Reports to: Director of Communications
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal (The candidate will be required to travel frequently, particularly across West Bengal and Odisha)

About Asar

Asar Social Impact Advisors (Asar) is a pioneering startup operating in the realm of social and environmental impact within India. Legally incorporated as a for-profit entity under Indian law, Asar is dedicated to tackling the pressing climate challenge and fostering resilience in both human and ecological systems, recognising their profound interconnection.

Amidst the accelerating impact of climate change, Asar plays a pivotal role as an enabling organisation supporting the building of strong ecosystems for grounded responses to the climate challenge.Through collaborations with governments, for-profit and non-profit organisations, and, crucially, with communities and self-help groups, we aim to steer the momentum towards sustainable practices.

About the Role

At Asar, we see communication as shaping public conversations.

Climate change is not only an environmental issue. It is deeply connected to questions of livelihoods, public health, energy, waste, water, governance, culture, and identity. Yet these connections often remain invisible in public discourse.

The Communication Strategist will help bridge that gap.

Working closely with Asar’s Communications and Programme teams, partners, media professionals, artists, cultural practitioners, and communities, this role will lead efforts to build meaningful public conversations around climate and environmental issues across West Bengal and Odisha. The role will focus on identifying emerging narratives, building strategic relationships, engaging media ecosystems, and developing communication approaches that connect climate realities with everyday experiences.

We are looking for someone who understands that stories often move people more effectively than statistics, and who can bring together journalism, culture, public engagement, and climate communication in creative and impactful ways.

Key Responsibilities

Narrative Strategy & Public Discourse

• Develop communication and narrative strategies that connect climate change with issues such as pollution, waste, water systems, energy transitions, public health, livelihoods, and local governance.
• Identify emerging public conversations and opportunities to position climate issues within broader social and cultural discussions.
• Translate complex environmental and climate issues into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

Media Engagement & Relationship Building

• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, newsrooms, Press Club networks, independent media platforms, and alternative media spaces.
• Identify opportunities for story placements, media collaborations, opinion pieces, interviews, and public discussions.
• Monitor media trends and evolving narratives related to climate, environment, development, and governance.

Culture, Arts & Storytelling

• Build relationships with theatre groups, musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, and cultural institutions across West Bengal and Odisha.
• Identify opportunities to communicate climate and environmental issues through cultural platforms and creative expression.
• Conceptualise innovative storytelling initiatives that connect environmental realities with local histories, identities, and lived experiences.
• Help expand climate conversations into spaces where they are not traditionally discussed.

Digital Communications & Audience Engagement

• Leverage social media and emerging digital platforms strategically to amplify narratives and engage new audiences.
• Work with communications teams to develop multimedia content and campaigns.
• Track evolving digital communication trends and identify opportunities for experimentation and audience growth.

Events & Public Engagement

• Design and support dialogues, public events, media interactions, and cultural engagements that strengthen public understanding of climate issues.
• Represent Asar in public forums, discussions, and media interactions where required.
• Build bridges between researchers, communities, artists, journalists, and decision-makers.
• Convene and cultivate relationships across diverse ecosystems, including journalists, artists, researchers, community leaders, policymakers, and citizens, creating opportunities for conversations and collaborations that might not otherwise happen.
• Identify and nurture unconventional partnerships that help climate issues reach audiences beyond traditional environmental and policy spaces.

Required Experience & Skills

• 7–8 years of professional experience in journalism, communications, media, content creation, or related fields.
• A degree in journalism, communications, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of climate change and its social, economic, and cultural implications.
• Asar works in the Google workplace ecosystem, so the candidate must be proficient in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, etc
• Basic proficiency in cloud-based design tools like Canva and AI generative models
• Established relationships with media professionals across mainstream and alternative media ecosystems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong public speaking, facilitation, and presentation abilities.
• Deep familiarity with the socio-political, cultural, and media landscapes of West Bengal and Odisha.
• Fluency in English and Bengali, both written and spoken.
• Strong understanding of social media platforms and digital communication ecosystems.
• Ability to think creatively about audience engagement and narrative building.

Highly Desirable

• Existing relationships within theatre, music, literature, film, and cultural networks.
• Experience designing narrative change initiatives.
• Experience working across civil society, media, cultural, and grassroots spaces.
• Ability to create quick videos, designs, and multimedia content for social media

Who Will Thrive in This Role

This role is well-suited for someone equally comfortable in a newsroom, a community meeting, a theatre rehearsal, a press briefing, or a public discussion.

You are likely someone who sees connections where others see silos. You understand how climate issues intersect with economy, gender, culture, politics, livelihoods, and identity. You enjoy building relationships, spotting opportunities, and creating conversations that reach beyond the usual audiences.

Most importantly, you believe that meaningful climate action requires not only evidence and policy, but also stories, imagination, and public participation.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance.
• Retirement savings plan with company match.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Flexible work schedule and remote work options.
• Generous paid time off and holidays.

How to Apply

Please email your application to: Comms@asar.co.in, with the subject line reading Application for the post of Communication Strategist – West Bengal and Odisha

Your application should include:

• A CV of no more than two A4 pages.
• One communication sample that you are particularly proud of (article, campaign, multimedia project, event, documentary, podcast, social media series, etc.).
• A response to the Narrative Challenge below.

Narrative Challenge

Pick one climate-linked issue in either West Bengal or Odisha that you believe deserves far more public attention than it currently receives.

In no more than 8 slides (or an equivalent format), tell us:
• Why this issue matters
• Why people are not paying attention to it
• Which audiences should care
• How you would make them care
• Which media, cultural, or public engagement approaches you would use
• One unconventional partnership you would explore
• One event, or storytelling idea you would test

We are less interested in polished design and more interested in original thinking, strategic insight, storytelling, and a deep understanding of people and public conversations.

Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

Apply