Awesta Choudhary
Delhi
Summary
I am a development communication professional with ten years of experience in strategizing and implementing online and offline communications for development organizations. My expertise lies in Strategy, Social Behaviour Change Communications, PR, Policy and Advocacy, Campaign, Social Media, Partner and Event Management. Working collaboratively with donors, partners and stakeholders on ensuring quality communications are amongst my key expertise. I am always motivated and committed to deliver excellent content through as many communication platforms. My objective is to bring success to the organization by building beneficial links through effective internal and external communications. Highly skilled Communication Manager with background in strategizing and executing effective communication plans. Strengths include exceptional written and verbal communication skills, team leadership, strategic planning, and crisis management. In previous roles, contributed to significant improvement in internal and external communications effectiveness. Always focused on fostering positive relationships with stakeholders through transparent and regular communication.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Communication Manager
RTI International
09.2023 - Current
- Lead strategic communications across six countries within the SAREP initiative.
- Guide sub-awardees in developing and refining communication plans and final products for the project
- Crafting comprehensive communication strategies including developing reports, coffee table books, and annual reports
- Photo and video documentation, creating impactful visual stories and knowledge products
- Website strategy and management
Senior Communication Officer
John Snow India
08.2022 - 08.2023
- Company Overview: MRITE/USAID Project
- Strategic documentation of MOMENTUM Routine Information and Transformation Project funded by the USAID
- Video and photo documentation of interventions, champions and influencers of COVID-19 vaccination across 18 intervention states
- Developed a bank of 200+photostories and videos
- Led the development and release of 8 Coffee Table Books highlighting the work done in the Project under the leadership of the Government
- Maintained repository of photographs for across all intervention states
- Led the coordination with various agencies and vendors to ensure quality communication products
- MRITE/USAID Project
Programme Officer - Communications and Partnerships
Aga Khan Foundation
07.2019 - 08.2022
- Developed Global Communications and Social Media strategy in collaboration with the Global Head of Communications
- Engaged with implementation partners on ground and ensured quality documentation of reports, case studies, photographs and videos
- Set up processes for management of website and all social platforms across all AKF country offices
- Engaged with senior journalists and ensured 5 print media coverage in a national daily of work on ground on a half-yearly basis
- Improved AKF India's twitter traffic organically over the last two years enhancing follows and engagement from 500 to over 3000 followers
- Led AKF's Global Blended Learning Initiative in India, provided training and developed over 30 courses/ videos
- Setup AKF's content management system and created a repository of photographs, videos and reports
- Prepared an inventory of journalists, photographers, filmmakers and designers to drive AKF's internal and external communications
- Led the design and development of project collaterals and created over 80 videos and 40 reports, coffee table book, brochures, radio messages and jingles
- Led Social Behaviour Change Communications campaigns for COVID-19 specific project across 7 intervention states
- Led Coordination with various agencies and vendors to ensure quality communication products
- Prepared a database targeting, corporate donors, government, and philanthropic partners
- Led due diligence partner onboarding and successfully onboarded over 30 partners
- Developed proposals and grant applications, working closely with programme and state leads, the finance team and colleagues from other AKDN agencies as well as AKF's Global leads
- Supported the team in documentation of donor reports
- In collaboration with the programme team successfully mobilized resources for over 15 projects
Assistant Manager, Marketing and Communications
CARE India
08.2017 - 06.2019
- Responsible for strategizing and managing all online content including social media and website management
- Responsible for getting 50 -60 media impressions yearly in leading dailies
- Responsible for developing 2 annual reports, one golden jubilee book and 10 quarterly newsletters during my tenure
- Led the development of over 20 videos across various thematic sector
- Curated a repository of photographs, videos and reports
- Worked closely with implementation partners and ensured quality communication by organizing journalist visits, photo mission, video documentation under projects emergency relief campaigns with support from agencies
- Improved CARE India's social media following by increasing over 50,000 followers every year
- Led the renovation of the website during my tenure
- Provided periodical analytics to improve the digital, website and social media presence
- Managed the blog section and drafted over 50 blogs during my tenure
- Led vendor management for developing quality communication products
Manager
Charities Aid Foundation, CAF - India
08.2016 - 08.2017
- Responsible for internal and external content generation including website content, newsletter, brochures, partner and donor reports, social media management etc
- Led the development of 12 monthly newsletters for the organization
- Prepared presentation decks and brochures for all ongoing projects
- Prepared specific donor communication to highlight their contributions for over 10 donors
- Reviewed and edited grant proposals/concept notes and presentations
- Reviewed and edited over 5 thematic papers
- Planned and developed approach paper on engagement with CSR, philanthropy, social start-ups, social entrepreneurship, venture philanthropy, social businesses, SMEs
- Written and copy-edited over 100 beneficiary success stories
- Over 12 emailers, programmatic brochures and flyers
- Over 20 blogs on various services/initiatives offered by CAF India
- Editorials and press releases
Communications Officer
Digital Empowerment Foundation
01.2014 - 06.2016
- Responsible For managing all external communications
- Responsible for researching and compiling the Decadal Report of Digital Empowerment Foundation
- Worked as Core Team member in planning and implementation of all the Awards and Summits conducted by the organization
- Strategized the Social Media calendar and generated content for Social Media page of the organization (Facebook and Twitter)
- Compiled and edited 30 monthly newsletters for the organization
- Worked as project manager for social media for Empowerment Awards 2014-16 in collaboration with Friedrich Neumann Foundation and Twitter India
- Worked as Project Manager for Crowd Sourcing Summit, India edition held in Bangalore in September 2016
- Strategized and conceptualized the website Khamayati.org in collaboration with Barefoot College Tilonia
- Participated as Trainer for series of workshops on social media for Empowerment organized by Tata Trust for NGOs in Lucknow, Kolkata and Delhi
- Participated as a resource person during TERI's Workshop Creative Librarian 2.0: Connect, Collaborate and Share Knowledge using Social Media Platform organized for NGOs from across the country held in Delhi in August 2015
- Led the campaign for Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon Season 1 on social media as well as on Ground, March – June 2015 in partnership with Population Foundation of India
- Worked as Communications lead and Project co-ordinator for the Vodafone Foundation Mobile for Good Awards 2014 and organized 4 workshops in Kolkata, Guwahati, Lucknow and Kochi and Award Ceremony held in Delhi
- Strategized and operationalized a Workshop on Free Speech in Collaboration with INDEX UK in Bengaluru in September 2014
Education
Master's - Development Communications
University of Westminster
LondonMaster's - Mass Communication
AJK MCRC
DelhiBachelor's - Mass Media and Mass Communication
Delhi University
DelhiSkills
- Branding management
- Media outreach
- Content coordination
- Social media content development
- Video content production
- Web development
- Social media campaign oversight
- Communications strategy
- Creating collateral
Languages
- English, Fluent reading, writing and spoken
- Hindi, Fluent reading, writing and spoken
- French, Basic reading, writing and spoken
Timeline
Communication Manager
RTI International
09.2023 - Current
Senior Communication Officer
John Snow India
08.2022 - 08.2023
Programme Officer - Communications and Partnerships
Aga Khan Foundation
07.2019 - 08.2022
Assistant Manager, Marketing and Communications
CARE India
08.2017 - 06.2019
Manager
Charities Aid Foundation, CAF - India
08.2016 - 08.2017
Communications Officer
Digital Empowerment Foundation
01.2014 - 06.2016
Master's - Development Communications
University of Westminster
Master's - Mass Communication
AJK MCRC
Bachelor's - Mass Media and Mass Communication
Delhi University
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