Government Relations Specialist, Africa

The Forum is an independent, not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in New York and San Francisco, United States, Beijing, China, and Tokyo, Japan.

We are the trusted platform for public-private cooperation —where relationships and trust are built, insights are deepened, and collaboration begins. We connect leaders to make sense of global challenges and move the world forward together.

Context and why we are recruiting?

Africa is poised to become a central driver of future economic expansion. With around half of the world’s population growth over the next three decades occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, and with the continent projected to be the fastest-growing region globally in 2026, the Forum’s engagement in Africa has never been more strategically important.

The Africa team, Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics works towards cultivating and managing the Forum’s relations primarily with government and public sector constituents in sub-Saharan Africa, and ensures that the Forum’s work in Africa is aligned with the Mission of the Organization while creating maximum impact for the region. Our work spans trade and investment, frontier technologies, energy, climate and nature, and health — supporting Africa’s transformation through public-private collaboration.

Reporting line and how is this role embedded in the wider team?

The Community Specialist will report to the Head of Africa, Centre for Regional and Global Cooperation, and work with a wide range of internal teams to coordinate and manage regional projects and initiatives.

What will you be responsible for?

Coordination (30%)

• Coordinate the team’s interaction with the Forum’s thematic centres (weforum.org/centres), ensuring coherence and alignment with the Africa regional agenda across all initiatives

• Liaise across the Forum’s internal teams to ensure the Africa agenda is well-integrated into broader Forum platforms

• Monitor and track the delivery of regional commitments across thematic workstreams, flagging risks and dependencies

Project Management (30%)

• Co-manage the Forum Friends of the AfCFTA initiative, a high-level coalition of 50+ global companies, African governments, heads of state and development institutions convened to accelerate AfCFTA implementation and unlock Africa’s $3.4 trillion trade potential

• Support the delivery of the ADAPT initiative — a pan-African digital trade infrastructure project led by the AfCFTA Secretariat in partnership with the Forum, IOTA Foundation and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change — including its 2026 pilot rollout in Ghana, Nigeria and Rwanda

Administration (30%)

• Perform administrative tasks that contribute to successful community management and delivery of on- and offline meetings, including data collection, input and reporting

• Support documentation through the creation and maintenance of engagement materials such as briefings, marketing documents and partner-facing collateral

• Manage logistics and coordination for high-level meetings including Forum Friends of the AfCFTA roundtables, country strategy meetings and regional summits (e.g., Special Meeting South Africa)

• Maintain accurate records of stakeholder engagement, commitments and follow-up actions across the regional portfolio

Engagement (10%)

• Act as the Forum’s ambassador in the region and the region’s advocate within the Forum, adding regional context to global issues and implementing relevant initiatives for regional impact

• Actively cultivate and manage relationships with foremost decision-makers and thought leaders in portfolio countries to broaden the Forum community and deepen engagement

What are the core knowledge, skills and experience we are looking to add to our team?

Domain knowledge and Experience

• 4+ years of professional experience in international affairs, trade policy, economic development, public-private partnerships or a related field, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa

• Strong understanding of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the broader African trade and investment landscape, including key institutions such as the African Union, African Development Bank, regional economic communities and the AfCFTA Secretariat

• Familiarity with digital trade, digital public infrastructure and emerging technology governance frameworks relevant to Africa, including knowledge of initiatives such as ADAPT, PAPSS and the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol

• Experience engaging with senior government officials, business executives and multilateral institutions in the African context; existing networks across sub-Saharan Africa are strongly preferred

• Prior experience working in or with an international organization, think tank, development finance institution, consulting firm or government ministry is desirable

Core Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in a second regional working language (e.g. French or Portuguese) is an advantage

• Strong project management capabilities, with demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives across geographies and manage competing priorities under tight deadlines

• Relationship management skills, with the ability to engage credibly and build trust with senior stakeholders from government, business and civil society

• Analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information across economics, policy and geopolitics into concise, high-quality briefings and engagement materials

• Collaborative and cross-functional working style, with the ability to operate effectively within a matrixed organization and contribute to a high-performing, diverse team

• Entrepreneurial mindset and intellectual curiosity, with a genuine commitment to Africa’s development and to the Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world

• Proficiency in standard office and project management tools; experience with CRM systems and digital collaboration platforms is an advantage

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!