Do you get goosebumps when you witness lives changing? Do you see angles where others see a straight line? Can you spot an innovation in a set of numbers and graphs? Are you excited by the power of a storytelling? If the answer is ‘yes’ to all, you might be the person we’re looking for – a dynamic, creative, compassionate and strategic Head of Communications to lead our young and driven team of content creators at The Antara Foundation (TAF).
You’ll be playing a key role, reporting directly to our CEO, in amplifying TAF’s visibility and influence both in India and worldwide. You’ll be telling stories of real change, sharing ideas and innovations that have transformed lives at scale. Your work here can make a real difference. So, if you want to change the game, join the team at TAF
About The Organization
The Antara Foundation (TAF) envisions a world where women and children do not suffer from preventable health conditions. We believe that every mother and each child deserve an equal start to a healthy life. We support the public health system deliver solutions at scale, to improve maternal and child health outcomes, by partnering with government and communities. Interventions of The Antara Foundation follow two closely integrated paths: to help the government system deliver better quality health care to the community and to support the community to mobilize and seek better health outcomes.
We are a young, energetic, and passionate team, working across eight districts, 38 blocks, 5,700 villages, with 20,000 Frontline Health Workers (FLWs), and reaching 379,000 women and 650,000 children in central India. Over the next few years, we see ourselves spreading across multiple locations in India to implement our solutions and to create an impact at scale.
For more information visit antarafoundation.org.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Delhi, with travel to intervention districts as required
Last date for accepting applications is: 10th July 2024
Position Summary
The Head of Communications (HoC) will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and work closely with the senior leadership and the TAF core team to build Antara’s visibility and positioning in India and abroad. As TAF expands its footprint, taking many of its innovations to different geographies in India, there is a strong need to capture and share stories of practice and impact from the ground with different audiences (e.g., donors, philanthropists, government, public health partners, academia, general public). This is important for three reasons: a) to establish TAF as a credible and technically strong organization in the sector, b) to garner funds to support further expansion and scale-up, and c) to inform the broader sector and government to influence policy.
The role involves leading TAF’s communications efforts in the development and dissemination of vivid, memorable, impactful material using program data, using a variety of formats across a range of communication channels.
Responsibilities
The overall responsibilities would require the HoC to formulate and execute a comprehensive brand strategy that clearly defines positioning, messaging, and targeted outreach goals; to create and disseminate impactful content across various external channels, and to optimize audience engagement and organizational visibility.
Communication
- Work alongside the leadership in crafting and leading on the execution of an innovative, forward-thinking communications strategy that aligns with the organization’s overarching goals and maximize impact
- Manage the organization’s communications strategy in close collaboration with the leadership, across following dimensions:
- Type of content to be captured and disseminated (e.g., model, program impact, team, key messages)
- Type of communication forms (e.g., films, data visualization, presentations, articles, case studies, profiles, visuals, social media formats)
- Selection of appropriate channels and platforms to disseminate the content
- Determining target audiences and ensuring content is crafted accordingly
- Collaborate closely with the programme and functional teams to generate compelling content for all audience segments as per strategy
- Build a compelling brand from the work done by the Foundation – its practices and innovations, programme strategy, impact, challenges and opportunities, its team and its vision and mission
- Spearhead the strategic ideation, creation and production of various communication material and plan and implement various activities under the communications strategy, with support from team members, including but not limited to –
- Creation of articles, blogs, thought pieces, etc.
- Creation of newsletters, annual reports, etc.
- Creation of organization and intervention films/ documentaries and case studies
- Creation of profile notes, value proposition material, etc.
- Managing the organization’s digital presence: website, social media handles and interactions on digital media platforms
- Drive digital initiatives and public relations campaigns
- Be the custodian of the organization’s branding material (e.g., logos, templates, colours)
- Be the point person for all communications related support required by team (e.g., reviewing content for external use, supporting Fellows in blogs, field team in identifying and creating case studies etc.)
- Engage with and manage external relationships (e.g., external talent, print and digital media, website vendors, production houses, PR consultants as and when required)
- Collaborate closely with programme and functional teams to generate compelling content for donor communications, funding proposals, and stakeholder engagements.
Team Leadership And Development
- Build, mentor, and lead a communications team dedicated to excellence and innovation
- Set clear team goals, provide continuous performance feedback, and promote professional development to enhance team capabilities and drive superior results
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and motivating work environment that encourages creativity and best practice sharing among team members
- As member of the core group, contribute inputs and provide need-based support to Program Leads across organization fronts
Work Experience
- We value both professional and personal experience.
- Candidates with 8-10 years’ experience in communications in the content creation/ corporate communications and media relations space
- 3-4 years’ experience in development and implementation of communication strategy preferably in the public health/ MNCH domains
- Experience in the social impact arena or related field will be an added advantage along
- Relevant experience in content creation, across legacy and digital channels – experience of audiovisual content, social media strategies and content, writing and editing, are preferred
- Other Skills: Demonstrated skill and experience in leading and mentoring a team for at least 4-5 years
- Experience in building relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders
- Track record of positively representing the organization and its mission at external platforms
Skills & Knowledge
- 8-10 years of overall experience in communications with a thorough understanding of communications channels, including electronic, print and social media and digital media trends
- A broad understanding of India’s healthcare landscape
- Creative skills – ability to lead on content for social media – GIFs, audio/ video content, photo and video essays/ galleries, post text etc.
- Talent to spot stories and tell them well – capture stories from the field and curate all such stories and reports
- Ability and ambition to think out of the box, think innovation
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to commission content working with different external partners and service providers
- Demonstrated ability in communicating with different internal and external stakeholders and on various platforms
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Leadership qualities – ability to listen well, mentoring young talent and being a team player while commanding respect and demonstrating expertise
- Ability to represent the organization effectively to external audiences including corporate and foundation executives, business and government organizations and other partners
- Ability to manage a busy workload effectively and be flexible regarding shifting priorities and deadlines, without compromising the quality of outputs
- Language proficiency: English and Hindi
