SeniorFull TimeEN
(temporary contract, start asap – March 2027, Geneva based)
About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is committed to improving the state of the world through public–private cooperation. The Forum engages political, business and civil society leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Why we are recruiting
The World Economic Forum is seeking a Lead, International Materials Collaboration to lead the continued delivery and development of the Materials Collaboration workstream within the Centre for Energy and Materials.
Building on earlier analytical and convening work, the role will focus on deepening business engagement, strengthening regional collaboration, particularly in Asia–Pacific, and elevating regional perspectives into global materials dialogue. The position has a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement, high-quality convening, and the translation of insights into actionable outputs.
Reporting lines and interactions
The role reports to the Material Systems Manager within the Centre for Energy and Materials and works closely with:
The Centre for Nature and Climate
The Forum’s Japan Office
Regional and Japan/APAC stakeholders
External partners across governments, businesses, international organisations and civil society
Breakdown of main responsibilities
Programme leadership and delivery –Materials Collaboration
Own the end-to-end planning, management and delivery of the Materials Collaboration workstream.
Translate strategic objectives into a clear annual workplan and ensure timely, high-quality delivery of agreed outputs.
Act as the primary Forum focal point for key government and institutional partners supporting the workstream.
Advancing global dialogue on materials collaboration
Lead targeted insights-gathering exercises with regional and global stakeholders to assess perspectives on international materials collaboration pathways.
Synthesise findings to inform discussions on materials efficiency, trade, governance and international cooperation.
Design and deliver high-quality dialogue sessions at major international events.
Knowledge products: Lead the development and writing of briefing papers and articles that synthesise stakeholder insights, support international dialogue, and inform policy and business decision-making.
Engage senior leaders from business, government, academia and civil society to build momentum and ownership around materials collaboration.
Strengthening regional collaboration in Asia–Pacific (APAC)
Lead targeted engagement on regional materials and circular economy cooperation, including lessons from existing regional frameworks.
Design and convene regional dialogue sessions at relevant APAC platforms, integrating global industry perspectives.
Develop concise briefing papers and articles that capture regional insights, best practices and opportunities for materials collaboration and disseminate key findings to global audiences.
Support partner-led engagement at priority international events, leveraging the Forum’s global network to bring relevant business and expert voices and to ensure APAC and Japan perspectives are effectively integrated into broader international materials cooperation discussions.
The successful candidate will be assessed on
High-quality and timely delivery of Global Materials Collaboration outputs
Effectiveness of global and regional dialogue convened
Seniority and diversity of stakeholder engagement and partner satisfaction
Contribution to the Forum’s Future of Materials programme
Proactive collaboration across internal teams and external partners
Preferred requirements and experience
Master’s degree in resource economics, circular economy, economics, or equivalent, with broad intellectual background
Experience in the environment and natural resources, technology and innovation. Specific experience in circular economy and international collaboration issues would be an important asset
A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience in the public, private or civil society sectors, working with different industries to lead projects and initiatives
Ability to work with C-suite business leaders and leading issue experts in academia, international organizations, governments and NGOs, as well as with representatives from grassroots organizations
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with an understanding of stakeholder needs. A committed, collaborative, positive and solution-oriented team player
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English. Proficiency in other languages desirable
Good analytical capabilities
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!
