Head - Strategic Communications/Thought Leadership & Brand

Head - Strategic Communications, Thought Leadership & Brand

A central leadership role to position the organization as an infrastructure knowledge leader and make communications an active business - development capability.

Location

New Delhi; office - based, with travel as required.

Experience

10 - 15 years preferred; exceptional candidates with 8 - 10 years may be considered.

1. Role Purpose

The organization does not require a conventional social - media manager. This role will own how the organization is understood by clients, government stakeholders, DFIs, partners, employees, prospective talent, media and the wider infrastructure ecosystem.

The incumbent will convert technical work, field experience and leadership perspectives into credible industry insights, institutional visibility and business - development support. The role combines editorial judgement, corporate communications, thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and team leadership.

2. Core Mandate

• Position the organization as a domain leader: Establish a clear, differentiated narrative across infrastructure sectors rather than presenting it merely as another consultancy.
• Build an editorial engine: Systematically identify insights from projects, experts, bids, conferences and market developments and convert them into high - quality content.
• Support business development: Equip CBD/IBD and business units with sector narratives, credentials, case studies, capability material and stakeholder - specific communication.
• Own corporate reputation: Improve consistency, credibility and reach across media, conferences, industry platforms and leadership communication.
• Strengthen internal alignment: Ensure employees and project teams understand the organization's direction, achievements, standards and opportunities.

3. Key Responsibilities

A. Brand Strategy and Institutional Positioning

• Define the organization's master narrative, sector - wise positioning and messaging architecture.
• Create clear communication themes for roads, rail/metro, urban and water, energy/hydro, digital/advisory and international work.
• Develop annual and quarterly communication plans linked to business priorities, target clients and markets.
• Maintain brand consistency across proposals, presentations, website, LinkedIn, events and corporate collateral.

B. Thought Leadership and Editorial Ownership

• Create an editorial calendar based on sector issues, policy changes, project lessons and emerging opportunities.
• Produce case studies that explain the problem, constraints, contribution, innovations and measurable impact - not only project statistics.
• Lead flagship publications such as an Infrastructure Outlook, sector reports, insight notes, explainers and leadership articles.
• Interview technical leaders and convert specialist knowledge into accurate, readable and authoritative content.
• Capture conferences, site visits and technical discussions into reusable, insight - led content.

C. Business - Development Enablement

• Work with CBD/IBD and business units to identify target audiences, accounts, geographies and themes requiring communication support.
• Strengthen corporate profiles, capability decks, credentials, project sheets and executive briefing material.
• Create stakeholder - specific material for government clients, PSUs, DFIs, partners, OEMs and international consultants.
• Support pre - positioning for priority opportunities without turning public content into direct sales advertising.

D. External, Media and Leadership Communications

• Build relationships with relevant infrastructure, business and policy media.
• Identify speaking, panel, award, publication and association opportunities for the organization and its leaders.
• Draft leadership articles, speeches, interviews, talking points, quotes and opinion pieces.
• Manage announcements and reputation - sensitive communication with appropriate review and approval controls.

E. Internal Communications and Employer Brand

• Create a structured internal communications calendar for employees, project teams and, where relevant, employee families.
• Communicate strategy, milestones, people stories, learning initiatives and project impact in a consistent voice.
• Partner with HR on employer branding, leadership communication and talent - attraction content.

F. Team, Governance and Execution

• Lead and quality - control content, design, digital/social and internal - communications resources.
• Build intake, editorial review, technical validation, approval and publishing workflows.
• Manage external PR, design, production or research agencies where required.
• Track content quality, stakeholder reach, media share of voice, engagement quality, business - development usage and reputation outcomes.

4. Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

• 10 - 15 years in infrastructure/business journalism, B2B corporate communications, industry research/publications, public affairs or development - sector communications.
• Strong exposure to at least two infrastructure sectors, such as transport, urban development, water, power/energy, construction, public - sector advisory or project finance.
• Demonstrated ownership of long - form reports, sector analysis, case studies, executive communication and high - quality digital content.
• Experience engaging senior executives, technical experts, government stakeholders, industry bodies and media.
• Experience managing writers, designers, agencies or a small communications team.

Capabilities Required

• Exceptional writing, editing, interviewing and narrative - development ability.
• Ability to understand complex technical material and ask intelligent questions without pretending to be the technical expert.
• Strong judgement on what is publishable, differentiated, credible and relevant to business priorities.
• Comfort working in a promoter - led, fast - moving organization and building systems from the ground up.
• Commercial orientation: understands that communications must influence perception, relationships, talent and business outcomes.
• High ownership, discretion, stakeholder management and attention to factual accuracy.

Education

Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism, communications, economics, public policy, management, engineering or a related discipline. Quality of work, infrastructure understanding and editorial judgement will carry more weight than the degree title.