Media Relations Lead — Open-Access Publishing

MDPI Romania; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

MDPI seeks an experienced Public Relations Lead to drive media engagement, elevate our brand presence, and amplify our mission of open-access research. The candidate will play a leading role in MDPI’s External Affairs team and broader strategy, working closely with internal stakeholders to manage media relations, enhance response quality, and mentor junior team members.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of experience in journalism, agency, or in-house PR, a proactive attitude, and an adaptive

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in media relations, journalism, or PR.
• Proven track record of securing positive coverage in quality publications.
• Experience handling media enquiries from tier 1 media.
• Network of media contacts in science, publishing or policy.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and pursue media opportunities for MDPI's leadership.
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers.
• Support reactive PR and timely responses to media inquiries.
• Develop media materials: releases, op-eds, statements, talking points.
• Integrate media engagement into broader advocacy, policy, and campaigns.
• Own media measurement and reporting; train junior team members.
• Streamline processes to improve responsiveness and alignment.
• Manage the media component of the MDPI website.
• Support agency relationships and content dissemination across regions.

Skills

Media relations

Journalism/PR

Stakeholder management

Crisis management

Team mentoring

English (native)

Job description

MDPI seeks an experienced Public Relations Lead to drive media engagement, elevate our brand presence, and amplify our mission of open-access research. The candidate will play a leading role in MDPI’s External Affairs team and broader strategy, working closely with internal stakeholders to manage media relations, enhance response quality, and mentor junior team members.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of experience in journalism, agency, or in-house PR, a proactive attitude, and an adaptive