Position: Media and Communications Officer

Location: New Delhi

Time Commitment:  Full-time, minimum of 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday

Type: Hybrid, in the CHRI office in Delhi three days a week, and as required 

Duration: 1 year

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), India is an independent, non-partisan, human rights non-governmental organisation working for the practical realisation of human rights. Access to Information and Access to Justice (Police Reforms and Prison Reforms) are focus areas of CHRI’s work. For more information, please visit: www.humanrightsinitiative.org.

CHRI is seeking to increase its visibility and reach to a wider audience, and is looking to hire a Media and Communications Officer to raise awareness of its work and to advocate for greater transparency and accountability of state institutions. The Media and Communications Officer will be responsible for developing audio-visual clips and other material as part of CHRI’s outreach work, draft press releases, write and edit articles, blog posts and manage CHRI’s social media accounts. 

Working with CHRI will be an opportunity to: gain a good understanding of issues related to access to justice and access to information and take it to wide audiences; work with like-minded professionals for human rights and accountable governance; and contribute to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable people. 

A.    Job Responsibilities:

The Media and Communications Officer will be required to: 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for making the organisation and its work visible nationally and in the states, within a restricted budget; 

• Create appealing materials (audio-video content, infographics etc) for public outreach of CHRI’s Programme work through traditional and new media including social media; 
• Develop and implement media campaigns based on CHRI’s programme work;
• Manage CHRI’s social media accounts, organise media interviews, interactions and optimise CHRI’s participation in relevant media (print/television/radio/online) platforms;
• Draft press releases, articles and blogs;

• Edit and design in-house publications and website content;

• Assist staff with writing, editing and media outreach;
• Disseminate CHRI's research and advocacy outputs through conventional mass media and social media outlets;

• Develop relationships with relevant media channels and mediapersons;

• Maintain, update a database of media contacts for CHRI and expand its media network; and
• Provide technical support for CHRI’s interventions using the Right to Information Act, 2005.

B.    Required Qualifications and Skills:

Essential

• Masters degree / Post-graduate diploma in media and communications, or a related field; 
• 3-4 years of work experience in Media and Communications;
• Excellent internet research, writing and editing skills, as well as outstanding oral communication abilities in English and Hindi;
• Excellent word processing, internet and social media skills;
• Knowledge or work around human rights, criminal justice and experience of using the Right to Information Act, 2005; and
• Experience of developing and editing audio-video content, infographics and other outreach material.

Desirable

• Working knowledge of other Indian languages would be an advantage; and
• Experience of working with non-profits or social interest messaging and communication would be an advantage.

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, energetic, and able to work independently toward given deadlines. 

C.    Interested candidates should apply with:

• Current CV with a cover letter
• Two writing samples
• Contact details of two referees

Please send applications to vinu@humanrightsinitiative.org latest by 14 July 2024, marking a copy to mohan@humanrightsinitiative.org.  

Please use this subject line: Media and Communications Officer

Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Eligible candidates belonging to the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society are encouraged to apply.