External Affairs Manager, APAC

The External Affairs (EA) Manager, Asia-Pacific (APAC), will play a key role in setting strategy for APAC and leading a team to implement it. The EA Manager will oversee public affairs and public relations efforts across focus countries, supporting in policy matters, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. Working closely with Office/Operating Managers, senior stakeholders and other regional EA teams, the manager will oversee the design and delivery of localized campaigns that reflect national priorities while remaining aligned with MDPI's global identity. In addition to strengthening MDPI's media presence and stakeholder networks, the Manager will provide strategic counsel, implement processes and support the growth and development of colleagues.

Core Responsibilities

Overall

• Determine and manage the development and implementation of an External Affairs communications team and program in the Asia-Pacific region in line with MDPI's mission and business goals.
• Manage public affairs and public relations activities across a portfolio of focus countries, liaising with Office/Operating Managers to cover policy matters, media relations, and broader reputational risks and opportunities.
• Provide strategic support to country representatives and spokespeople and manage stakeholder engagements.
• Manage and own EA resourcing for the APAC region, including team development and growth, campaign budgets, and agency requirements.

Public Relations

• Implement Public Relations campaigns to enhance MDPI's brand visibility across focus countries in APAC, focusing on academic, scientific, and policy-related media.
• Secure high-quality earned media coverage in top-tier and trade outlets across the region, with tailored messaging for each country market.
• Localize global narratives and campaigns to suit the cultural, linguistic, and sectoral nuances of key countries.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media stakeholders in science, academia, education, and research policy.
• Coordinate with global teams to align regional communications with overall brand and publishing strategies.
• Provide strategic counsel and training to MDPI representatives in APAC.

Public Affairs

• Map and engage with key institutional stakeholders across APAC — including academic societies, research funding bodies, ministries of education/science, and regulatory bodies.
• Track and report on relevant policy developments that may affect open access publishing, scholarly communication, and academic research infrastructure.
• Shape MDPI's positioning and voice on strategic public policy issues in the region (e.g. open access mandates, national research strategies, publishing reform).
• Where required, represent MDPI in external forums, working groups, or policy discussions where appropriate.
• Develop briefing materials, talking points, and responses on sensitive or complex issues relevant to APAC stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities

• Coordinate efforts and communication with other EA teams and regions.
• Streamline processes to improve responsiveness and alignment with organizational goals.
• Provide insights and recommendations based to improve future strategies.
• Identify opportunities to improve team proficiency in strategic communications.
• Ensure that all EA activities are consistent with MDPI's brand and communication standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and above.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Public Affairs or Public Relations, with strong exposure to external communications and strategic initiatives.
• Minimum 2 years of managerial experience.
• Proven APAC regional experience, with the ability to work independently and hands-on across multiple markets.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with government stakeholders.
• Experience in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan markets would be an advantage.
• Prior experience in agency or publishing industry would be an advantage.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent command of English; proficiency in additional APAC languages would be a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365.
• Attention to detail, confidence in stakeholder engagement, proactiveness, teamwork, and effective problem-solving.
• Ability to support corporate branding initiatives (e.g., Institutional Open Access Program) and deliver in-house training on communication strategy.

What we offer

• Professional and personal development
• An international work environment
• Flexible working hours in the limits of a full-time job
• Business trips to the other MDPI offices
• Competitive salary, benefits

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. Our mission is to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. We operate more than 400 diverse, peer-reviewed, open access journals supported by over 66,000 academic editors. We serve scholars from around the world to ensure the latest research is openly and broadly available.

MDPI is headquartered in Switzerland with additional offices in Europe, Asia and North America. We are committed to ensuring that high quality research is made available as quickly as possible. We also support sustainability projects, with sustainability as a key theme in many journals and through the MDPI Sustainability Foundation.