Now hiring: communication strategists (Consultant or Associate Consultant)

Photo by Viviana Rishe on Unsplash

We at Communication for Change understand the importance of having great people for any businesses to succeed. We believe we must get the right people on the bus first, even though we don’t know yet where to place them. This is why we are always hiring and inviting you to join us. This post is about the always-open job opportunity for communication strategists.

The company

Our history

Communication for Change is a small consulting firm based in Jakarta. We help reformists in Indonesia —those who want to make Indonesia suck less— gain support and make changes through communication that overcomes indifference.

We were founded in 2016 by two female bootstrapping advertising and marketing communication veterans who know how to talk to people who don’t care (you can read the origin story here). We want to apply our expertise to help those who fight the uphill battle, to prevent reformasi from becoming an unfulfilled vision.

Reformasi can mean a lot of things to many, but for us it is about inclusive democracy, well-functioning public institutions and strong civil society, guarantee for basic freedoms (of speech, of religion, of the media, of assembly), and recognition of both the power of unfettered market to alleviate poverty, and the role of state in ensuring that its gains are shared as widely as possible.

What we do for our clients

Things we do to help our clients include the following:

• Help them write content for their presentations, design the needed visual aids, and coach them to deliver
• Repackage (simplify and turn them into visual stories) their reports or studies so they have a better chance to reach and engage the intended audience (including policymakers)
• Develop the strategy, craft the creative theme, produce the material or communication tools, orchestrate the executions of public campaigns to change opinions or behavior
• Build their organizations’ capacity to communicate more effectively, from preparing presentations, writing reader-friendly reports, running public campaigns, and upskilling internal communication teams.

We work in the environment, social justice, governance, and public health sectors. Our clients are mostly donor institutions who commission us to work with their partners, i.e. civil society organizations and sometimes government agencies.

Behavior and skills we particularly value from our employees

We notice that when a company or a brand talks about its values, it often ends up with a list of nice-sounding words. We don’t honor this tradition. For us, real company values are shown by who gets rewarded, promoted, or let go. In Communication for Change, people are rewarded and promoted when they:

1. Consistently refuse to do mediocre jobs: we hate jobs that are done for the sake of completing them or meeting the minimum requirements (“asal jadi”, “seadanya”). We want team members who put serious effort into their work and tie in their professional pride with the quality of their output. We don’t hire those who miss deadlines, cut corners, are easily satisfied with their own results or give up easily.
2. Are respectful to others: we respect others’ time. We are punctual and come to meetings prepared. We respect others’ presence. We listen to others to really understand them. We put away our phones so we can pay full attention to them. Lastly, we don’t believe brilliant jerks exist: nobody can be so brilliant she or he can get away with treating others rudely.
3. Make things happen, not wait for things to happen: we promote people who take initiatives and act in advance of a future event. We don’t want colleagues who always need to be asked to do something. We anticipate and prevent, instead of reacting and fixing. We are somewhat impatient and don’t tolerate unsettled or unexplained details.
4. Are intellectually hungry and humble: we never stop learning about topics that are related to work and ones that give us personal satisfaction. We publicly admit when we don’t know and deliver on the promise that we’ll find out as soon as possible.

The position: communication strategists

The job

In Communication for Change, we hire people not to be little assistants. We groom them to replace the founders, and in effect become equity partners.

For communication strategists, the starting position is Associate Consultant. Depending on the skill levels, the job title can be Consultant, Senior Consultant, Managing Partner, and eventually Principal Consultant.

The tasks

The main role of a Consultant is to assist the Principal Consultant, initially in research and training, and gradually to develop communication products and campaigns with minimum supervisions.

The Associate Consultant and Consultant are also expected to apply the methods and tools of Communication for Changes to help clients prepare presentations or repackage their complex documents.

The required skill levels (ordered by level of difficulties)

We don’t care about which schools you graduated from. What we care is what your skills are and whether your personality fits our work culture.

We have lists of skill levels for Consultants. Each list is ordered from the most basic (therefore essential and non-negotiable), up to the most difficult ones. The more capabilities we agree you have, the higher the remuneration, authority, and your job title will be.

For Associate Consultant (usually fresh graduates or with less than 2 years working experience) we require only up to point 3 in research, communication, strategy, and ideas/execution.

Research:

1. Compile relevant online research without explicit or detailed guidance
2. Identify significant research findings from diverse source and synthesize them in an actionable report
3. Design and manage primary research (both qualitative and quantitative)
4. Evaluate complex data and findings in terms of methodology and implications.

Communications (in both Indonesian and English):

1. Write and speak clearly and intelligently when comfortable and prepared
2. Craft a cogent and compelling argument in email, document, or conversation
3. Write and speak clearly and intelligently about complex ideas and strategies
4. Prepare and deliver a winning external presentation without assistance
5. Persuade clients and colleagues to see the situation/world as he/she sees it
6. Adapt his/her approach in real-time to ensure a winning outcome, regardless of the situation or dynamic

Strategy (for public campaigns):

1. From the client’s written or oral brief, identify what challenges they are facing and how Communication for Change can help or add value
2. Distill the discussions regarding strategies and write them down as strategy documents
3. Keep colleagues, partners, and clients focused, on-task, and excited about their role in a complex initiative
4. Develop strategies with close supervision from the Principal Consultant
5. Define what true effectiveness looks like and why; gather and analyze the evidence.

Ideas and executions (for public campaigns):

1. Recommend and support the creation of different ways to bring the creative idea alive, in different channels and tonalities
2. Help with the practical implementation of the idea, especially in the digital realm

Remunerations

The monthly top salary for a Consultant is from IDR 10 to 16 million after taxes, depending on the level of mastery of the required skills. The salary for Associate Consultants ranges from IDR 7.5 to 9 million. I am open to negotiate if you can demonstrate you are worth your asking price.

We provide both health insurance and outpatient care benefits.

Work conditions

I will match my high expectations to you with my commitment to support you in meeting them. Mentoring you is high on my priority list.

We operate in full remote mode. This is ideal for people who hate commuting and love working in their pajamas. Although it provides some degree of flexibility, you cannot treat it as a part-time job in addition to your main responsibility, including homemaking or caregiving. In our experience, remote workers who perform well are those who create their own structures, including dedicated workspace, working hours and breaks, and other rituals.

Communication for Change is founded by minorities and does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

How to apply

Write as concisely as you can, with visual aids if necessary, so I am convinced that you want to join us (not just to get a job, any jobs) and that you master some if not all the required skills. Don’t forget to mention the position you’re applying: Consultant or Associate Consultant.

Send your application to me: mita at communicationforchange dot id. If I am convinced, I will contact you to arrange an interview.

Looking forward to hearing from you.