Project Lead (Communications) – Policy and Communications

Central Square Foundation; Delhi; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Square Foundation (CSF) is seeking a Project Lead (Communications) to shape how CSF’s work and impact are understood within India's education ecosystem. You will help build CSF’s brand and position it as an evidence-based, results-driven organization focused on foundational literacy and policy influence.

You’ll drive communications strategy across quarters and the year, collaborating with senior leadership, managing CSF’s digital footprint, and shaping campaigns, content, and events to

Qualifications

• Strong experience in developing communications strategies and translating them into high-quality execution across digital, content and storytelling.
• Demonstrated expertise in digital communications and website management, including content strategy and SEO.
• Strong editorial and writing skills, with the ability to simplify complex ideas, research and evidence into clear and compelling narratives.
• Experience developing knowledge products, reports, campaigns or thought-leadership content for external audiences.
• Strong project ownership and ability to independently manage multiple stakeholders, timelines and external partners.
• Strong visual and storytelling sensibility, with experience working on multimedia, presentations and/or creative content.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, particularly with senior leaders, subject-matter experts, programme teams and external agencies/partners.
• Experience in education, public policy, development or social impact sector is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Content strategy and creative projects: Lead content initiatives across channels, including CSF’s monthly newsletter - The EDge, and manage multimedia projects (films, documentaries, etc.) and external collaborations with content platforms as required.
• Strengthen digital presence via website: Drive website growth & performance, SEO strategy & consistently high Google search rankings. Custodian of the website, ensure updates across thematic sections of the site.
• Own CSF’s Knowledge products and Thematic Collaterals: End-to-end development of strategic knowledge products like the Annual Report and other thematic & knowledge collaterals; conceptualisation, content development, copy-editing, alignment with CSF’s brand.
• Brand & events: Own CSF’s brand and external communications quality, contribute to flagship events and lead on-ground photo, video and storytelling efforts that bring CSF’s work to life while keeping brand language consistent.

Skills

Content strategy

Digital communications

SEO

Editorial writing

Stakeholder management

Multimedia storytelling

Project ownership

Communications strategy

Education

Master’s or equivalent degree in communications, marketing, media, journalism, business or related field

Job description

About the job Project Lead (Communications) - Policy and Communications

Position: Project Lead (Communications)

Team: Policy and Communications

Location: Delhi

About Central Square Foundation (CSF)

Established in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the learning outcomes of all school-going children across India through system-led reforms. As a catalytic enabler, our initiatives span innovation and policy to practice and focus on learning impact at scale across 16 states.

At the heart of our mission is our strategic focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), which drives our collaborative efforts with nine state governments to design and execute statewide FLN missions. We are deeply committed to Early Childhood Education (ECE) reforms, recognising the critical role it plays in laying a strong groundwork for children’s learning journey, thereby augmenting FLN outcomes. Additionally, we prioritise EdTech integration, aiming to deploy digital solutions for in-class and at-home learning and establish evidence-based practices while also tapping into the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to augment learning outcomes. We also work in the domain of School Governance, extending our system-level approach to children in both private and government schools, to strengthen the country’s education landscape and High Potential Students to support India’s bright young minds from underprivileged backgrounds in becoming future innovators, researchers and leaders.

Read more about our work here: https://www.centralsquarefoundation.org/

About Policy And Communications At CSF

The Policy and Communications (PAC) team at CSF comprises two closely connected sub-verticals, Policy and Communications, that work together to strengthen CSF’s influence, visibility and positioning in the education ecosystem. The Policy team drives salience around CSF’s areas of work, with a particular focus on foundational learning and the NIPUN Bharat Mission, by engaging and informing key stakeholders including bureaucrats, political influencers and state and central government decision-makers on the policy landscape and priorities for quality education for every child. The Communications team builds thought leadership across CSF’s FIVE focus areas of Foundational Literacy & Numeracy; Early Childhood Education; EdTech & AI; School Governance & High Potential Students through campaigns, strategic partnerships, content collaborations, research and knowledge assets, digital activations across social media and the website and strategic storytelling. The team also leads events, brand building and CSF’s overall positioning, with the aim of establishing CSF as an intellectually rigorous, evidence-backed organisation that contributes meaningfully to strengthening India’s education system.

Position Summary

As a Project Lead (Communication) within the PAC team, you’ll have the opportunity to shape how CSF’s work, ideas and impact are understood across the education ecosystem. You’ll play a key role in building CSF’s brand and positioning it as an intellectually rigorous, evidence-backed organisation working to strengthen school education in India.

You’ll play a leading role in driving the communications strategy across quarters and the year working closely with the Senior Lead - Communications, contributing to campaigns and social media activations, managing CSF’s digital presence across its website and leading key communication properties and events. You’ll also identify opportunities to leverage relevant calendar moments and hook days to bring CSF’s work and perspectives into wider conversations within the Indian education ecosystem, while forging strategic partnerships and collaborations to extend our reach and influence.

We are looking for an individual who can contribute strongly across both strategy and execution. The ideal candidate will bring strong strategic thinking, project management and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas and evidence into compelling narratives and communication. You should be comfortable owning projects end-to-end, working across teams and with external partners, and navigating multiple priorities with an entrepreneurial mindset. A strong understanding of digital communications, campaigns, content and brand building, along with a passion for education and social impact, would be an advantage.

Key Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Content strategy and creative projects: Lead content initiatives across channels, including CSF’s monthly newsletter - The EDge, and manage multimedia projects (films, documentaries, etc.) and external collaborations with content platforms as required.
• Strengthen digital presence via website: Drive website growth & performance, SEO strategy & consistently high Google search rankings. As the custodian of the website, you will have to ensure accurate updates across thematic sections of the website, with a particular focus on thematic content properties.
• Own CSF’s Knowledge products and Thematic Collaterals: Oversee the end-to-end development of strategic knowledge products like the Annual Report, other thematic & knowledge collaterals. This includes conceptualisation, content development, copy-editing, while ensuring that all external-facing content is aligned with CSF’s brand, voice and narrative.
• Brand & events: Own CSF’s brand and external communications quality, contribute to flagship events and convenings and lead on-ground photo, video and storytelling efforts that bring CSF’s work and impact to life while keeping CSF’s brand language intact and consistent.

Required Qualifications And Skills

• Master’s or equivalent degree in communications, marketing, media, journalism, business or a related field.
• 7-9 years of relevant experience in communications, brand, content, digital or social impact or journalism
• Strong experience in developing communications strategies and translating them into high-quality execution across digital, content and storytelling.
• Demonstrated expertise in digital communications and website management, including content strategy and SEO.
• Strong editorial and writing skills, with the ability to simplify complex ideas, research and evidence into clear and compelling narratives.
• Experience developing knowledge products, reports, campaigns or thought-leadership content for external audiences.
• Strong project ownership and the ability to independently manage multiple stakeholders, timelines and external partners.
• Strong visual and storytelling sensibility, with experience working on multimedia, presentations and/or creative content.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, particularly in working with senior leaders, subject-matter experts, programme teams and external agencies/partners.
• Experience in the education, public policy, development or social impact sector is preferred.

Desired Qualities

• Development/social impact experience preferred.
• Strong digital, storytelling and presentation skills, including the ability to create compelling PPTs and decks.
• Strong agency and vendor management skills, with the ability to manage external partners and deliverables effectively.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Collaborative and resourceful, comfortable working in a lean, fast-paced environment and high- pressure situations.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to drive multiple projects.
• Creative, adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.

Why Join CSF?

At CSF, you will have the opportunity to work at the intersection of education, policy and social impact and contribute to communications that can influence how leading minds in India think about school education reform.

The role offers the opportunity to work closely with programme teams, senior leadership, government and ecosystem partners, while building strong expertise across digital communications, campaigns, storytelling and stakeholder engagement.

You will be part of a collaborative and entrepreneurial organisation where communication is not simply about visibility but about making ideas accessible, building momentum around what works, and contributing to systemic change in education.

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidate's experience levels.

Central Square Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where individuals from different backgrounds and experiences can thrive.