Customer Success Specialist, UpLink

*This is a temporary 12 month contract with the possibility of extension*

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, and other leaders of society to build coalitions, projects, and initiatives – digitally and physically – to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

UpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum to crowdsource innovative solutions which can accelerate the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).​ UpLink’s effort focuses on building bridges within the innovation ecosystem to support entrepreneurs for growth and scale.

Since its launch, UpLink has made significant progress in addressing the world's biggest challenges in different thematic areas (e.g. Longevity, Urban Transformation, Food System, Sustainable Mining, Water, Circular Carbon Economy, etc.) alongside its esteemed partners by specifically delivering in enabling early-stage impact-driven start-ups to accelerate impact, building and strengthening innovation ecosystems and shifting perception around the value and significance of early-stage impact innovations.

Why we are recruiting

UpLink is growing its presence across new partnerships and thematic areas to identify and surface impact-driven early-stage start-ups, as well as a self-service model of the platform for its partners. To support this growth path, we are recruiting a technical support expert within our Operations and Data Success team whose work will ensure customer success for UpLink’s self-service model, provide technical support across innovation challenge lifecycle to partners and create and improve process and external facing guidance for the use of UpLink.

This role requires responsibility for data quality and data management systems, supporting along with development and oversight of operational and administrative resources that roll up into organizational KPIs.

Reporting Lines and Interactions

The role will be based in Geneva, report into the Operations & Data Success Specialist and work closely across the Growth, Partnerships & Innovation Ecosystems, Technology, Engagement and Marketing units within the team. Across the Forum, this individual will work closely with the broader Technology and Digital Innovation cluster and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution teams.

Main Responsibilities:

Customer Success - 60%

• Ensure technical and operational service excellence for partners regarding the implementation of innovation challenges across all project phases.

• Design and develop digital tools and processes for UpLink’s self-service model across all project phases.

• Serving as the team’s point of contact for technical and operational implementation of UpLink’s self-service model.

Operational Innovation – 20%

• Continual assessment of UpLink business systems to identify opportunities for process improvement

• Build and test prototypes for TechOps innovation, advise on UpLink operational tech investments

• Exploratory initiatives with Program, Marketing, and Platform counterparts as well as the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Team Coordination - 20%

• Responsible for data tools and processes that coordinate day-to-day activities with UpLink partners, ensuring efficient operations.

• Onboarding external partners with the right technology tools and processes to run UpLink challenges.

• Management of planning, scheduling and execution of team meetings and sessions related to UpLink’s self-service model.

To be successful, the candidate should:

• Guarantee best-in class service excellence of UpLink platform towards external partners.

• Have analytical mindset and the ability to break down complex problems into their component parts to strive for effective solutions & recommendations

• Contribute to the operational effectiveness of the team making best use of current and future process and digital tools

• Demonstrate interdisciplinary communication skills and experience working in diverse teams

• Respond to requests in a timely manner, provide administrative support as needed and ensure stakeholder records are kept up to always date

• Identify areas for continuous improvement and streamlining of the team’s process and approach

Preferred requirements and Skills:

• Genuine passion for scaling impact in the SDG space

• University degree with demonstrated application of business, operations, computer science, data science, or a related-skills

• 3-5 years of experience in operations and data management, digital project delivery, change management or product management for digital products, preferably in a technology or start-up environment.

• Strong service orientation towards internal and external parties; ability to collaborate with other functions, team members or cultures in the delivery of highly connected tasks

• Proven experience providing organizational support for cross-functional teams

• Strong project management, problem solving and organizational skills

• Working knowledge of Salesforce or another similar CRM systems

• Experience with Project Management best practices and related software

• Proactive approach to work, prioritization and resourcefulness

• Ability to handle conflicting priorities under stress and flexibility in the face of change

• Comfortable working in a challenging, quick and dynamic entrepreneurial and high-pressure environment

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!