Senior Officer-Asia Communications

ICRISAT seeks applications from Indian nationals for the post of Senior Officer- Asia Communication. This is a national position for a project led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), New Delhi.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit www.icrisat.org

About the position

The Senior Officer – Asia Communications oversees and implements strategic communication planning and coordinates internal and external communication for the region.

The Senior Officer will provide strategic communications support, fostering a collaborative environment, to researchers and the Regional Hub’s management team in communicating the Alliance’s accomplishments, ongoing research efforts, and impacts to a wide variety of audiences. The incumbent will work closely with the Regional Partnership Specialists to support the resource mobilization efforts in the Region.

Working closely with the three Communications sub-teams (Global, Digital & Internal, and Publications, Brand & Graphic Design), the Senior Officer will deliver innovative, on-time, and high-quality communications products and content for research and support areas that will be disseminated through the Alliances platforms and digital channels.

The Senior Officer is the key focal point in establishing and managing external media relationships, primarily local and regional, to actively promote the Alliance’s broad message.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee and implement regional strategic communications planning, including identification of priority audiences/users, target outputs/outcomes, operational strategies/implementation mechanisms, and required resources, also as input to overall institutional planning.
• Coordinate digital, editorial and graphic design support in the region.
• Develop external communication products including stories, videos, podcasts, public awareness-raising materials, research briefs and reports, and capacity building tools.
• Manage contracts related to external service providers to ensure proper delivery of regional materials.
• Manage strategic media relations at the international, regional, and national levels to ensure high visibility for the Alliance’s work in Asia.
• Oversee and implement the development of communication tools in support of the resource mobilization initiatives in the Asia region working together with the Managing Director and Partnership Specialists.
• Coordinate the intra-institutional communications activities to support timely and regular information-sharing among members of the regional team, and with the Alliance’s global community.
• Manage the engagement of communication assistants, interns, and coordinators in the region.
• Participate in key CGIAR activities through relevant research initiatives and regional engagements.

Required qualification and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, or related fields.
• Master’s degree in communications or related fields is a plus.
• Thematic knowledge of topics including agriculture, food systems, climate change, agrobiodiversity, nutrition, poverty and livelihoods, digital and gender inclusion, crop research and sustainable development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Fluency in English is essential (oral and written).
• Working competency in other UN languages is a plus (oral and written).
• At least 5 years of experience in progressive communications, leading and deploying strategic plans and other communications deliverables.
• Prior experience working in an international organization, and in multiple time zones.

Technical competencies

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team with people in a multi-cultural and multidisciplinary environment, including external stakeholders.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to provide a high level of service under pressure.
• Experience and ability to translate complex science into widely compelling and targeted communications stories.

• Flexibility and willingness to travel.

• Creative, autonomous, and solutions-oriented approach.

General:

This is a full-time position based in New Delhi, India and available for Indian nationals. The successful candidate should be available to commence as soon as possible for an initial of one (1) year fixed term contract, with the possibility of contract renewal depending on performance and funding situation.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 16 October 2024, with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal-opportunity employer