Working Student, OA Funding & Policy Research (m/w/d)

Job Title: Working Student, OA Funding & Policy Research Locations: Berlin and Heidelberg About Springer Nature Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 180 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities – enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow. Visit group.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup About the Role The Open Access (OA) team The OA team enables one of the fastest growing areas at Springer Nature. It has responsibility for the overall OA business including business strategy, revenue, performance monitoring, business models, policies, and managing OA transition. Part of the wider commercial business, the OA group works in close coordination with both publishing and sales teams. The Working Student, OA Funding and Policy Research will help enable the business transition to open access by supporting in the update and maintenance of Springer Nature’s OA funding and policy database. The Working Student will also support the OA policy team’s projects with ad-hoc market and desk research, as well as additional reporting tasks as required. The role reports to the Head of OA Policy and works closely with colleagues across the OA team to support OA strategies and initiatives. OA funding and policy database: This database stores information on the OA requirements that funders, universities and research institutions apply to journal articles, books and chapters, and the funding that they provide to cover the cost of OA publication. The database is used to support internal teams in identifying OA funding for Springer Nature authors to make their work openly accessible, as well as informing Springer Nature’s OA strategy and policy development. Main responsibilities in Database update: Using internet searches, e.g. by searching organisational websites, to conduct research into the policy and funding information on OA requirements and publication funding from funders and institutions. Interpret these policy documents to identify key features of their OA policy requirements and OA funding conditions, using the framework and guidance developed by the Springer Nature OA team Enter detailed information about these OA policies and funds into the OA funding and policy database using Microsoft Excel, ensuring that data is captured in a clean and consistent way Additional responsibilities: Produce reports and basic analysis using data from internal resources including the database, and other funding dashboards e.g. monthly statistics on number of OA funds, impact of OA policies on SN output Research details of funder or institutional policies on specific topics as required by the OA team Conduct ad-hoc competitor and other desk research and reporting tasks as required, to support the OA team’s projects. Examples might include researching competitor publishers’ policies on a particular topic Review lists of OA funding sources on our external website where required. Suggest updates to align with the data in the database Explore and test AI tools. Where appropriate, make use of AI tools to help support responsibilities e.g. summarise or query policy information for database or desk research Experience, Skills & Qualifications: Proven experience of carrying out desk/web-based research is required. Previous experience or academic study of policy, publishing, or scholarly communications environment would be desirable but is not mandatory. Advanced English language skills required: C2 level of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Excellent internet research skills. Able to interpret, analyse and report on complex policy and other technical information Strong Excel skills, including data entry, cleaning, reporting and data visualisation (e.g. pivot tables and graphs) Able to adhere strictly to guidance/protocol to ensure that information is captured in a highly consistent and accurate way Able to create clear and logical reports containing qualitative and quantitative information Thorough and detail-oriented Strong organisational skills with an ability to meet deadlines Adaptable and flexible. Responds well to changing priorities to meet the needs of the team Knowledge and understanding of open access publishing and policies would be desirable Bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc) minimum requirement The role involves interpreting complex policies and guidance containing technical language; a degree in political science, business, law or economics would therefore be an advantage but is not mandatory 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/. #LI-ES1 We are an ambitious and dynamic organisation, and home to some of the best-known names in research, educational and professional publishing. Working at the heart of a changing industry, we are always looking for great people who care about delivering quality to our customers and the communities we work alongside. In return, you will find that we open the doors to discovery for all our employees – offering opportunities to learn from some of the best in the business, with a culture that encourages curiosity and empowers people to find solutions and act on their instincts. Whether you are at the beginning of your career or are an experienced professional, we invite you to find out more about the roles we offer and explore our current vacancies. We are a global and progressive business, founded on a heritage of trusted and respected brands – including Springer, founded in 1842, Macmillan, founded in 1843 and Nature, first published in 1869. Nearly two centuries of progress and advancement in science and education have helped shape the business we are today. Research and learning continues to be the cornerstone of progress, and we will continue to open doors to discovery through trusted brands and innovative products and services. Springer Nature Group was created in May 2015 through the combination of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media.