(maternity cover, May 2024 to January 2025, Geneva based)

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the international organization for public-private cooperation.

The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Why we are recruiting

The Centre for the New Economy and Society provides a trusted platform to build prosperous, innovative and resilient economies that create opportunities for all. It enables leaders to understand, shape and navigate a new social and economic context through insights, action and dialogue for:

• Fostering economic growth and risk preparedness

• Investing in talent and human capital

• Promoting equity and inclusion

The Centre’s Global Risks Initiative provides insights, analysis and exchange on risk identification and preparedness. Since 2006, the Global Risks Initiative produces the Global Risks Report — one of the world’s leading publications on global risks, underpinned by the Global Risks Perceptions Survey. The Global Risks Initiative also includes the Risks Consortium, the Chief Risk Officers Community and the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks among its key communities, and a range of insight products beyond the Global Risks Report framed for relevance over the course of a typical year.

We are hiring a maternity cover Lead to help strengthen and deploy the World Economic Forum’s framework for risk identification and preparedness and provide a leading contribution to the production of the Global Risks Report 2025.

Reporting Lines and Interactions

The role will report to the Head of the Global Risks Initiative and will work in close collaboration with the Initiative team, aligning with the relevant Insights functional practice team and engaging with colleagues across the Centre and the broader organization to deliver outcomes efficiently and effectively.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide cross-sector views, knowledge, and initiative to advance the Forum’s global risks agenda. The Lead will help develop ideas; contribute to forward-thinking discussions; strengthen collaboration with stakeholders; interact with a growing community of risk experts from government, industry, civil society, and academia; and translate complex analyses into insights that support the Forum’s partners and platforms in identifying, understanding, and addressing global risks.

• Conduct extensive research and consultation on global risks, their interconnections and current assessment methodologies; engage with the Forum’s internal issue experts and external network of risk professionals to detect emerging risks; develop fresh methods to analyse risks and related data at the global, regional, and national levels; generate evidence-based and future-oriented risk management policy recommendations.

• Provide a leading contribution to the production of the Global Risks Report, producing insightful and original written content with impeccable narrative and in line with the Report’s objectives.

• Ensure that the Global Risks Mission’s insights production workstream is operationally and conceptually aligned with that of the Centre for the New Economy and Society, and with other teams across the Forum that produce risk-based insights on specific issues—such as the Centre for Cybersecurity, the Financial and Monetary Systems team, or the Nature-Based Solutions team.

• Support the Head of Risks Initiative in managing the Global Risks Report Advisory Board, which acts as an independent steering committee, guiding the strategic direction and impact focus of the Global Risks Report.

Assessment Criteria

• Knowledge of systemic risk analysis and foresight, and a broad interest in economic, environmental, geopolitical, technological and societal issues.

• Ample experience with primary and secondary research and analysis. This includes research in academic journals, public information sources and expert consultations; conducting data and survey analysis; extrapolating trends across different geographies and time horizons; and drawing credible hypothesis from limited information.

• Ability to craft written content on complex thematics and adopting a systemic view.

• Initiative to propose, develop and successfully deliver original projects.

• Ability to work independently while being committed to team and institutional outputs.

• Future-oriented and cross-cutting thinking.

Requirements and Preferred Experience

• Advanced university degree in data science, economics, finance, international development, public policy, or other relevant fields, including substantive knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience across business, government, non-profits, international organizations and/or think tanks. Experience in risk analysis, foresight and/or management is preferable.

• Proven track record in the drafting and production of high-stakes institutional insight products and thought leadership pieces, leveraging an interdisciplinary approach and with a view to readability and application.

• Fluency in English, with excellent written, digital, and verbal communication skills. Knowledge of other languages is preferable.

• Proven excellent project management and coordination skills; attention to detail; capacity to apply critical thinking, synthesize various viewpoints, consult broadly, and work collaboratively in a multicultural team; and skill to manage both short- and long-term objectives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

• Excellent data analysis, research, narrative and negotiation skills.

Why work at the Forum:

The Forum believes that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to improve the state of the world by building awareness and cooperation, shaping mindsets and agendas, and driving collective action. Join us and become a driver for positive change!