Community Engagement Specialist, Centre for the New Economy and Society

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.

The Centre for the New Economy and Society is one of the Forum`s ten centers : it 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.

Why we are Recruiting

Business, government and civil society executives work with the Centre to access and co-create the latest insights, to develop action frameworks and to lead change through multi-stakeholder initiatives that address some of the most complex challenges and opportunities within the Centre’s thematic areas.

To strengthen the growth and impact strategy of the Centre, the team is looking for a results-oriented Community Engagement Specialist. The Specialist will contribute to an ambitious portfolio of communities and initiatives, and help mobilize business leaders, public sector, experts from the world's top research universities, philanthropies, start-up entrepreneurs, media and civil society organizations to foster opportunities for all.

Reporting Lines & Interactions 

The role will be based in the Centre’s Community Engagement Function, reporting to the Head of Community Engagement, and will work closely with other functional and thematic staff across the Centre as well as the broader institution. Establishing productive relationships internally and externally will be of utmost importance for succeeding in this role.

Breakdown of main responsibilities: 

• Scan the horizon for relevant issues, actors, and trends to inform current or initiatives at the global and (sub)national level including market research and stakeholder mapping.

• Support in managing, mobilizing and facilitating high-level communities of experts and decision-makers from across the Forum’s stakeholder ecosystem (industry, government, academia, international organizations, and civil society) to champion Centre`s initiatives.  

• Develop the Centre’s strategic partnership with donors, building trust and effective relationships and identifying opportunities for engagement across the Centre’s work, including grant management.  

• Actively engage in building and maintaining productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders including CNES current and potential partners and keep timely records of engagement and progress.

• Proactively manage and report on Partner retention, engagement, business development metrics and resulting actions.

• Coordinate and support the development of engagement plans, including follow up.

• Support the development and coordination of bilats for the Managing Director and Head of Community Engagement.

• Contribute to identifying areas of process optimisation and automation to ensure efficient operations and a flawless Partner engagement experience.

The successful candidate will be assessed on:

• Support Centre leadership in refining the Centre’s value proposition for all constituent types, while keeping marketing and external communication materials up to date.

• Measurable growth in depth and breadth of constituent engagement with the Centre, and diversity of partnership mix.

• Ability to manage stakeholder relationships at different levels of seniority both inside and outside the organisation.

• Successful management of the business partners experience, including on-boarding, communications and customization as well as a follow up strategy.

• Embodying the Centre and Forum’s objectives and values, as well as a strong partner centric culture.

• Effective management of Centre specific grant funding.

Preferred requirements and experience 

• An intellectual background with a university degree in business administration, international relations, public policy, or similar. Candidates who have completed digital accreditations or taken different routes to upskilling are welcome to apply.

• 5+ years of professional work experience in a relevant industry  

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with a keen eye for detail.

• Responsible, independent, and self-driven, with a passion for innovation.

• Highly collaborative team player with strong presentation and interpersonal skills. Ideally proven experience of thriving in multicultural environments.

• Ability to thrive in a demanding and fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Experience and comfort working on matters involving knowledge management, administrative and coordination support, including creation of visually compelling presentations and materials.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel); familiarity with Salesforce or comparable CRM is an advantage.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; additional languages are a plus.

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!