Senior Executive – Communications Specialist

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic Indian Nationals for the position of Senior Executive – Communications Specialist to support the team under Communications Program. The incumbent will play a key role in developing and executing effective communication strategies that support the organization's goals and objectives. This individual will be primarily responsible for creating compelling content through both written and visual mediums to engage with our stakeholders through multiple channels. This position will be based at ICRISAT’s Headquarters in Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

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

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement communication campaigns that align with ICRISAT's mission and objectives. 
• Create and distribute a variety of communications materials, including newsletters, and social media posts. 
• Create short video news releases and other associated digital and creative content using the latest software.  
• Create content and increased engagement of social media profiles.  
• Work with the graphics team for the creation of material to support campaigns.  
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure consistent messaging and branding across all communications channels.  
• Respond to media inquiries as needed.  
• Monitor and analyse metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of communication efforts and make data-driven recommendations for improvement.  
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in communications and incorporate new technologies and tactics as appropriate.  
• Support the organization's business development and outreach efforts by developing and executing communications campaigns to engage donors to build support.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and demonstrated aptitude for science outreach and development communication with atleast 2 years of experience in a communications role, with a strong track record of developing and executing successful communication strategies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to write for a variety of audiences and styles
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines
• Knowledge of social media platforms and experience managing social media accounts for an organization
• Ability to think critically and solve problems, with a data-driven approach to decision making  
• Sensitivity to working in international and cross-cultural contexts.
• Working knowledge in Hindi and/or any other Indian languages
• Passion for ICRISAT's mission and commitment to using communication to drive impact

General:

This is a contractual role for a period of 36 months (03 years), renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from 30 June 2026. All Applicants should apply 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 and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.