Job Location- New Delhi, India

Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

Position Overview: Vasudha Foundation is one of the prominent Think Tanks working in the clean energy and climate space since 2010.  Over the last few years, the organisation is engaging closely with various national level organisations such as NITI Aayog, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and a number of State Government Departments and agencies, mainly in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam to name a few.

Our work with the National Agencies and the State Governments is at various levels of providing technical assistance on aspects related to energy transition and climate smart roadmaps and developing of progress trackers and dashboards. While these engagements Vasudha Foundation has a huge technical skill contribution and there is also a huge element of strategic communications.

The strategic communications ranges from having a big picture assessment of the energy and climate landscape of India to develop great designs and user interface designs for various dashboards that we develop to design communication materials for strategic outreach to name a few.

While the communications vertical would act as a key support to the programmes team, we are also aiming to develop the Outreach and Communications vertical to act independently to enhance and strengthen our outreach and increase the visibility and brand of Vasudha Foundation.   

We are therefore looking for a person with a strong strategic communications and outreach acumen to join our team in the capacity of Associate Director, Strategic Communications and Outreach, who will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation.

Responsibilities:

1. Strengthening the Strategic Communication and Outreach Team for Vasudha Foundation and Team Management:

• Develop a Strategic Communication and Outreach Strategy for Vasudha Foundation in line with the current trends and landscape of the Clean Energy and Climate landscape in India
• Mentor and guide team members to understand and perform their tasks efficiently 
• Map areas where the team strengths need to be bolstered and actively engage in recruiting members to strengthen the team further.
• Manage and lead the communications team comprising of media, editorial and design staff.
• Monitor progress, assure adherence and evaluate staff performance to meet expected outcomes.
•  Supervise the day-to-day operations and provides guidance to ensure timely execution of communications deliverables.
•  Manage and monitor employee productivity and provide constructive feedback and coaching.

2. Brand Image Management and Enhancement

In line with the  Communications and outreach strategy, develop a Brand Image Enhancement Strategy and Workplan. Conduct an in-house workshop for all staff to understand and adapt the same

3. Design & Publishing

• Lead the development of well-designed content and materials such as briefing papers, annual reports, donor reports, proposals and brochures etc.
• Provide ideas to develop and curate content in the form of infographics, videos, animations and data visualisations for various program initiatives.
• Ensure timely and quality production of printing materials.

4. Content Management

• Overseeing Copyedit and proofread reports, briefing papers and blogs.
• Assume editorial responsibility for all communications content such as brochures, videos, news articles etc., ensuring consistent language, tone and branding.
• Develop a thorough understanding of various projects undertaken by the programmes team.

5. Outreach & Social Media Management

• Build promotional and outreach strategies for various projects and suggest tools to execute the same.
• Manage Social Media accounts such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
• Develop and maintain presence in various social media outlets to increase coverage of climate and energy issues.

6. Website Management

• Coordinate and facilitate the web development process for various project websites by working closely with the external service providers and the programmes team.
• Maintain the organisation and other websites on content management systems such as WordPress and making routine updates.
• Contribute to develop wireframes and prototypes to improve user interface.
• Monitor website performance and develop reports through google analytics.
• Implement SEO tools to improve and provide recommendations to increase online traffic and engagement.

7. Event Management

• Coordinate and execute organisation of workshops, seminars, policy dialogues and other such events.
• Generate public interest and support for events and campaigns to promote strategic goals.
• Facilitate virtual meetings and webinars through online meeting platforms.
• Develop event collaterals such as agenda, invites, banner and standees.
• Maintain mailing lists and send invitations using software such as MailChimp.
• Monitor and evaluate impact of communication materials, advocacy events and campaigns to target audiences.

8. Overall Coordination/Management

• Work with the programmes team and assist in compilation, collation, and summarising information for project reports.
• Archive and maintain a database of all project related communication material.
• Manage communications consultants on an as-needed basis, which may include external editorial, design or media support.

Requirements –

Work Experience –

• Relevant experience of 12-14 years or more in communications, project management, or related areas, preferably in a research think-tank, international organisation or NGO.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Fluency in English is essential.
• Demonstration of Strong Leadership in Developing Communications Strategy with an understanding of the Energy and Climate Landscape
• Possesses a keen sense of design, creativity and a flair for writing (think out of the box ideas).
• Knowledge and understanding of communications practices, digital & social media tools and techniques is required.
• High level of competency with suite of Microsost  Office (Word, Excel & PowerPoint). Experience with any design software & tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Corel Draw is an advantage.
• Ability to manage and prioritise multiple projects and deliver under pressure.
• Should be detail-oriented, organised, proactive and ability to meet deadlines is a must.

Educational Qualification –

An advanced University Degree (Masters) in Communications, Media or other related fields.

 Additional Criteria –

Experience and knowledge of Climate, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Sector is an advantage.