Global Open Research Specialist

The Open Research Support Specialist supports authors with all customer service queries related to Open Access (OA) publishing, in close consultation with the Journal Editorial Office, Finance, Production teams and the Open Access Policy teams at Springer Nature. They work with stakeholders to assist with solutions to author queries - typically post-acceptance, supporting authors through the Open Access payment process, and dealing with policy, licensing and other payment queries. They are responsible for providing support throughout authors’ interactions with Springer Nature Open Access workflows, working with vendor teams to develop workflows and processes, and streamlining and developing the author experience. They are expected to develop a basic understanding of the peer review and publication process and to provide expert customer service to internal teams and external contacts concerning Open Access processes and workflows. The Open Research Support team is currently split between Tokyo and London, so the successful candidate will be collaborating across time zones. 
 

Main Duties:

Handle Article Processing Charge (APC) queries across the journals publication pipeline, supporting vendor teams with difficult queries.  

• Timely and professional response to author requests  

• Maintain documentation and records about APC workflows and processes 

• Create and interpret reports of volume and query types as required 

• Communicate updates to Springer Nature Customer Service (SNCS) Management teams 

• Work with policy teams and stakeholders as appropriate 

• Keep SNCS teams and Straive up to date with any policy changes and updates 

• Feedback to Straive TQA and Team Leaders on training opportunities and create materials where required. 

• Feedback to SNCS management with details of issues encountered and resolved, and suggest procedural changes to eradicate inefficiencies 

• Ensure timely completion of administrative tasks and take responsibility for consistent and compliant application of policy driven instructions 

• Work on continuous improvement projects in line with the strategic direction of the department 

• Update satisfaction survey feedback to analyse pain points and identify opportunities for improvements self-service, automations and continuous improvement 

• Work with Publishing, Editorial and Production teams to support authors and understand business needs 

Core skills: 

• Highly organised - e.g. able to schedule multiple priorities, stick to deadlines and manage time sufficiently 

• Detail oriented 

• Computer literate - understands common software (e.g. Microsoft Office suite) and gains new software skills quickly 

• Experience of providing high-quality customer service 

• Excellent communication skills (in English language) 

• Experience of identifying issues and using own initiative to suggest solutions 

• An interest in ethical processes and principles and a motivation towards best-practice excellence 

• Embraces change with a positive attitude 

• Comfortable working in a global team 

Desirable: 

• A background or interest in science, publishing, finance or other relevant experience 

• Understanding of the Open Access landscape 

• Experience working with vendor teams 

• Japanese speaking (if based in Tokyo) preferable but not essential  

• Experience working with Freshdesk 

• Project management interest or experience 

• Graduates are welcome to apply. 

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/diversi….

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/

#LI-MN1