peer reviewers, we aim to publish high-quality research that the research community can rely on. That is why Springer Nature is investing heavily in research integrity. We take a positive and proactive approach to preventing and addressing potential research integrity concerns, both by investing in technology, and by investing in our industry-leading team of research integrity experts. Springer Nature’s Research Integrity Group (RIG) supports all Springer Nature journals, books and databases in preventing and addressing concerns about research integrity and other breaches of publication ethics. We investigate research integrity cases and provide best-practice action plans to ensure that we maintain the integrity of the published record. 

This is a unique opportunity to step into a new role for someone who is demonstrable research integrity experience and is keen to develop further as part of a brand-new team. You will be part of a growing and industry-leading research integrity team. Doing this job at Springer Nature means you can make a difference where it matters.

• Rapidly triage and evaluate research integrity and publication ethics cases across journals, books, and other Springer Nature products, demonstrating strong decision quality and sound judgment while assessing potential legal and reputational risks for all stakeholders.
• Investigate complex and sensitive research integrity cases using a wide variety of tools, applying scientific comprehension and the ability to manage complexity when assessing concerns raised by internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate effectively with in-house editors and external Editors-in-Chief to determine whether concerns undermine the reliability of the published record, ensuring high-quality, accountable decisions and recommending appropriate actions.
• Utilize a broad suite of in-house and external investigative tools and detectors to assess and validate research integrity concerns, taking an action-oriented approach to drive timely outcomes.
• Provide best-practice advice and structured action plans to internal staff and external editors, ensuring clear communication and promoting consistent, high-quality case resolution.
• Communicate complex ethics concepts clearly and concisely—both in writing and verbally (including phone/video calls)—demonstrating strong communication effectiveness across diverse audiences.
• Manage and resolve conflict situations between stakeholders with professionalism and resilience, fostering collaboration and maintaining constructive relationships.
• Maintain a strong and current understanding of the evolving publication ethics landscape, proactively identifying emerging issues and contributing to continuous improvement of policies and workflows.
• Ensure all work complies with Springer Nature policies, COPE guidelines, and industry best practices, demonstrating a high level of accountability and integrity.
• Manage a high-volume workload, reprioritizing effectively as urgent issues arise, demonstrating strong project management, resilience, and the ability to work under pressure.
• Lead and manage multiple large-scale investigations concurrently, working collaboratively with team members and stakeholders to drive cases toward resolution.
• Project manage individual and large cases in partnership with the Research Integrity Support Team, ensuring adherence to Standard Operating Procedures and achievement of Key Performance Indicators through strong ownership and accountability.
• Maintain accurate and well-organized case files, project plans, and reporting metrics, demonstrating disciplined case management and attention to detail.
• Initiate, manage, and contribute to team-wide projects that support the objectives of the Research Integrity Group, applying strong project management and action-oriented execution.
• Contribute subject matter expertise to the development and enhancement of research integrity tools and technologies.
• Support broader initiatives related to compliance with ethical policies and guidelines, including policy and technology development, research projects, and journal audits.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, tools, and processes, driving efficiencies and accelerating case resolution through proactive problem-solving.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of research integrity training materials for internal staff and external editors.
• Deliver remote or onsite presentations and workshops, communicating effectively to build awareness and capability in research integrity practices.
• Represent the Research Integrity Group externally, promoting its work through blogs, industry events, and editorial board meetings, demonstrating collaboration and strong professional presence.
• Actively participate in team meetings, demonstrating accountability by following through on assigned actions and commitments.
• Proactively engage in relevant projects that support personal development as well as team objectives, demonstrating resilience, growth mindset, and continuous learning.

Essential

• Educated to graduate level in STEM, HSS, publishing, research ethics or a related field; advanced degree or equivalent professional experience desirable. 

• Demonstrable knowledge of academic publishing, scholarly publication workflows, editorial decision-making processes, and the systems, tools and databases used to support publication ethics investigations. 

• Strong understanding of publication ethics and research integrity principles, including COPE guidance, corrections and retractions, authorship concerns, peer review manipulation, paper mills, image integrity, plagiarism, conflicts of interest and related misconduct issues. 

• Experience assessing complex or sensitive evidence, identifying editorial, reputational and legal risks, and formulating clear, proportionate, evidence-based recommendations. 

• Excellent analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to recognize patterns across individual cases and large-scale investigations, distinguish substantiated concerns from weak evidence, and apply sound judgment in ambiguous situations. 

• Ability to manage multiple complex cases or projects simultaneously, prioritize effectively in response to urgent or emerging issues, and maintain momentum while ensuring accuracy, consistency and procedural compliance. 

• Strong stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to build effective working relationships with internal editorial colleagues, external Editors-in-Chief, authors, reviewers and other stakeholders of varying seniority and experience. 

Desirable

• Confident communicator with excellent written and verbal English, able to explain complex ethics concepts clearly, tactfully and persuasively in writing, meetings, calls, training sessions and external-facing contexts. 

• Ability to handle conflict, sensitive correspondence and challenging stakeholder interactions professionally, calmly and with appropriate escalation when needed. 

• High level of computer literacy, including strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, and confidence using investigative tools, databases, detection technologies and case-management systems. 

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to maintain accurate case files, project plans, records and statistics to support reporting, auditability and continuity. 

• Proactive approach to continuous improvement, with the ability to identify workflow inefficiencies, contribute to policy and tool development, and support training or knowledge-sharing initiatives. 

• Collaborative, resilient and adaptable, with a positive approach to problem-solving and the ability to work well under pressure in a rapidly evolving research integrity landscape. 

Note for candidates in the Netherlands: As per our local policy, please be aware that this role will be open only for internal candidates within the first 2 weeks. Afterwards, external applications will be progressed

At Springer Nature, our mission is to be part of progress – and that begins with inclusion: of people, perspectives, and ideas. We believe that diverse perspectives drive progress, and we are committed to creating an environment where people and ideas can flourish. If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation. Find out more about our DEI work here https://group.springernature.com/gp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion    

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatureCareers/ 

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Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are pioneers in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit about.springernature.com and @SpringerNature.  

At Springer Nature, we recognise that talent is developed through a range of career paths. We encourage applications from individuals with strong transferable skills, provided they are supported by relevant experience that shows how those skills have been successfully applied in practice. Our hiring approach balances skills, experience, and potential to ensure each role is fulfilled with both short-term effectiveness and long-term growth in mind.   

The location strategy of this role supports team structure and aligns business needs.