Customer Service Operations Intern (Institutional Support), Springer Nature Opening Doors Programme

Are you looking for an internship that provides hands-on experience in customer service operations within the Customer Service - Institutional Support and the chance to make connections at one of the largest publishers of education and research content?

The Springer Nature Opening Doors internship in Customer Service Operations is a paid opportunity in Heidelberg, Germany, for students and recent graduates to gain experience in research, education and science publishing through operational customer service support and continuous improvement initiatives.

Many perspectives and lived experiences remain underrepresented in the publishing industry. This underrepresentation has historically affected a wide range of groups, including Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour, first-generation university students, people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, LGBTQ+ communities, people from underrepresented social castes, religious minorities and people with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions.

We are looking for talented candidates from all backgrounds, with excellent skills in a range of fields, and we are committed to creating an inclusive internship, with a cohort that reflects a broad range of voices and experiences.

The successful applicant will spend up to six months within Customer Service Operations, part of the Customer Service - Institutional Support division of Springer Nature. If selected for this internship, you will gain exposure and hands-on experience across a variety of customer service support areas, particularly Institutional Customers from Academic, Corporate, Government and Healthcare sectors.

You will develop a broad understanding of customer service operating models, processes, tools, performance metrics and improvement initiatives.

You will:

Provide Level 2 institutional support to libraries with licensed access to Springer Nature content, working directly on customer tickets and collaborating with internal teams to ensure resolution

Contribute to projects supporting continuous improvement and transformation across Customer Service

Analyse and map end-to-end support journeys to identify friction points and propose solutions

Analyse customer service cases to identify challenges and improvement opportunities, including ticket routing automation

Support the design and maintenance of Plans of Record for initiatives aimed at improving KPIs such as Customer Satisfaction, Net Promoter Score and ticket Handling Time

Conduct data analysis on ticket patterns, including reassignment flows and root causes

Provide recommendations to enhance Customer Service Chat Bot deployment and expansion

What’s in it for you?

Developing strong analytical and problem-solving skills in a real-world operational environment

Gaining experience in customer service processes, KPIs and operational excellence

Enhancing your MS Excel and data analysis capabilities

Exposure to institutional publishing customers across academic, corporate, government and healthcare sectors

A paid internship based in Heidelberg (in line with local market conditions)

Hands-on experience at one of the largest academic publishing groups and the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals

Support from a buddy from one of Springer Nature’s employee networks

Access to career development, training and events, including an overview of different business areas at Springer Nature and advice on the job application process

The opportunity to work on projects related to inclusion and sustainability in the publishing industry

About us

Customer Service Operations plays a critical role in delivering a high-quality experience to Springer Nature’s institutional customers worldwide. The team supports libraries and organisations with access to our publishing content, ensuring smooth service delivery while continuously improving processes, tools and performance. By combining operational excellence with data-driven insights, the team contributes directly to customer satisfaction and long-term partnerships.

About you

Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate programme ( Business Administration, Operations Management, Data Analytics or related field), or a recent graduate

Available to start in June 2026 for an internship of up to six months

Strong interest in customer service operations and process improvement

Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Proficient in MS Office, particularly Excel, with the ability to analyse data

Desirable

Experience supporting or tracking projects and sub-deliverables

Understanding of process design concepts, including end-to-end process mapping and bottleneck analysis

How to apply

Application deadline: 18th of March 2026

Please send a CV and a short supporting statement in a cover letter (no more than 500 words) explaining what you will bring to this role.

The internship will start in June 2026 for a duration of up to six months and is based in Heidelberg on a hybrid working model.

If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us at EMEAC so we can make all necessary accommodations.

If you're looking to kick-start your career in customer service operations within research publishing, apply today, and you could be part of the next generation shaping our industry.

There are additional intern positions available across Springer Nature as part of this internship programme — find out more about other available opportunities.

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Job Posting End Date:

18-03-2026