Terms of Reference for Communications Officer

1. Title: Communications Officer
2. Organization: Arghyam
3. Duration: This is a full-time position
4. Place of Work: Bangalore ( non-negotiable)
5. Travel: This position would require some local and national travel
6. Deadline for Applications: 15th February 2011
7. Interview Schedule: 20th February 2011 to 15th March, 2011
8. Expected Joining Date: 1st April 2011
9. Salary Range: Competitive depending on experience and ability

About Arghyam:

Every day more than 1000 children die of preventable, water related diseases in India. At least 30 million people don’t have access to safe drinking water in urban India, and 40 million live in slums without adequate sanitation facilities.

Arghyam, a leading national charitable foundation has dedicated itself to the cause of the poorest citizens through the cause of water. Setup with a private endowment from writer and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, Arghyam’s mission is “Safe, sustainable water for all”.

For more than 5 years now, Arghyam has been driving and supporting programs in rainwater harvesting, groundwater management, drinking water and sanitation programs, water quality management etc. by working closely with diverse multiple stakeholders, primarily in the civil society and government space.

Some of the key principles which guide our efforts include the recognition of lifeline water as a basic need and right, decentralization, community participation and ownership, an integrated approach to managing water from source to sink, an emphasis on subsidiarity (which means managing water locally) and the effective use of technology as enabler.

Being small and independent, Arghyam is highly flexible, with an ability to move quickly, absorb risk and support exciting, innovative ideas. More information about Arghyam could be found at our website: http://arghyam.org

About the Position:

We are looking for a dynamic individual to join team Arghyam in Bangalore as Communications Officer. The communications officer (CO) would be part of the communications and advocacy team, and would support all Arghyam's teams for its external and internal communications. The job profile of the communication officer is detailed below:

• Creating And Managing Messages
  
  
  • Develop communication materials and coordinate Arghyam publications to high quality standards (Write/edit annual reports, brochures, newsletters, presentations, liason forcreating video content, animations)
  • Seek and develop deep, long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships with serviceproviders (designers, printers, web experts, editors, writers, consultants, etc).
  • Manage and develop Arghyam's website and social media profile
  • Handle all external requests for information
  • Design and execute all communication-related processes within programmes, and events
  • Manage stalls and booths at conferences, events and seminars
  • Develop and maintain Arghyam's internal knowledge base

• Communication Strategy
  
  
  • Work with the teams to develop strategic annual communication plans for all Arghyamteams and develop a communications calendar for Arghyam
  • Identify and recommend methods to create visibility for Arghyam, Arghyam's coreprograms, print and electronic materials, employees and partners
  • Advise different teams on communication issues and tactics
  • Ensure uniformity of Arghyam messaging across teams and functions

• Media Relationships
  
  
  • Develop, and implement Arghyam's media strategy, including media liason, production of press releases, organizing press conferences and briefings
  • Develop authentic and long-lasting communication with journalists, columnists and bloggers
  • Raise the profile of water and sanitation within the media

Qualifications:

• Bachelor or higher education degree in communications, journalism, business or other relevant subject
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in the design, planning and management of strategic communication and media programmes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Fluency in oral and written English is essential. Additional language skills are a plus, especially Hindi and Kannada
• Experience in working with a variety of stakeholders, such as senior government officials, community leaders, development sector professionals, civil society organizations, journalists, policy and decision makers, etc.
• Exposure to water and/or development sector (through education or work experience)
• Excellent IT skills (MS Office Skills), familiarity with content management systems like Drupal, Jhoomla, Wordpress, etc and social media would be preferred.

Personal Attributes:

• The candidate must share the team’s passion to make a difference and give back to society, with this as the prime motivation to consider Arghyam.
• Self-starter and ability to take initiative
• Ability and willingness to travel as required
• Excellent project management skills; ability to multitask, prioritize work, manage time, and achieve deadlines
• Flexibility, willingness and ability to work under pressure
• Excellent interpersonal, networking and diplomacy skills

To apply, please send a cover letter and CV to jobs@arghyam.org with the subject line “Application for Communications Officer”