Public Affairs Lead, North America

Role Summary

To strengthen our External Affairs function and support MDPI’s growing presence across North America, we are looking for an experienced Public Affairs Lead, North America to develop and execute public affairs strategies across key North American markets.

The position of Public Affairs Lead, North America is a full-time, in-office position based in Toronto and is part of MDPI’s Communications and Marketing department.

As a Public Affairs Lead, North America, job duties include but are not limited to:

• Lead the development and implementation of MDPI’s public affairs strategy across North America in line with broader External Affairs objectives.

• Act as a lead point of contact for North American public affairs matters, advising the executive team and senior stakeholders on political, policy, and reputational risks and opportunities.

• Provide advisory-level support to other regions, including Europe and APAC, where required.

• Hold accountability for the delivery of materials including policy briefings, internal intelligence, supporting presentations, open access policy tracking and positioning, and MDPI’s contribution to open access policy advocacy.

• Plan and execute public affairs campaigns around priority issues for MDPI, namely government- or institutional-level obstacles, and engage the broader scholarly community in liaison.

• Adjust public affairs strategies to suit evolving requirements and demands.

• Manage North American public affairs team members and their portfolios of work and countries, while mentoring and supporting the development of the public affairs team.

• Support the coordination of public affairs agencies, including appointments, budget, and performance management.

• Evaluate and adjust public affairs strategy based on impact, feedback, and the evolving policy landscape.

• Streamline processes to improve responsiveness and alignment with organizational goals.

• Provide insights and recommendations based on local public affairs developments to improve future strategies.

• Identify opportunities to improve team proficiency in strategic communications.

• Ensure that all External Affairs activities are consistent with MDPI’s brand and communication standards.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree.

• 2–5 years of experience in Public Affairs.

• 2–5 years of experience in team management.

• Less than 2 years of experience with public affairs agency work is required.

• 2–5 years of experience in publishing is required.

• Excellent English language proficiency.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Confidence in meetings.

• A proactive approach and willingness to contribute.

• Resilience and the ability to work effectively in a changing environment.

• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.

• Strong problem-solving abilities.

• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $90,000 per year, commensurate with experience and qualifications. MDPI Canada also offers a comprehensive benefits package in accordance with company policies.

Additional Information

• You must have the right to work and live in Canada.

The successful candidate will join an international team and work closely with colleagues across MDPI. This position provides the opportunity to contribute to public affairs strategy across North America and support MDPI’s broader External Affairs objectives.

If you are interested in this position, we look forward to receiving your application.

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 84,200 academic editors. We serve scholars from around the world to ensure the latest research is openly and broadly available.

MDPI has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, with additional offices in Europe and Asia. 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.

What We Offer

• Competitive Health Insurance Packages: Comprehensive health insurance that covers aspects of dental work, vision care, and prescription costs, as well as extras such as physiotherapy, psychotherapy, massage and wellness services, and more.

• Convenient Transportation Links: Office based in North York with convenient access to the Yonge-Sheppard TTC station. Ten minutes by subway from the Finch Go Bus terminal and thirty minutes by subway from Union Station.

• Opportunities for Growth: Joining MDPI offers the opportunity to be part of a growing, international team with prospects for professional growth and the possibility to travel to other MDPI offices.

Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and AODA

At MDPI, we believe in fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values individual differences while prioritizing growth through continuous learning, support, and feedback. We are continually seeking new initiatives to advance diversity and inclusion across all our offices, aiming to create a more equitable workforce.

MDPI Canada is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment and expanding opportunities for all employees. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), please let us know if you require any specific accommodations related to your application.

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