Lead, Urban Innovation Ecosystems

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

This role is funded through 29 May 2026, with the possibility of extension.
 

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change. In this spirit, the Forum engages the foremost political, business, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas and solve shared global challenges.
 

Why we are Recruiting 
 

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, cities and local communities have become a vital testing ground for public-private collaboration and an essential means for scaling up impact. Cities are home to a growing majority of the world’s population and generate more than 80% of global GDP. As such, they serve as essential incubators and testbeds for new solutions and the businesses of tomorrow.
 

In January 2025, the World Economic Forum announced the launch of Yes/Cities , an ambitious global initiative to accelerate the on-the-ground deployment of innovative solutions, reimagining and transforming urban life across the globe. Yes/Cities is a shared commitment by Forum partners to accelerate investments in urban innovation ecosystems with the goal of providing direct support to more than 1,000 innovators by 2030 and helping scale their game-changing solutions across 50+ cities in the next five years.  
 

The initiative builds on the success of Yes San Francisco (Yes SF), a collaboration between the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation , UpLink , Deloitte, Salesforce, Citi and the SF Chamber of Commerce to support the post-pandemic recovery and revitalization of San Francisco’s downtown business district. Over the last two years, Yes SF has grown into a coalition of 90+ organizations with an innovation hub in the heart of downtown, dedicated to supporting innovators working on sustainability solutions while revitalizing the city and local economy.

To support our mission of replicating Yes SF in cities across the world and successfully building a network of local innovation ecosystems, we are looking for a proactive and experienced Lead for Urban Innovation Ecosystems. This role will be essential to foster a vibrant community of stakeholders and driving collaboration across sectors and levels. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in community management and urban development, with a passion for leveraging networks to drive sustainable urban solutions.

Reporting Lines and Interactions
 

This position is part of a high-profile, rapidly growing team of experts and practitioners at the Centre for Urban Transformation and UpLink. This position will report to the Head of the Centre for Urban Transformation in San Francisco. The Lead will collaborate closely with colleagues from the Forum’s offices in San Francisco, New York, Geneva, Mumbai and Tokyo.

Main responsibilities
 

The Lead for Urban Innovation Ecosystems will be responsible for developing and nurturing a vibrant community of partners and stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and civil society organizations. They will facilitate engagement and collaboration both locally and globally, through regular communication, events, and online platforms, and monitor community engagement metrics.
 

The role involves identifying and establishing interaction opportunities across the local innovation ecosystems and between sectors and industries, and building strong relationships to enhance collaboration. The lead will work closely with the Yes/Cities team to maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including businesses, investors, and government entities. They will also work closely with internal and external stakeholders to gather feedback, ensure alignment across teams, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Specific responsibilities include:
 

(1) Initiative’s Governance:

• Assist in establishing and managing the initiative’s governance structure at both the global and city levels, ensuring effective coordination and decision-making. Support the structuring of the pre-design stage to lay a strong foundation for city-level implementation.
   

(2)  Local Ecosystem Development: 

• Coordinate the onboarding of new cities and the structuring of local innovation ecosystems by helping to establish governance structures, define ways of working, and ensure smooth coordination among key stakeholders.

• Identify and collaborate with local stakeholders - including entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and civil society organizations - to foster strong local coalitions that support urban innovation. 

• Develop and implement strategies to accelerate local innovation ecosystems, maximizing their positive impact on urban transformation initiatives. 

• Facilitate meaningful global-local engagement through regular communication, events, and workshops

(3)  Community Management & Network Building:

• Develop and implement strategies to build and nurture an active community of stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and civil society organizations.
• Facilitate regular engagement and collaboration within the community through targeted communication, events, workshops, and online platforms.
• Identify and establish relationships with key stakeholders and potential partners to expand the network supporting the initiative.
• Foster strong relationships with existing partners and stakeholders to enhance collaboration, share knowledge, and drive support for each city-level initiative.
• Monitor and analyze community engagement metrics to ensure active participation, identify gaps, and implement improvements.
   

Requirements

• Master's degree in urban planning, economic development, innovation, sustainable development, public policy, public administration, business or related fields.  
• 7-10 years of professional experience working on urban issues. Deep understanding of how local governments work, including prior experience leading initiatives with local governments and/or working on public-private collaborations.  
• Hands-on experience developing and managing complex project and communities, including interacting with executive leaders and helping to turn ideas into tangible action and impact. 
• Experience or familiarity with accelerator, incubator or investor ecosystems. 
• Strong network and experience of close interactions with India and Bengaluru public, private and civil society stakeholders. 
• Comfort driving entrepreneurial projects and working with a high level of independence. 
• Excellent writing and communications skills, including creation of visually compelling presentations and outreach materials. 
• Strong familiarity with MS Office Suite and project management tools.
• Familiarity using Salesforce for stakeholder management, planning and reporting.

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!

If you meet these requirements, please apply online and provide us with your CV and a cover letter describing your motivations for applying.

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!