Assistant Editor (PhD holder) - Photonics

MDPI UK Manchester, England, United Kingdom

To strengthen our Editorial team, we are looking for recent PhD graduates who are eager to stay connected to scientific research by helping researchers worldwide publish their latest results. The position of Assistant Editor is a full‑time and permanent position based in our city centre office in Manchester, UK.

This is a full‑time in‑office role. The office is located next to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

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• Support the editorial process for academic research journals in your domain of expertise
  
• Organise peer‑review process for submitted manuscripts and coordinate editorial decisions
  
• Handle email communication between the parties involved in the publication process
  
• Collaborate with other members of the editorial team and production team
  
• Ensure that scholarly articles are accurately edited and published according to tight deadlines with a high degree of consistency
  

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• A PhD degree in a field related to photonics (e.g., Photonics, Optics, Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, etc.).
  
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.
  
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  
• Team player with the capability to work in a dynamic, international environment.
  
• Detail‑oriented with the capacity to see the big picture.
  
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills.
  
• Very good communication and coordination skills.
  

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• A competitive salary, including our quarterly bonus scheme, which rewards high‑performing editors.
  
• 10% pay rise after passing the six‑month probation period (for PhD holders, 5% for Master’s holders).
  
• Focused support from your group leader, who is your first point of contact for any issues.
  
• Flexible Working Times — you are able to start work anytime between 7‑9 am, and finish between 3‑6 pm.
  
• Special Days Off — getting married or moving house? No need to use up your holidays, MDPI offers paid time off for such occasions.
  
• Our Culture — a friendly working environment with monthly lunch parties, office snacks and seasonal events.
  
• Bonus Incentives — depending on your role, you may be eligible for one of our bonus schemes which rewards high-performing employees.
  
• Perkbox — you will have access to our benefit platform called Perkbox, providing a range of discounts and benefits across various retailers.
  
• Health Cash Plan — after passing probation, employees are enrolled into our private health membership with Bupa.
  
• Modern City Centre Office — located next to Piccadilly Gardens, our office is a 10‑minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road train stations.
  
• Cycle Scheme — save between 25‑39% on a bike and accessories.
  
• Tech Scheme — save up to 10% on tax when purchasing tech equipment from places such as Ikea and Currys.
  

As a successful candidate you will receive full training in editorial work, working closely with Managing Editors and learning how to process research articles from submission to publication. Training supervised by an assigned tutor will take place on the job during the first six months. Depending on your background, you will be assigned to work on journals related to your field of study or research. No previous editorial experience is required; however, a familiarity with the academic editorial process is an advantage. This is a great opportunity to start a first job in a dynamic multinational company.

If you are interested in this position, we look forward to receiving your application. We look forward to welcoming you to our Manchester office.

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. With more than 400 peer‑reviewed, open‑access journals supported by over 6,000 academic editors, we serve scholars from around the world to ensure the latest research is openly and broadly available.