Position: Associate Manager- Advocacy & Communication

Organization: Janaagraha 

What will the Associate Manager- Advocacy & Communication, Municipal Finance Reforms do?

We are working on solving one the most important problems being faced by Indian Cities: making them financially sustainable and accountable. To amplify the work of the municipal finance reforms team, the incumbent will undertake the following advocacy and communication-related activities and responsibilities, as required from time to time, which would include, but would not be limited to:

• Engage closely with the urban development & governance ecosystem in India, including government officials, elected representatives, donors, civil society organizations, media etc, to both advocate for systemic reforms in municipal finance and to inform the organization’s municipal reforms agenda at relevant forums
• Shape policy advocacy agenda and strategy, including advising municipal finance team on the appropriate outlets and timely dissemination of advocacy and communication materials to target audiences
• Identify advocacy and communication needs, trends, opportunities and approaches to strengthen the organization’s presence and relevance in the municipal and urban infrastructure finance space
• Create strong brand positioning, visibility & recall for Janaagraha’s municipal finance reforms work, including for the www.cityfinance.in portal, and build institutional credibility across various forums
• Fully understand the theory of change of the municipal finance program and wherever appropriate engage with Janaagraha’s civic participation team to co-create & co-design innovative communication campaigns, including for de-mystifying municipal finance concepts for citizens, elected representatives etc.
• Lead and manage the conceptualization, development and implementation of the municipal finance team’s communication strategy and plan including:
  • Regular (weekly / fortnightly / monthly) reachouts to key government stakeholders, using social media and instant messaging platforms, to update them about key happenings, policy reform messaging etc and to equip them with key info as well as create a recall for Janaagraha among them
  • Planning, production and dissemination of Monthly newsletter focused on Municipal Finance Reforms
  • Planning and executing events such as, webinars, convenings, thought-leadership series, podcasts etc. from time to time
  • Regular Social media outreach via Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube channel etc
  • Planning, collating (content for) and coordination with relevant agencies for creation of videos, podcasts, infographics, marketing collaterals such as brochures etc, well designed presentations & documents etc. from time to time which could be disseminated via social media channels, newsletter/emailers, website, etc.
  • Media outreach – develop and nurture network of journalists and media houses (press, online, TV etc)

We think you’ll fit this role well if you have:

• At least 4 years of professional work experience in Advocacy & Communications with a Master Degree qualification in Urban Governance, Public Policy, Communications, Public Relations and/or related fields
• Good knowledge of urban development issues, preferably including municipal finance reforms, and practical experience in lobby and advocacy;
• Experience in lobbying within political and government sectors and/or in lobbying within the business sectors;
• Proven networking skills including wide network of government officials, CSOs, business associations and academia;
• Excellent communications (oral & written English), presentation, interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills for engaging with a wide variety of contacts. Proven ability to develop and implement an advocacy plan;
• Good conceptual and analytical skills and ability to think and operate innovatively;
• Good administration and organizational skills and ability to optimize independent use of time against variable workload;
• Experience in producing policy materials for varied audiences;
• Ability to manage resources;
• Ability to work well with others;
• Good working knowledge of MS Office.

If you think you fit this role well despite not ticking some of the boxes mentioned above, we encourage you to apply. While we do emphasise on some basic filters, such as minimum work experience, good communication, good problem solving aptitude, etc.– we understand that not all are essential in helping deliver well.

What does Janaagraha have to offer?

At Janaagraha, you will be part of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and passionate citizens who apply cutting-edge technologies and practices aimed at strengthening India’s cities. We offer a dynamic, driven, remunerative and vibrant work environment for professionals who are passionate about investing their time, skill sets and energy to transform quality of life in urban India.

We have a work culture where timeliness, quality, initiative, ownership and ideation are emphasised over work schedules, plans and hierarchy. The advocacy and reforms team consists largely of young professionals coming from diverse educational backgrounds – management, technology, social sciences – and work experiences – consulting, investment management, marketing and branding and research.

At work, you will be exposed to a unique combination of policy, practice and platforms and will have abundant opportunities to learn from the industry’s best and apply professional skills to complex social challenges.