Communications Officer Position – Apply

Job Description

Help reshape global economic narratives and advance economic justice

The Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) is seeking a skilled and values-driven Communications Officer to play a central role in strengthening narrative power and advancing struggles for economic justice around the world. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence how economic systems are understood, debated, and transformed—working alongside global partners who are challenging inequality and promoting dignity, equity, and solidarity.

About CESR

The Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) is an international human rights organization dedicated to advancing social and economic justice. We work at the intersection of human rights and economic policy, exposing how unjust economic systems and policy choices undermine people’s rights and well-being. At the same time, we collaborate with movements, civil society organizations, and communities to promote alternative economic models that prioritize people and the planet.

Communications are fundamental to CESR’s mission. We believe that narratives shape power—determining whose voices are heard, which problems are seen as urgent, and what solutions appear possible. Our communications work seeks to make complex economic debates accessible, grounded, and mobilizing, while amplifying the voices of those most affected by injustice.

The Role

CESR is looking for a dynamic, experienced, and politically grounded Communications Officer with a strong commitment to human rights and social justice. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Communications Officer will lead CESR’s communications strategy and oversee its day-to-day implementation across the organization.

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution. The successful candidate will shape CESR’s narrative direction, strengthen the visibility and impact of our research and advocacy, and support internal and external communications that reinforce CESR’s mission and values. The Communications Officer will also contribute to organizational development and resource mobilization efforts.

While not mandatory, additional skills such as experience with design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Photoshop), multilingual communication (particularly Spanish), and familiarity with accessibility and inclusive design practices will be considered strong assets.

Key Responsibilities

Communications Strategy and Leadership

• Lead the implementation and continuous refinement of CESR’s communications strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and political objectives.
• Define success indicators for communications work and regularly assess progress, impact, and areas for improvement.
• Build a shared understanding across the organization of CESR’s core audiences, key messages, and narrative goals.
• Develop a clear vision for CESR’s storytelling and narrative-shifting efforts, ensuring coherence across programs, platforms, and partnerships.
• Provide strategic communications advice to senior leadership and program teams.

Content Development and Storytelling

• Write, edit, and oversee the production of a wide range of communications materials, including reports, policy briefings, factsheets, newsletters, blog posts, press releases, op-eds, annual reports, and audiovisual content.
• Ensure CESR’s research and advocacy outputs are translated into clear, compelling, and accessible formats tailored to diverse audiences.
• Uphold and strengthen CESR’s visual identity, ensuring all materials meet house style, quality, and accessibility standards.
• Create, adapt, and manage communications outputs using established design templates, including laying out publications and producing digital and social media assets.
• Work collaboratively with program staff to integrate communications considerations into project planning from the outset.

Digital Communications and Media Engagement

• Manage and maintain CESR’s website, including drafting and editing content, improving accessibility and usability, and supporting the transition to a new content management system.
• Develop and curate engaging content for CESR’s social media channels, including LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, and relevant listservs, with the goal of growing and diversifying CESR’s audience.
• Monitor emerging trends in digital communications and adapt CESR’s approach to remain effective and relevant.
• Proactively identify opportunities to position CESR’s analysis and perspectives within public debates on economic injustice and inequality.
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and media outlets, and support media outreach and engagement.

Collaboration and Organizational Support

• Work closely with CESR’s program teams to ensure communications activities are adequately resourced, coordinated, and aligned with advocacy goals.
• Manage relationships with external consultants and service providers, including designers, web developers, translators, videographers, and photographers.
• Support CESR’s fundraising and resource mobilization efforts by drafting donor-facing materials, appeals, and communications in collaboration with colleagues.
• Strengthen internal communications across the organization, supporting collaboration, clarity, and shared purpose.
• Provide guidance and support for multilingual communications and cross-cultural storytelling.

Who You Are

You are a strategic communicator with a strong political compass and a deep commitment to economic and social justice. You understand that communications are not just about visibility or branding, but about power—how narratives shape public understanding, policy debates, and collective action.

You are comfortable operating at both strategic and practical levels: setting long-term narrative direction while also writing, editing, designing, and problem-solving on a day-to-day basis. You enjoy working collaboratively across teams, cultures, and disciplines, and you are skilled at translating complex economic and policy analysis into language that is clear, credible, and engaging.

You approach communications as a collective and ethical practice. You listen attentively to partners and colleagues, value lived experience alongside technical expertise, and are thoughtful about equity, representation, and accessibility in how stories are told and shared. You are organized, adaptable, and able to manage competing priorities in a small, international organization working across time zones.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will bring:

• A degree in journalism, communications, media studies, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least five years of experience in strategic communications within a human rights, social justice, advocacy, or related context.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing narrative strategies.
• A strong ability to communicate complex or technical issues in accessible and compelling ways.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with a strong sense of voice, audience, and political context.
• Familiarity with digital communications tools, platforms, and emerging trends.
• A collaborative working style and the ability to manage multiple priorities across teams and time zones.
• Experience working in international or multilingual contexts is an advantage.

Why Join CESR

Joining CESR means becoming part of a small, committed team working to challenge entrenched economic narratives and advance a vision of economies grounded in human rights. This role offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to global struggles for justice, alongside partners and movements across regions.

You will have the space to exercise creativity, political judgment, and leadership while shaping how economic justice is understood and fought for worldwide. CESR values learning, collaboration, and care, and seeks to create a work environment that reflects the principles it advances externally.

Additional Information

This position is part-time, with an initial one-year contract, renewable subject to funding and organizational needs. Working location is flexible, provided there is sufficient overlap with CESR team members’ working hours.

The full-time equivalent salary range for this role is USD 37,000–60,000, depending on experience and location. Compensation will be pro-rated based on hours worked. CESR sets salaries with careful consideration of cost of living, internal equity, and consistency across the organization.

CESR recognizes that current economic systems disproportionately harm marginalized and historically excluded communities, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and working-class communities—particularly in the Global South. In line with our commitment to equity and justice, we strongly encourage applications from individuals from these and other disadvantaged communities.

How to Apply

To apply, please email the following materials to jobs@cesr.org:

• A CV (maximum two pages)
• A cover letter (maximum two pages)
• Links to two published writing samples

Applicants are encouraged to submit materials that reflect their own voice, thinking, and experience. Given the nature of this role and CESR’s emphasis on authentic storytelling, political judgment, and accountability, the use of generative AI in preparing application materials is discouraged.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. CESR aims to have the successful candidate in place by early March 2026.