Lead, Data Policy

*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

Data and AI are revolutionizing the landscape of innovation. They shape every facet of organizations and governments and increasingly impact governments, enterprises, institutions, and individuals. This shift comes with vast economic and societal potential, as well as complex implications for fairness, transparency and equity that could lead to far-reaching consequences in the coming years.

The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution seeks to navigate these complexities. It aims to serve as a trusted platform for fostering collaboration across business, government, and civil society to tackle system challenges, including those arising from enabling cross-border data flows.

The Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping data policy. Their role will not be limited to addressing challenges related to cross-border data flows and regulatory compliance, but will also encompass data privacy and protection, data governance, and management, ethical use of data, and issues surrounding generative AI such as creative rights, IP ownership, and co-generated data.

The Lead will cultivate and manage an ambitious portfolio of communities and initiatives. They will mobilize business leaders, experts from the world's top research universities, government officials, start-up entrepreneurs, media, and civil society organizations to drive strategic insights and tangible solutions. In this role, they will tackle the emergent issues at the intersection of data, AI, and societal impact.

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

• Help shape and design flagship projects/initiatives related to data policy across different sectors and with our centres globally
• Identify clear opportunities for impact, set the goals for the projects/initiatives, establish clear evaluation criteria and drive execution
• Scan the global horizon for existing, high-quality initiatives and projects related to data, that can be affiliated and scaled through the Forum’s network
• Utilize user-centered design to support the development of policy and governance frameworks and the deployment of pilots with partner governments and other stakeholders
• Serve as a subject matter expert resource to other project teams at the Centre and across the Forum.
• Select, engage, and coordinate public and private partners from industry, government, academia, international organizations and civil society in the initiation, leadership and management of the project
• Manage complex projects of various sizes and in various stages.
• Work with partner organizations to develop goals and roadmaps with key milestones and expected outcomes as a primary point of contact
• Support the development of thought leadership and contribute to reports and other publications
• Drive effective project delivery, integration, and coordination, through a highly collaborative approach and effective resourcing, budgeting, project and process management, communication, and reporting
• Plan and facilitate meetings with expert groups on Data
• Manage and coach in-person and virtual teams

Qualifications and Skills:

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Law, Public Policy/Administration, Management, Data Management, AI/ML, IP rights or other technology, or similar fields
• Sound knowledge and experience with data protection regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, e-Privacy Directive, EU Data Act, or other global regulatory models, as well as issues pertaining to cross-border data and co-created data.
• 7+ years of experience in the private or public sector, including working in consulting on relevant Data policy and AI-related topics, technology policy/law, IP rights in AI-generated content, or a related field.
• Experience crafting public policy on Data/AI or related technologies (such as regulations, standards, guidelines or other policy tools), ideally inside or with governments or global organizations or direct experience in technology applications or technology policy would be an asset
• Proven track record on thought leadership regarding data, 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
• 1+ years of people management experience
• Strong project management skill
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills
• Demonstrated ability to work across different cultures and with high level officials and executives.
• 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!