Research Integrity Lead

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. 

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain a clear, proportionate research integrity framework, covering pre‑publication screening, investigations and post‑publication actions.

• Translate high‑level integrity principles into operational guidance, escalation pathways and decision frameworks usable by publishers and editors.

• Advise senior publishing leadership and individual publishers on emerging integrity risks, resourcing needs and reputational exposure.

• Act as a senior advisor on complex or high‑risk integrity cases, including suspected paper‑mill activity, fabricated data, manipulated images, authorship disputes and AI‑related concerns.

• Ensure investigations and outcomes (corrections, retractions, expressions of concern) are handled consistently, transparently, and in line with COPE guidance, while respecting confidentiality and legal constraints.

• Support publishers and editors in applying sound editorial judgement rather than mechanistic rule‑following.

• Lead the adoption and effective use of integrity screening tools and signals, in collaboration with Technology and Editorial Operations (e.g. plagiarism, image manipulation, paper‑mill indicators).

• Act as the organizational owner for engagement with relevant collaborative industry initiatives.

• Continuously assess the effectiveness, limitations and unintended consequences of automated screening.

• Maintain and update research integrity, publishing ethics and AI‑use policies in line with evolving industry standards.

• Develop targeted training and guidance for publishers, editors, and society partners to strengthen early detection and consistent handling of integrity issues.

• Promote a culture of preventive integrity, not solely post‑publication correction.

• Represent the organization in industry forums and working groups (e.g. STM, COPE, cross‑publisher initiatives).

• Monitor external developments (Retraction Watch trends, regulatory changes, funder expectations) and assess implications for the portfolio.

• Contribute to the organization’s external credibility as a responsible, transparent publisher. 

Qualifications

• 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%).

Preferred

• 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.

To maintain a fair and genuine hiring process, we kindly ask that all candidates participate in interviews without the assistance of AI tools or external prompts. Our interview process is designed to assess your individual skills, experiences, and communication style. We value authenticity and want to ensure we’re getting to know you—not a digital assistant. To help maintain this integrity, we ask to remove virtual backgrounds and include in-person interviews in our hiring process. Please note that use of AI-generated responses or third-party support during interviews will be grounds for disqualification from the recruitment process.

Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process.