Research integrity lead

Wat ga je doen?

The Research Integrity Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for research integrity and publishing ethics across the Health Research journals portfolio. This role establishes and embeds best‑practice frameworks to prevent, detect and manage integrity risks throughout the publication lifecycle, including paper mills, peer‑review manipulation, data and image fabrication and AI misuse. Acting as a central expert function, the role advises senior publishing leadership, supports editors and publishers in complex cases and ensures consistent, transparent and proportionate responses aligned with COPE and industry standards. The Research Integrity Lead drives the effective use of integrity screening tools, oversees policy development and training, represents the organization in cross‑industry initiatives, and promotes a culture of preventive integrity to safeguard the credibility of the scholarly record.

Job Description

As the Research Integrity Lead, you are responsible for setting, embedding, and operationalizing best‑practice approaches to research integrity and publishing ethics across the journal portfolio. The role provides subject‑matter leadership on integrity risks (e.g. paper mills, manipulated peer review, image and data manipulation, AI misuse), ensures consistent and proportionate responses to integrity concerns, and represents the organization externally in industry initiatives.

The role operates as a center‑of‑expertise function, working closely with Publishing, Legal and Operations teams. Initially, this position does not include line management responsibility but is expected to exert influence through expertise, governance and collaboration.

This role contributes to safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record throughout the publication lifecycle. 

Wat vragen wij?

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in STM publishing, research integrity, publication ethics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in research integrity and publishing ethics, including misconduct investigations, pre‑ and post‑publication actions, and complex judgement‑based cases.
• Strong working knowledge of COPE Core Practices, STM guidance, and standard correction and retraction workflows.
• Experience advising or working with editors, publishers, legal and operations teams on sensitive integrity issues.
• Proven ability to operate effectively without formal authority, influencing through expertise and credibility.
• Availability to travel globally (<10%).

Wat bieden wij?

• Advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in a Health or Medical discipline, research methods, information science, or related field.
• Participation in cross‑industry integrity initiatives or working groups.
• Experience implementing or overseeing integrity screening tools and portfolio‑level policies.
• Prior experience in a publisher, editorial leadership, or research administration environment.