Lead, Plastics and Technology

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 $120,000-$140,000 in New York.

This is a temporary role concluding September 30 2027, 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 shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Hosted by the World Economic Forum, the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) harnesses the convening power of the World Economic Forum to bring together governments, businesses and civil society to collaboratively identify and scale solutions to the issue of plastics waste pollution.

GPAP is a flagship initiative of the Centre for Nature and Climate and illustrates a multistakeholder approach to supporting the global community in their transition to a zero waste and zero pollution agenda. Founded in 2018 as a public-private partnership, GPAP is today the biggest initiative tackling plastic pollution at national level (partnering with 25 countries from the Global South) and global level engaging a various range of stakeholders (businesses, governments, IOs, NGOs and other civil society representatives) as part of the Plastic Treaty Negotiations process.

The Tech + Plastic effort will be taking GPAP's work to the next level building on the existing knowledge/experience on technologies across the plastic value chain and their barriers for scaling. With this work GPAP aims at

connecting technology solution providers with actors in the plastic value chain to identify scalable solutions and improving the data availability, reliability and traceability to accelerate the transition to a circular economy of plastics.

Why we are recruiting

The Forum is recruiting a Lead to support the development and management of a new effort dedicated to accelerating the deployment of emerging technologies to address plastic pollution. Building on the Forum's leadership in harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution to address critical global challenges, the Lead will help identify and support pioneering innovators and global leaders in scaling their solutions and translating their technology leadership into sustainability leadership.

Reporting lines and interactions

The position will sit within the Forum's Centre for Nature and Climate, reporting to the Head of Community and Impact, Global Plastics Action Partnership. Additionally, the role will be integrated into and will leverage the activities, communities and knowledge of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Internally, the Lead will interact with colleagues and teams across Forum Centres, especially those involved in initiatives addressing pollution and developing a circular economy. They will also interact deeply with business engagement teams, as well as teams supporting innovators and their ecosystems, including early-stage startups.

Main responsibilities include:

Community Curation and Management

• Identify, engage, and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including large companies, startups, technology companies in the space of plastics value cycles and emerging technologies.
• Coordinate engagement and drive synergies with the Global Plastic Action Partnership's work across relevant thematic areas and across global, regional and national levels to maximize efficiencies and impact
• Act as main liaison between the Forum and its knowledge partners, including consulting firms and members of the academic/expert community

Initiative Management:

• Support the development and continuous refinement of the initiative strategy
• Ensure the initiative's alignment with the Forum's mission, values, and strategic objectives.
• Develop and implement initiative plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
• Prepare and present the initiative and progress reports to stakeholders and senior management.
• Develop, manage and monitor budgets, ensuring efficient and compliant use of resources.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business administration, engineering, computer science, environmental science, economics, or a related discipline. Masters preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience. Solid understanding of advanced technologies - digital, AI, blockchain, robotics or biotechnologies - and their applicability in transforming industries and accelerating solutions to address environmental and social challenges.
• Solid understanding of plastics value cycles and the technologies deployed to addressing pollution through them.
• Familiarity with the dynamics of innovation ecosystems, especially corporate innovation and startups
• Proficiency in project management methodologies and tools. Demonstrated experience in driving projects to completion, ideally within a global or multistakeholder environment.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative and fast-paced environment. Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders globally across cultures.
• Self-starter with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and collaborate with stakeholders at various levels. Proficiency in English is required. Additional languages may be an asset - Spanish, French and/or Mandarin.

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!