Scientific Projects and PR Manager

The opportunity DKG is seeking an execution-driven manager to own the day-to-day engine behind several scientific initiatives, including activities associated with the Biogerontology Research Foundation (BGRF) and OxyWave Foundation. You will move scientific papers, patent-related work, expert collaborations and credible science communications from plans to completed milestones. This is not a narrow research-writing position or a conventional PR-only role. You will be accountable for cross-functional coordination, stakeholder follow-up, deadlines, quality-controlled outputs and measurable progress across at least 3–4 active scientific workstreams. What you will own

• Publication delivery — Coordinate multiple scientific papers from scope and co-author assembly through drafting, peer/expert review, journal submission, revisions and publication follow-up. Maintain owners, deadlines, versions and next actions.
• Scientific project management — Run a shared action tracker covering publications, patent-related work, partnerships, outreach and institutional initiatives; identify dependencies early, close routine blockers and escalate only decisions requiring senior input.
• Patent/IP process coordination — Collect technical inputs and inventor feedback, track document readiness and deadlines, and coordinate with qualified patent professionals. You are not expected to provide legal opinions or act as patent counsel.
• Science PR and media activation — Turn validated scientific developments into accurate press materials, media angles, expert commentary, website/blog inputs and communications briefs; coordinate targeted journalist and stakeholder outreach.
• Scientific partnerships — Actively follow up with researchers, co-authors, universities, institutions, conference contacts, funders and other partners. Convert introductions into scheduled discussions, agreed next steps, collaborations and submissions.
• BGRF / OxyWave activation — Help organise contributor and internship pipelines, collaborative publications, research support and external engagement so that scientific programmes produce visible recurring outputs.
• Contributor management — Brief and coordinate freelance scientific writers, researchers, editors, interns, reviewers and internal teams while keeping expert scientific review and final approval with appropriately qualified specialists. What success looks like
• At least 3–4 active workstreams are visibly managed, with accountable owners, realistic milestones, deadlines and documented next steps.
• Publication and patent-related workflows advance through clearly defined stages, without avoidable delays caused by missing follow-up or documentation.
• Each major scientific output has an appropriate dissemination plan: publication/preprint information, scientifically reviewed communications and targeted stakeholder follow-up where relevant.
• A live outreach pipeline shows progress from first contact through calls, commitments, collaborations, institutional engagement and/or media outcomes.
• Leadership receives a concise weekly report showing completed deliverables, measurable pipeline movement, next milestones and decisions needed. Essential qualifications
• Strong scientific literacy in life sciences, biomedicine or a closely related field; able to understand research materials and communicate effectively with scientists.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex, deadline-driven projects with several stakeholders or parallel workstreams — including evidence of completed outcomes, not just participation.
• Excellent professional English, both written and spoken, with the ability to translate technical information for scientific and non-specialist audiences without distorting its meaning.
• Strong follow-up discipline, stakeholder coordination, prioritisation, version/document control and comfort working independently across functions and time zones.
• Proactive problem-solving: able to identify what is blocking progress, propose a practical solution and drive the next action without constant supervision. Especially valuable experience
• Peer-reviewed journals, multi-author manuscripts, editorial operations or scientific submission workflows.
• Science communication, media relations, research PR or public-facing scientific content.
• Grants, awards, institutional collaborations, conference follow-up or research partnerships.
• Patent/IP documentation coordination, working alongside inventors or professional advisers.
• Experience spanning academia and industry, a research foundation, a nonprofit or a science-led startup. How the team operates You are the accountable operational owner, supported as needed by project-linked writers/researchers, structured intern or contributor work, expert reviewers, internal Life Sciences and PR/Media teams, and external scientific or legal specialists. Your job is to manage and connect these resources—not to personally write every manuscript or make scientific or legal determinations. Who this role is best suited to Someone who enjoys making ambitious scientific work happen: organised enough to manage details, scientifically fluent enough to earn researchers' trust, commercially aware enough to see partnership opportunities, and persistent enough to turn conversations into decisions and deliverables. Candidates whose experience is limited to standalone manuscript writing or generic PR campaigns, without hands-on project ownership, are unlikely to be a strong fit. Application — please provide evidence To help us assess fit, submit your CV or professional profile plus a brief response (maximum one page) addressing the following:
• 1. Describe two scientific or research-adjacent projects you personally moved from planning to a concrete result. State your responsibilities, stakeholders, deadlines and measurable outcomes.
• 2. Give one example of coordinating several authors, experts or institutions, resolving a blocker and securing the next milestone.
• 3. Describe how you would organise 4 simultaneous workstreams: two manuscripts, one patent-related coordination process and one scientific PR/partner outreach campaign.
• 4. Share links or evidence of relevant publications, submissions, collaborations, science communications or other completed work, specifying your actual contribution. We shortlist on demonstrated execution, scientific fluency, communication quality and evidence of ownership—not academic prestige or polished claims alone.