Lead, Data and AI Systems

*Please Note: This role requires the ability to work on site 3 days per week per company policy****.***

The annual salary range for this role is $140,000-160,000 in San Francisco.

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.

The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) helps leaders anticipate exponential technologies and drive responsible sectoral and industry transformation. It creates and scales initiatives in a global network of government- and not-for-profit hosted centres which give national trailblazers access to a trusted platform of sharing, learning, and problem-solving.

Why we are recruiting

As Data and AI continue to drive the digital economy, we recognize their growing impact on governments, enterprises, institutions, and individuals alike. From powering online transactions to understanding consumer behavior, data shapes every facet of our lives with broad and complex consequences. While AI's benefits are evident across sectors, it also presents multifaceted challenges, from data privacy and bias to responsible design and risk mitigation.

Understanding the vast economic and societal potential of AI, along with the risks that accompany emerging technologies, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution seeks to serve as a trusted platform. We seek to foster collaboration across businesses, governments, and civil society to address system challenges. As part of our strategic effort, we are recruiting a Lead, Data and AI Systems at our San Francisco office.

The Lead will be tasked with initiatives to design Data and AI systems, technologies, frameworks, processes and standards to maximize the economic and societal benefits while safeguarding risks. This includes building multistakeholder communities and projects involving data provenance and traceability, data rights, responsible design and release, open-source and licensing and emerging frontier AI systems and technologies. Moreover, the Lead will bridge gaps between various stakeholders such as industry leaders, research institutions, government representatives, entrepreneurs, academia, and civil society organizations, contributing to the future of the digital, data, and AI economy. The work is part of AI Governance Alliance workstreams.

Reporting lines and interactions

The Lead will collaborate closely with all technology practice leads across the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution as well as with other related World Economic Forum Centres. The Lead will also align and collaborate with the Forum’s global network of Independent Centres which build on, benefit from, and actively contribute to the Forum’s global Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution initiatives. This role reports to the Head of Data and AI Ecosystems.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitoring the global landscape for key players and initiatives in emerging technologies, specifically data and AI, that can be utilized and expanded upon within the Forum's extensive network
• Generating strategic insights and developing frameworks to assist business leaders and policymakers in anticipating the societal impact of emerging technologies
• Build, manage, and mobilize 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 and lead ambitious, system-level projects and initiatives
• Identify opportunities for the Forum’s global network of C4IR Centres to build on, benefit from, and contribute to the Forum’s projects and initiatives
• Apply stakeholder engagement and user-centric design methodologies and techniques to rapidly move from idea to impact via creating, piloting, evaluating and iterating solutions
• Ensure project initiatives remain on target, within timeframes and budgets, through effective leadership and management of teams, stakeholders, budgets, projects, and processes. This also includes clear communication and reporting through relevant digital tools
• Support the development of thought leadership and contribute to reports and other publications.
• Operate across multiple teams and geographies in an entrepreneurial and fast-paced environment; actively engaged in building and maintaining productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders including C4IR network
• Keep abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in the data and AI space, and integrating pertinent insights into the organization's strategic and operational plans.
• Plan and facilitate meetings with expert groups

Qualifications and Skills:

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Administration, Technology Management, International Business, Economics or related fields
• Thorough comprehension of and practical experience in the Data and AI domain, with a particular focus on value creation from data and comprehensive understanding of data ecosystems
• 7+ years of experience, focusing on Data/AI relevant topics
• Proven track record in designing business strategies revolving around Data/AI or analogous technologies.
• Deep knowledge of the relevant stakeholder ecosystem, including leading organizations, experts and decision makers in business, government, and civil society
• Experience in successfully driving medium to large-scale projects from design to delivery, building and motivating high-performing teams, working on and through international multistakeholder coalitions and alliances, and effectively pursuing opportunities for impact
• Excellent organizational skills: able to juggle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously and derive energy from high-pressure work settings
• Proven track record on thought leadership regarding Data and AI, including published articles, speeches/presentations in international forums, and conference participation is a plus.
• Comfort in driving entrepreneurial projects, starting new teams, and identifying opportunities for impact in crowded spaces
• Demonstrated ability to work across different cultures and with high level officials and executives.
• Proven experience of thriving in multicultural, highly collaborative work environments
• Results driven, proactive, self-starter, and team player
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills
• Proficient with recent digital platforms
• Excellent command of spoken and written English. Proficiency in other languages is a plus.

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 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!