Contract and Integrity Advisor

Springer Healthcare; New Delhi; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Springer Nature seeks a Contract and Integrity Advisor to support publishing editors with contract negotiations, rights, ethics and integrity evaluation for Books and Proceedings.

The role focuses on preventing research integrity breaches, applying COPE guidelines, and collaborating with the Research Integrity group to ensure compliant publishing practices.

Qualifications

• Experience in scholarly publishing.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with priorities and accuracy.
• Engage Editorial teams on new processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with strong prioritization.
• Experience in training teams or guiding others.

Responsibilities

• Support Editorial in executing processes and guidance per policies and strategies.
• Lead Editorial in addressing integrity and ethics issues using COPE guidelines.
• Develop specifications for tools to identify misconduct and guide investigations.
• Build a knowledge base on intellectual property to secure rights for content use.
• Advise on contracting and third-party permissions for books and proceedings.
• Communicate contractual policies to authors, editors and rights holders.
• Develop educational materials to promote ethical research and responsible AI use.
• Design and deliver training on research integrity and case management practices.

Skills

Scholarly publishing

Stakeholder engagement

Editorial process management

Communication skills

Training experience

Prioritization

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

MS Teams

Co-Pilot

Job description

Job Title: Contract and Integrity Advisor

Location: New Delhi

Job Summary

The Contract and Integrity Advisor within the Springer Nature Books Research Publishing group of Springer, Atlantis Press, Apress, Palgrave Macmillan brand portfolios supports publishing editors with contract negotiation, rights securement, peer review, publishing ethics and integrity evaluation of the content delivered by our authors and editors of Books and Proceedings.

The Advisor prevents concerns about research integrity and other breaches of publication ethics based on our policies and contractual relationships with authors and editors.

Responsibilities

• Support Editorial in executing processes and guidance in line with business policies and strategies, demonstrating Accountability and Decision Quality.
• Lead Editorial in acting upon research integrity and publishing ethics issues, using COPE guidelines and collaborating with the Research Integrity group as needed, applying Critical Scientific Evaluation and Legal Regulatory Advisory.
• Contribute to the development of specifications for technologies and digital tools designed to identify misconduct and guide in-depth investigations based on findings, demonstrating Creativity and Manages Complexity.
• Build and maintain a knowledge base on intellectual property to ensure Springer Nature secures the necessary rights for current and future content use, and to enable efficient contract negotiation by Editorial, providing Legal Regulatory Advisory.
• Advise on contracting and third-party permissions for Books and Proceedings, escalating where appropriate, demonstrating Decision Quality and Legal Regulatory Advisory.
• Support Editorial in communicating contractual business policies to external stakeholders (authors, editors, rightsholders, etc.), demonstrating Communicates Effectively and Persuasion.
• Develop educational materials for Book and Proceedings authors, editors, reviewers, and conference organizers to promote ethical research practices and the responsible use of AI in research and publishing, applying Creativity and Communicates Effectively.
• Design and deliver internal and external training for editors, reviewers, and conference organizers on research integrity issues and case management best practices, demonstrating Communicates Effectively and Persuasion.

Essential Experience, Skills and Qualifications

Essential

• Experience in scholarly publishing.
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, managing priorities with speed and accuracy.
• Strong engagement and motivational skills to bring Editorial teams on board with new processes.
• Organizational skills to handle multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey complex information clearly.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a hands-on approach and strong prioritization skills.
• Experience in training or guiding teams to develop their skills.

Desirable

• Understanding of Books and Proceedings publication processes, workflows, and internal systems.
• Experience in research compliance or academic ethics administration.
• Strong proficiency in tools such as PowerPoint, Excel, MS Teams, and Co-Pilot, with the ability to use them effectively for collaboration, analysis, and communication.
• Familiarity with research integrity issues in large-scale, multidisciplinary publishing programs.
• Ability to manage confidential investigations and communicate complex ethical issues with diplomacy.