Head – Corporate Communications & PR

About US Scimplify is a science-first manufacturing company for Advanced Materials: from specialty chemicals to the emerging building blocks of next-generation energy applications, life sciences, and crop sciences. We scale process development and manufacturing as one continuous system, supported by world-class R&D infrastructure and executed across a global network of 500+ manufacturing partners and thousands of scientists and technical partners. The result: new materials go from molecule to commercial scale in months, not years. Scimplify operates offices and teams across 5 countries with 1,000+ innovator customers in 40+ countries. We are backed by investors such as Accel, Bertelsmann, Omnivore, Hitachi Ventures and 3one4 Capital, having raised over $80M.
Role Overview The Head – PR & Communications will own Scimplify's public relations and corporate communications strategy, with a strong focus on media visibility, executive positioning, corporate storytelling, and reputation management. The individual will be responsible for building and nurturing relationships with leading media houses, business publications, journalists, editors, and industry influencers, securing meaningful coverage in publications such as The Times of India, Forbes, Economic Times, Business Standard, Mint, and other relevant national and international media. This role requires a strong combination of strategic thinking, media relationships, storytelling capabilities, and the ability to represent Scimplify and its leadership effectively across external communication platforms.
Key responsibilities

1. Media Relations & Strategic PR

- Develop and execute Scimplify's overall public relations and media engagement strategy.
- Build strong relationships with journalists, editors, reporters, and media decision-makers across leading business, financial, technology, and industry publications.
- Drive high-quality earned media coverage in publications such as Forbes, The Times of India, Economic Times, Mint, Business Standard, and relevant international media.
- Identify opportunities for company announcements, business milestones, funding developments, strategic partnerships, leadership interviews, and industry commentary.
- Proactively pitch compelling stories that strengthen Scimplify's visibility and credibility among customers, investors, partners, and the wider business community.
- Build a sustained media presence rather than relying solely on one-off press releases or paid placements.

2. Corporate Positioning & Brand Reputation

- Define and strengthen Scimplify's corporate narrative, positioning, and reputation in the specialty chemicals and manufacturing ecosystem.
- Develop differentiated messaging around the company's business model, technology-enabled approach, manufacturing network, innovation, growth, and market impact.
- Ensure consistency in corporate messaging across media interactions, public announcements, interviews, and external communications.
- Identify opportunities to position Scimplify as a credible and influential company in the evolving specialty chemicals landscape.
- Monitor media coverage, industry conversations, competitor communications, and emerging reputation risks.

3. Leadership Profiling & Media Representation

- Build the public profiles of Scimplify's founders, CEO, and senior leadership team.
- Secure interviews, expert commentary, leadership features, podcasts, panel discussions, and speaking opportunities.
- Prepare leadership for media interactions through briefing documents, talking points, interview preparation, and message development.
- Represent Scimplify in relevant media interactions and coordinate with journalists and media houses on behalf of the company.
- Develop thought leadership opportunities for the leadership team across business, technology, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and specialty chemicals.
- Establish senior leaders as credible industry voices through opinion articles, expert perspectives, and relevant public forums.

4. Corporate Storytelling & Content Strategy

- Translate complex business, technology, and manufacturing developments into compelling, accessible stories for business and mainstream media.
- Lead the development of press releases, media pitches, corporate announcements, leadership articles, op-eds, media briefs, and company narratives.
- Build a proactive editorial calendar aligned with business priorities, company milestones, and industry developments.
- Identify relevant themes and story angles that appeal to business editors and journalists.
- Collaborate with marketing, business, HR, and leadership teams to ensure communication initiatives support Scimplify's strategic objectives.

5. Reputation Management & Crisis Communications

- Develop a structured approach to corporate reputation management and crisis communications.
- Anticipate potential reputational risks and prepare response frameworks for sensitive business or media situations.
- Manage media responses during critical developments in coordination with the leadership team and relevant internal stakeholders.
- Establish clear communication protocols, approval mechanisms, and spokesperson guidelines.
- Monitor media coverage and respond to inaccurate or potentially damaging reporting with appropriate speed and judgment.

6. Industry Visibility & Strategic Partnerships

- Identify opportunities for Scimplify to participate in relevant industry forums, business summits, conferences, award platforms, and leadership events.
- Build relationships with industry associations, business platforms, event organisers, and relevant communications partners.
- Evaluate opportunities for credible editorial features, executive speaking engagements, and industry recognition.
- Manage external PR agencies, specialist communications partners, and budgets where required, ensuring measurable outcomes and strong execution.

7. PR Strategy, Budget & Measurement

- Develop the annual PR and communications roadmap, including media priorities, target publications, campaigns, and leadership visibility plans.
- Manage the PR budget effectively, with a focus on quality of coverage, strategic relevance, and measurable impact.
- Track media coverage, share of voice, message penetration, leadership visibility, sentiment, and the quality of publications secured.
- Establish reporting mechanisms to evaluate the impact of PR initiatives on corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement.

Desired candidate profile
- 12–18 years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, strategic communications, or media relations.
- Proven experience leading PR and communications for a high-growth company, established corporate, technology business, manufacturing organisation, or B2B enterprise.
- Strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media professionals across leading Indian business and mainstream publications.
- Demonstrated ability to secure meaningful earned media coverage in reputed publications such as Forbes, The Times of India, Economic Times, Mint, Business Standard, and similar platforms.
- Experience building corporate narratives and positioning founders, CEOs, and senior executives as industry thought leaders.
- Excellent storytelling, writing, communication, stakeholder management, and media engagement skills.
- Experience managing corporate reputation, sensitive media interactions, and crisis communications.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on in media pitching, content development, and execution.
- Strong commercial understanding and the ability to translate business strategy into effective external communications.

Preferred industry background
- Candidates from the following backgrounds would be particularly relevant:
- Leading PR and communications agencies with strong business-media relationships.
- Corporate communications teams at high-growth technology, SaaS, B2B, or manufacturing companies.
- Specialty chemicals, industrial technology, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, or deep-tech organisations.
- Companies with strong founder-led communications, corporate reputation, and business media engagement.
Candidates from leading PR agencies may be considered if they have managed senior corporate clients, developed strong editor-level relationships, and demonstrated ownership of strategic media outcomes.
Key success matrics
- Quality and relevance of earned media coverage in leading national and international publications.
- Visibility and positioning of Scimplify's founders and senior leadership.
- Growth in corporate brand awareness and reputation among relevant stakeholders.
- Strength of relationships with key journalists, editors, and media organisations.
- Number and quality of leadership interviews, expert commentary opportunities, and thought leadership placements.
- Consistency and effectiveness of corporate messaging.
- Effectiveness of crisis preparedness and reputation management.
- Efficient utilisation of the PR budget and measurable communication outcomes.