Senior Programme Communications Associate (Data Visualisation)

• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi
• Terms of reference
• At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for) as an employer. So, if the description below strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!
• At CEEW, we build careers in public policy
• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale

We actively promote leadership by initiative

We celebrate talent and ambition

• You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow
• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations
• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW

You will get above-market remuneration

We provide a safe space for all

At CEEW, your life is your example for others

Senior Programme Communications Associate

Job location

New Delhi, India

Reporting to

Senior Communications Manager

Duration

Full-time

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a Senior Programme Communications Associate who can do three things well: design, write and think in data. The person will join the Outreach team and turn complex energy, environment and water research into charts, maps, data stories and physical formats that audiences want to read, share and trust. The role offers a close look at the inner workings of one of India’s leading think tanks, and a real chance to shape views and policy with data visualisation and storytelling.

An ideal candidate has a regular record of making charts for external audiences on a wide range of issues, and can write the headline, caption, explainer or short piece that goes with them. They should be able to synthesise research into audience-relevant narratives without compromising analytical integrity. They must be willing to learn CEEW’s core areas well enough to question the numbers and the framing, not just present them.

The candidate should be well-versed in design and tools such as Figma, Canva and QGIS, and comfortable with numbers and spreadsheets. They should know the visual storytelling of leading international publications and think tanks such as The Financial Times, The Economist, The New York Times, The Hindu and Ember. They should track emerging trends and formats in data storytelling and respond with innovative offerings from CEEW’s desk. They must be committed to timelines and quality, with an eye for detail.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities below, the individual should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional outreach responsibilities.

Job duties and accountabilities

• Lead the strategic direction, evolution and new formats of CEEW’s data communications function, and identify opportunities across research for data-led storytelling.
• Conceptualise, design and oversee data-driven communication products across static, interactive, digital, physical (data physicalisation) and other emerging formats.
• Identify intended audience and communication objective for each data storytelling product and align the choice of format, visual approach, and narrative to the same
• Produce charts, maps and data stories for audience-facing products and campaigns across social media, emailers, websites, events and print.
• Translate complex research findings and datasets into clear, accurate and engaging narratives and visuals, with strong headlines, captions and short-form copy written to publication standard.
• Own editorial integrity over all data visualisation outputs from CEEW: check numbers against source data, challenge framing, and work with researchers before anything goes out.
• Design with craft: set the visual language, layouts and typography of CEEW’s data products, and keep them consistent across formats.
• Explore and adopt new tools, technologies and approaches that strengthen CEEW’s data storytelling, especially AI-driven workflows for data visualisation.
• Develop and maintain standards and style guidelines for data visualisation and data storytelling.
• Build relationships with practitioners, agencies, designers, visualisation specialists and external collaborators working in data storytelling.

Additional responsibilities

• Support the Communications Manager in managing and strengthening CEEW’s media and social media engagement.
• Support the Outreach team on a range of tasks
• Provide hands-on support on data visualisation for key events and moments.

Selection criteria

Qualification

Master’s/Bachelor’s degree in Data Journalism, Information Design, Statistics or any related field.

Work experience and other skills

• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in making graphics for external audiences
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality charts for different media
• Proficiency in Figma, Canva, and QGIS; basic data analysis using Excel/Spreadsheets. Ability to code is a plus
• Excellent grasp of the English language and writing
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent eye for detail
• A big appetite for news and complex research
• Demonstrated abilities to manage multiple priorities, projects and internal/external resources in a fast-paced environment, while meeting deadlines and quality standards.
• Strong drive and initiative; a self-starter.

If you consider yourself a data visualiser and storyteller with surgical precision, one who gets the chart, the headline and the legend right, we would like to speak with you. If researchers consider your visuals and copy a must-have for what they publish, we would definitely consider hiring you!

Application process

CEEW is an equal opportunity employer, and the selection process does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a written test for selected candidates. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified by us. We appreciate your interest.