Starting from: April 1, 2026 or upon agreement

Contract duration: 24 months with expectation of extension

Workload: Full-time, 40 hours/week

Location: 22F, Bldg. A, Far East International Plaza, 319 XianXia Road, Shanghai, China

This position is for Swiss nationals only.

The Head of Strategic Engagement & Communications is responsible for shaping how Swissnex in China prioritizes, frames, and communicates its work at the intersection of science, research, innovation, and policy, while ensuring strategic engagement with key stakeholders across relevant innovation and research ecosystems.

The successful candidate will provide strategic direction and coherence across Swissnex in China’s external communications, messaging, and partner-facing engagement, ensuring that activities, programs, and priorities are clearly articulated and understood by Swiss stakeholders. The candidate will shape how Swissnex in China presents its work externally (from narrative and positioning to tone, channels, and partnerships) so that engagement with China is not only visible, but credible, and relevant for Switzerland. They will also translate complex developments in China’s innovation and academic landscape into clear narratives for Swiss stakeholders. 

The candidate will play a key part in building and nurturing relationships with Swiss and international stakeholders, supporting Swissnex in China’s outreach, network development, and long-term stakeholder engagement. A central aspect of the role is to understand the priorities, interests, and needs of Swiss stakeholders and to identify opportunities emerging from Switzerland, ensuring that these are reflected in Swissnex’s positioning, partnerships, and program development. This position is particularly suited to someone with a strong understanding of innovation and academic ecosystems in both Switzerland and China, and the ability to translate complex developments into clear narratives that support trust and strategic decision-making.

Communication (approx. 50%)

• Shape the strategic narrative of Swissnex in China in close collaboration with the CEO and program leads, ensuring alignment between positioning, program priorities, and stakeholder relevance.
• Own and oversee Swissnex in China’s communications strategy across Switzerland and China, including annual planning, channel priorities, and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Lead and coach the Communications Specialist, ensuring high-quality implementation and strong alignment between strategy and execution.
• Translate developments in China’s innovation and academic landscape into clear, decision-relevant insights for Swiss stakeholders, including oversight and development of the Knowledge Hub and related formats.
• Ensure relevant Swiss strengths and priorities are reflected in Swissnex’s positioning and engagement in China, including ecosystem mapping and positioning efforts that connect Swiss capabilities with opportunities in China.

Ecosystem & Stakeholder Engagement (approx. 50%)

• Develop strategic insight into the ERI ecosystems in Switzerland and China, identify key actors and opportunities, and drive the development of partnerships aligned with Swissnex priorities.
• Build and actively manage a focused portfolio of priority partners across institutional, academic, innovation, industry, media, and ecosystem organizations.
• Establish structured relationship management practices, including effective use of the CRM to support continuity, visibility, and internal coordination.
• Translate partnerships into concrete outcomes by co-creating initiatives, content, events, and knowledge formats that strengthen Swissnex’s impact and relevance.
• Collaborate initiatives, content, and formats with partners and key stakeholders to strengthen Swissnex’s impact and relevance, while ensuring close alignment with Team Switzerland in China (Embassy, Consulates, Swiss Business Hub, SwissCham) to foster synergies and coherent positioning

Strengthen Swissnex’s ecosystem presence in the Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen and Hong Kong) and contribute to its regional positioning and development in close collaboration with the Hong Kong team.

• Swiss nationality required.
• Relevant professional experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, international collaboration, or work related to education, research, and innovation (ERI).
• Strong understanding of the China context and a solid interest in innovation and academic developments in both Switzerland and China from a strategic and content perspective; prior professional experience in China is an advantage (Mandarin not required).
• Excellent command of English and at least one Swiss national language (German or French).
• Proven ability to engage and build trust with senior stakeholders across diplomatic, academic, industry, and policy environments.
• Ability to operate with sound judgment, clarity, and independence in complex and evolving environments.

• A strategic role within an international diplomatic and innovation network.
• Close collaboration with senior leadership and key Swiss stakeholders.
• The opportunity to shape Swissnex in China’s strategic positioning and knowledge narrative.
• Exposure to high-level international cooperation at the intersection of science, innovation, and policy.

This role carries significant responsibility and senior-level exposure, while remaining open to candidates who are growing into leadership rather than already holding equivalent roles.

For individuals who demonstrate strong performance and judgment, it offers clear opportunities for continued development within Swissnex in China, with scope to progress toward broader leadership responsibilities over time, subject to organizational needs and governance. The experience gained is also highly transferable and can support future roles beyond Swissnex in international, innovation-driven, or public–private interface environments.

Please submit:

• Resume / CV
• Motivation letter: In your motivation letter,indicate one to three social media accounts (organizations or individuals) you admire for their creativity and effectiveness and briefly explain your choice.
• Samples of content demonstrating your experience across different formats and platforms.

Application Deadline: Rolling basis until role is filled

Starting from: March 1, 2026 or upon agreement

Contract duration: 12 months with expectation of extension

Workload: Full-time, 40 hours/week

Location: 22F, Bldg. A, Far East International Plaza, 319 XianXia Road, Shanghai, China

Swissnex in China is seeking a Communications Associate or Specialist (Chinese) to take full responsibility for the operational execution of communications activities across digital, print, and event-related channels.

The role is designed for a creative, hands-on communications professional who enjoys producing content and visuals, managing digital platforms, and translating complex topics in science, education, research, and innovation into engaging and accessible communications. While the focus of the role is execution, the Communications Associate or Specialist works closely with senior management and project teams and is supported in developing early ownership and responsibility over time. All outputs are aligned with Swissnex in China’s broader communications strategy and global positioning.

This role is well suited to someone early in their career who wants to build strong foundations through hands-on execution. In the first phase, the focus is on delivering consistently high-quality outputs, and developing craft across content, design, and digital channels, all the while learning how these are integrated into a broader communications strategy. Over time, as capability and trust grow, the role offers opportunities to take on greater responsibility, ownership of projects and channels, and for strong performers progression toward a communications management role.

As part of the Swissnex in China team, the Communications Associate or Specialist will contribute to shaping and delivering our communications narrative through high-quality, innovative content. Key responsibilities include:

• Own and produce communications materials (content, visuals, layouts) across website, social media, publications, and event materials.
• Manage digital channels: Keep all Swissnex in China communication channels (e.g. website, LinkedIn, WeChat, newsletters) accurate, active, and up-to-date; publish, maintain, archive, remove content as needed, and deactivate inactive channels.
• Design & manage templates: Produce visual assets and maintain a shared template library to ensure consistency and efficiency across teams.
• Translate strategy into execution: Turn strategic priorities into concrete communications outputs in close coordination with senior leadership and project teams; support projects from start to end to identify stories and deliver appropriate communications materials.
• Visual content production: Create and support visual outputs including social media visuals, simple layouts, presentations, and promotional materials, using tools such as Canva, basic video editing tools, or Adobe Creative Suite (or demonstrate willingness to learn).
• External coordination: Work with external vendors (design, video, photography, printing) to deliver specific outputs.
• Events communications & on-site support: Manage event participation lists and invitations; support on-site communications during events, including check-in, basic photo and content capture, and real-time updates as needed.
• Quality & boundaries: Ensure clarity, relevance, and quality of outputs, while managing priorities and holding boundaries in a collaborative team setting.

• Professional fluency in Chinese and English (written and spoken).
  Chinese passport required.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, design, or a related field, with hands-on experience managing communications channels beyond China-based platforms, including websites and international social media (e.g. LinkedIn).
• Relevant professional experience in communications, content creation, or social media management is a strong plus (typically 2–5 years, or a strong early-career profile).
• Strong creative and visual skills and confidence using common design and content tools.
• Highly organized, reliable, and able to manage priorities independently while working well in a team.
• Positive team spirit, with a collaborative mindset.

• A dynamic role within an international diplomatic network focused on science, technology, education, and innovation.
• Opportunities for professional development and exposure to cutting-edge topics and international collaboration.
• 20 days of paid leave per year and up to 13 days of a mix of Chinese and Swiss public holidays.
• An exciting opportunity for an initial one-year contract with the expectation of extension, allowing you to build a long-lasting and rewarding career with us.

Please submit:

• Resume / CV
• Motivation letter: In your motivation letter, indicate one to three social media accounts (organizations or individuals) you admire for their creativity and effectiveness and briefly explain your choice.
• Samples of content demonstrating your experience across different formats and platforms.

Application Deadline: February 20, 2026