Public Affairs Lead - Europe

Molecular Diversity Preservation International; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading scholarly publishing organization is seeking a Public Affairs Lead for Europe to manage public affairs activities across various countries. This role involves supporting the public affairs strategy, engaging with stakeholders, and coordinating policy monitoring efforts. Successful candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree, 2-5 years of relevant experience, and fluent English skills. The position requires working fully on-site in Manchester with various employee benefits including flexible working hours and health plans.

Benefits

Flexible Working Times

Special Days Off

Friendly office culture

Bonus Incentives

Access to Perkbox

Health Cash Plan

Modern City Centre Office

Cyclescheme

Techscheme

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in strategic communications or public affairs.
• Experience working with public affairs or communications agencies.
• Knowledge of publishing or the academic sector.
• Ability to prepare clear policy briefings and stakeholder materials.

Responsibilities

• Support and implement public affairs strategy across Europe.
• Manage public affairs activities and act as a key contact for policy topics.
• Engage with academic, governmental, and policy stakeholders.

Skills

Fluent English

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

The Role

To strengthen the External Affairs team, we are seeking a Public Affairs Lead Europe to support and implement MDPI’s public affairs strategy across the region. Acting as a regional lead, you will manage public affairs activities across assigned European countries and serve as a key contact for policy, institutional, and governmental engagement.

On-site requirement: This role requires working fully on-site. Our office is located in Manchester city centre.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Regional Public Affairs & Strategy

• Support and implement MDPI’s public affairs strategy across Europe in alignment with External Affairs objectives.
• Manage public affairs activities across assigned countries and act as a key internal contact for policy-related topics.
• Contribute insights to strengthen MDPI’s positioning at a regional and European level.

Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy

• Support engagement with academic, governmental, and policy stakeholders across Europe.
• Coordinate meetings, consultations, initiatives, and participation in relevant events.
• Maintain stakeholder records and support long-term relationship management.

Coordination, Policy Monitoring & Reporting

• Coordinate with public affairs and PR/PA agencies to ensure consistent messaging and effective delivery.
• Support team workflows, guidelines, and process improvements.
• Monitor relevant policy and regulatory developments and prepare briefings, intelligence updates, and advocacy materials.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 2-5 years of professional experience in strategic communications, public affairs, policy, or related roles.
• Experience working with public affairs or communications agencies.
• Experience in or knowledge of publishing, research, or the academic sector.
• Experience supporting small teams, mentoring and leading collaborative initiatives.

Hard Skills & Languages

• English – fluent (C1 required); additional European languages are an asset.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise policy briefings, reports, and stakeholder materials.
• Familiarity with European policy environments and institutional landscapes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Proactive, reliable, and detail-oriented working style.
• Confidence in meetings and stakeholder interactions, internal and external.
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Problem-solving mindset with the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Team-oriented, resilient, and motivated to contribute to long-term objectives.

About MDPI

MDPI is a pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. The mission is to foster open scientific exchange across all disciplines.

We operate over 400 diverse, peer-reviewed, open-access journals supported by over 66,000 academic editors. We serve scholars worldwide to ensure the latest research is openly and broadly available. We also develop and maintain digital platforms and software focusing on empowering scholars. As of the end of 2022, we count more than 6700 colleagues in 17 offices across 11 countries.

Benefits

• Flexible Working Times: You can start between 7-9am and finish between 3-6pm.
• Special Days Off: Paid time off for occasions such as marriage or moving house.
• Our Culture: A friendly environment with monthly lunch parties, office snacks, and seasonal events.
• Bonus Incentives: Possible eligibility for bonus schemes based on role and performance."
• Perkbox: Access to a benefits platform with discounts across retailers.
• Health Cash Plan: After probation, enrollment into private health membership with Bupa, including dental, medical, and prescription coverage.
• Modern City Centre Office: Located near Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, with easy transit access.
• Cyclescheme: Save 25-39% on a bike and accessories.
• Techscheme: Save up to 10% on tech purchases from participating retailers.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

MDPI fosters an inclusive work environment that respects and values individual differences and supports growth through learning, support, and feedback. We pursue initiatives to advance diversity and inclusion across offices.

Initiatives

MDPI develops and maintains platforms to support the scientific community. Examples include:

MDPI homepage: mdpi.com

Sciprofiles: sciprofiles.com

Sciforum: sciforum.net

Scilit: scilit.net

Preprints: preprints.org

Encyclopedia: encyclopedia.pub

#LI-Onsite