Senior Communications Officer, India Energy Program

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 270 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in more than 100 countries.

The position is based within the IISD Energy Program (www.iisd.org/energy), a diverse and rapidly growing team of over 60 experts based in the IISD Geneva office, with team members based remotely in a range of countries, including India, Indonesia, and South Africa.

At an international level, our work program delivers cutting-edge research and practical policy support for energy policy reforms in developed and developing countries, including shifting public financial flows from fossil fuels to clean energy and implementing commitments to go beyond fossil fuels in a socially just way. We work closely with groups such as the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform, United Nations Environment Programme, International Labour Organization, World Bank, and World Trade Organization, as well as numerous civil society partners. Our approach is hands-on, through country-level research and outreach in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Canada, as well as via international forums such as the G7, G20, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In India, IISD has largely focused on the creation of knowledge and dialogue on government support for energy transition, including data on subsidies for fossil fuels, renewables, and electric vehicles; how to sustainably reform consumer subsidies for liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene, and electricity; how to effectively subsidize clean energy, including solar irrigation, solar photovoltaic manufacturing, and electric vehicles; planning for a just transition; and how state-owned enterprises and public finance can better align with the energy transition. We engage with government agencies at the central and state levels and partner with a wide range of national think tanks, academic institutions and consultancies, including the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy; Council on Energy, Environment and Water; Climate Parliament; Consumer Unity & Trust Society; Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations; Swaniti Initiative; Integrated Research and Action for Development; The Energy and Resources Institute; and others.

About the Position

The senior communications officer will lead communications for IISD’s Energy Program in India and South Africa. They will also closely collaborate with the international team working on UNFCCC and G20 processes to ensure voices from the Global South are represented in the Energy Program’s key messages and communications.

As a member of the wider Energy Program communications team, they will work closely with the communications manager and the digital communications officer, as well as the program’s India- and South Africa-focused policy experts.

The senior communications officer will be responsible for implementing and updating the India and South Africa communications strategies, advising the teams on communications best practices, as well as coordinating work with internal and external partners and agencies. They will write and edit editorial content related to the work of the program and strategically use traditional and digital channels and tools to reach and engage target audiences. They are also expected to collaborate with colleagues and other key stakeholders in the CSO ecosystem in India and South Africa.

Their key areas of responsibility will include but not be limited to:

Creative Content

• In consultation with the communications manager, update, steer, and implement communications strategies for the India and South Africa work programs.

• Inform, manage, and implement communications plans for a broad range of projects, reports, campaigns, and events. This includes crafting compelling narratives and talking points to articulate key messages, cooperating with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring timelines are adhered to, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on impact.

• Write, edit, and review written outputs (e.g., blogs, opinion pieces, press releases, social media posts) for framing, tone, and narrative, ensuring strategic and editorial consistency.
• Regularly share program work and collaborate with IISD’s core communications team to ensure alignment on key messaging and amplification of programmatic expertise in broader, organization-wide communications activities. Contribute to a shared editorial calendar.
• In consultation with policy staff, communicate with IISD’s donors to demonstrate how their support has made an impact.
• Track current events in India, South Africa, and globally related to specific workstreams and identify opportunities for further work and/or public engagement.

Public Engagement and Social Media

• Help inform and execute an email outreach strategy.

• Oversee event-related outreach and post-event follow-up.

• Inform the social media strategy and contribute to all active social media accounts, ensuring posts are relevant, timely, engaging, and targeted to the needs and interests of key audiences.

Media Relations

• Engage with journalists and influencers, with a focus on relationship-building, to secure targeted coverage for IISD research and initiatives in key outlets in India and South Africa.
• Draft, edit, and disseminate press releases, media briefings, and email pitches for reporters and editors. Draft or support other staff in writing and placing op-eds, media quotes, letters to the editor, etc.
• Facilitate media training of IISD experts and support preparation ahead of speaking to the press, including developing and updating talking points and key messages.

• Conduct media monitoring of relevant topics in Indian and South African media on a regular basis.

Digital Strategy

• Working within content management systems such as Drupal or WordPress, upload and edit content for websites, adhering to IISD guidelines.
• Ensure monitoring, assessment, and reporting on website traffic and engagement with its digital content, advising where appropriate on opportunities to improve.

• In collaboration with IISD’s design team, draft and manage the production of digital content, including X cards, posters, invitations, simple infographics, presentations, and other conference or workshop materials.

Internal Processes

• Ensure brand coherence and compliance with existing IISD communications practices.
• Manage internal processes related to the development and dissemination of communications products, including coordinating feedback from internal and external stakeholders, approvals, and copy editing.
• Maintain strong relationships with program staff to gain a deeper understanding of their research and policy objectives and provide editorial guidance to IISD’s experts.

About the Successful Applicant

The successful applicant will be a highly skilled storyteller and communicator with experience in climate or energy-related communications and a solid understanding of India’s climate and energy policies. Knowledge of South Africa’s energy context will be considered a plus. They will have an extensive experience in media relations with a proven track record of generating media impact. They will be confident in shaping communication strategies to reach and engage niche and highly targeted audiences. A good knowledge of international processes (UNFCCC, G20) will be considered a strong asset.

The successful applicant will also have the following qualifications:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., communications, journalism, political science, economics, environmental or development studies, etc.).
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in journalism or communications.
• Excellent oral and writing skills in English with the ability to turn complex topics into engaging narratives for various audiences and a track record of written products in English.
• Extensive experience in media relations in India. Additional experience with media in South Africa would be a strong asset.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and project management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and work quickly and accurately while being results-focused, with the flexibility to take on both highly complex and basic tasks.
• A strong ability to work comfortably across different cultures and be inclusive and positive with different colleagues.
• Strong computer literacy, including Microsoft Office applications and experience in handling web-based communications and management systems, including WordPress, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics.

It is not required but will be considered advantageous if candidates can demonstrate:

• Strong existing professional networks on energy and/or policy in India.
• Prior experience engaging with state and central government officials on energy, environment, and climate change issues.

Position Details

Location: Home-based, anywhere in India, with a preference for Delhi. Candidates should be comfortable with regular travel to support communications and engagement activities.

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for location where they expect to be based without any sponsorship from IISD.

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience. Candidates are invited to identify their salary expectations in terms of cost to company (CTC) in INR lakh per annum.

Type of employment: 100% full-time-equivalent staff position, including under an Employment of Record model. One-year contract with a high possibility of extension.

Application deadline: July 28, 2024

Application Procedure

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:

• A CV (no longer than two pages, including the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three referees)
• A cover letter (one page)
• IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire
• All submissions must be in English.

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for one year.

Candidates must submit a cover note (one page maximum) outlining their interest in the position and why they are suitable. They will be required to provide references and a piece of written work upon request. This written work should be on a topic relating to tax and investment—e.g., a research report or policy brief.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process.?We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our?employment equity questionnaire?on our applicant tracking system when you apply.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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