Lead, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovations

The annual salary range for this role is $120,000-140,000 in San Francisco.

** Please note: This role requires the ability to work onsite in the San Francisco Forum office 3 days per week **

About the World Economic Forum

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 shape global, regional and industry agendas.

About the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR)

The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) helps stakeholders harness the potential of technological advancements for the equitable and human-centered transformation of industries, economies, and societies. We provide a strategic and future-oriented platform designed to understand exponential technologies and guide their responsible adoption and global application. Our thematic priorities include understanding innovation, catalyzing industry transformation, improving governance, and building a positive future.

Why we are recruiting

As digital technologies, including Generative AI, continue to evolve rapidly, their impact on governments, enterprises, institutions, and individuals grows. While the benefits of digital technologies are already evident across sectors, their full potential and challenges for industries and society remain to be unlocked.

To navigate the impact and governance of digital technologies, the World Economic Forum has initiated the AI Governance Alliance. This Alliance focuses on consensus-building around technological guardrails and the governance of generative AI systems and applications for industry and society.

The successful candidate will focus on the future developments of AI technologies and the impact, challenges, and innovation opportunities of digital technologies for industries and society. This role involves building multi-stakeholder communities and initiatives, supporting and coordinating with all Forum teams working on AI's impact and applications, and collaborating with the Network of Affiliate Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Reporting lines and interactions

The Lead will report to the Head of Frontier Technologies in the San Francisco office and work with key stakeholders across the Forum, including other Centre teams. This role offers the opportunity to engage closely with a broad range of external stakeholders, including governments, businesses, social enterprises, and international organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Initiatives management

• Shape and design flagship initiatives related to innovation and the impact of digital technologies on industries and society.
• Identify clear opportunities for impact, set initiative goals, establish evaluation criteria, and drive execution.
• Engage and coordinate public and private partners from industry, government, academia, international organizations, and civil society in the leadership and management of initiatives.

• Contribute to thought leadership and reports and other publications.

• Ensure effective initiative delivery, integration, and coordination through collaborative approaches and efficient resourcing, budgeting, process management, communication, and reporting.

Community engagement

• Engage key organizations, focusing on the Bay Area and the US ecosystem, in the Centre’s work, initiatives, and activities.
• Maintain regular contact with community members to stay informed on the applications, impact, and implications of digital technologies.
• Plan and facilitate community meetings.
• Cultivate and maintain strategic partnerships with key organizations, governments, and industry leaders to advance the goals of the C4IR.

Team and resources

• Collaborate with Forum partner organizations to onboard new fellows to support the work and drive initiatives forward with project fellows.

Qualifications and Skills:

• 7-10 years of experience in digital technologies, industry and startup strategy and innovation, industry applications, technology policies, or a related field.
• A master’s degree in relevant field.
• A strong passion for the future of industry and society and demonstrated expertise in the impact of AI and emerging technologies on the global economy.
• Experience designing, implementing, and monitoring complex multistakeholder projects in ambiguous environments, collaborating with government, business, civil society, and academia leaders and turning ideas into tangible action and impact.
• Strong ability to manage relationships externally and internally and work across different cultures and sectors.
• Excellent verbal and written English skills.
• Strategic experience developing and delivering results with coalitions, working across stakeholder groups - in particular private sector, government, and international organizations - linking diverse concepts into coherent narratives.
• Experience in creating digital content, research papers, academic articles, or similar is required.
• Comfort in driving entrepreneurial projects, starting new teams, and identifying opportunities for impact in crowded spaces.

Vaccination requirement

The Forum LLC requires that employees be fully vaccinated with at least one booster against COVID-19 by their first day of employment. The Forum LLC will evaluate all requests for accommodation/exemption from this policy in keeping with federal, state, and local law.

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!