Consultant - Strategic Communication

About us:

WRI India, an independent knowledge organisation registered as the India Resources Trust (IRT), provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Know more: wri-india.org The Opportunity

Indias cities are at an inflection point. Extreme heat and climate shocks are intensifying, even as urban air pollution remains a persistent public health crisis. IRTs Sustainable Cities Program is building a systems-level response -convening multi-stakeholder dialogues, developing decision-support tools, informing city and state approach -demonstrating what a whole-of-society approach to urban climate resilience looks like in practice.

This engagement will support the communication of the Programs research, technical insights, and implementation experience to relevant institutional, sectoral, community, and development stakeholders. The Consultant will help present complex information in clear and accessible formats, strengthen consistency across programme communications, and support wider understanding and application of evidence-based approaches to climate resilience and clean air. We are seeking a strategic communicator who can translate complex, multi-stakeholder systems change into clear, compelling narratives. The ideal candidate will be able to support to design innovative communication strategies and tools that resonate across key audiences and navigate the full spectrum of stakeholders that climate resilience and clean air work demands.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Positioning, Narrative & Program Communications

• To support, develop and structure the communications strategy for IRTs climate resilience and air quality portfolios within the Cities program, aligned with broader institutional communications priorities.
• Translate research findings, coalition outcomes, and policy interventions into innovative, clear, audience-specific narratives for technical engagements with research institutions, public sector, civil society, and other key communities.
• Establish and maintain a consistent program voice across all external materials —briefs, op-eds, reports, toolkits, digital media, and event collateral.
• Collaborate closely with program leads, the Cities Communications Head, and institutional communications teams to ensure alignment and amplification.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products—including case studies, learning briefs, and replication toolkits—that translate program learning into actionable insights for wider adoption and influence.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop clear, evidence-based communication materials to support IRTs approved technical and research engagements with relevant agencies, and other key stakeholders, including consultations and necessary dialogues. Develop stakeholder-specific briefs, talking points, and engagement packs for partners, industry coalitions, institutions, and multilateral agencies.
• Develop clear, evidence-based communication materials to support IRTs approved technical and research engagements with relevant institutional and sectoral stakeholders, including consultations and thematic dialogues.

Digital & Public Engagement

• Build and strengthen relationships with print, digital, and disseminate to amplify program findings and position IRT as a leading voice on urban heat and air quality in India.
• Support the development and submission of evidence-based opinion articles, feature pieces, and expert commentary for appropriate publications, in coordination with program staff and IRTs approved contributors.
• Oversee the programs digital presence-including its content, web pages, and multimedia outputs—ensuring content is timely, accessible, and audience-appropriate.
• Develop accessible, public-facing content (e.g., explainers, infographics, community briefs) to translate research into practical insights for various sectors and communities.

Key stakeholder engagement

• Provide review inputs on communication materials related to approved grant proposals and partnership submissions, including factual impact narratives, subject to final review and approval by IRTs Program Manager.
• Support the communications for the Heat Resilience Hub network, including coalition convenings, key narratives, and partner communications—ensuring alignment with IRTs communication standards, coherent narratives across all network partners while preserving context-specific nuances.

Internal Knowledge & Capacity

Work closely with Cities communications Lead to:

• provide communications coaching and capacity support to program staff, researchers, and partner organisations- building collective ability to communicate climate and air quality issues effectively
• Maintain a library of up-to-date program comms assets, key messages, and data points
• Monitor the communications landscape on climate and air quality, providing the team with regular horizon-scanning on narrative opportunities and emerging issues

Qualifications and requirements we seek:

• Postgraduate degree in communications, journalism, or a related field, with experience or an established interest in sustainable development, climate action, or related fields.
• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in strategic communications/marketing/ public relations or journalism.
• Published stories on relevant issues in professional media outlets or blogs.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, both independently and as part of team.
• Cultural sensitivity to work in a diverse environment.
• Experience working for a non-profit organization would be an advantage.
• Experience supporting multi-stakeholder coalitions or networks, including coalition communications and governance documentation.
• Media relationships in environment, urban, or public health at national or international outlets.
• Experience with digital communications tools and platforms.

Location: Bangalore, Delhi or Mumbai

Duration: 6 months