Innovation Ecosystem Specialist

Please note: This is a temporary role that concludes December 31 2026.

This role is not eligible for relocation or work authorization support.

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

The annual salary range for this role is $80,000-$85,000 in New York.

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.

Why we are Recruiting

UpLink in collaboration with the Centre for Financial and Monetary System (FMS), is building an innovation ecosystem to address issues related to the Longevity Economy through the lens of innovative solutions and early-stage start-ups.

UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation engine that co-creates, and powers the ecosystems that accelerate breakthrough solutions for the markets and economies that are essential for a net-zero, nature-positive, equitable future.  UpLink scopes, sources, and scales breakthrough ventures, while creating sustained innovation ecosystems to scale what works, and anchor solutions in the sectors and geographies where they’re needed most.  

FMS is comprised of leading global and regional institutions from the financial services and investing industries, among other critical stakeholders. It engages this broad set of actors to design and develop a more sustainable, resilient, trusted, and accessible financial system that reinforces long-term value creation and economic growth.

These two initiatives of the Forum are looking to hire an Innovation Ecosystem Specialist who will play a critical role in building the ecosystem through the lens of innovation.  This is a grant funded role that will conclude December 2026.

Main Responsibilities

Ecosystem Engagement

• Support and implement strategies to connect UpLink Ventures with Forum initiatives and external partners.
• Support the innovation ecosystem mapping, pipeline building and active outreach as well as formalizing collaborations with the identified stakeholders in the longevity innovation space.
• Facilitate connections between entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners (mentors, funders, collaborators) by developing a pipeline of mission-aligned organizations providing financial and non-financial support.
• Draft engagement plans and produce thought leadership content (reports, blogs, newsletters) highlighting innovation trends and ecosystem insights.
• Co-design and deliver engagement activities at Forum events and through UpLink’s global network.

Innovation Challenge Delivery and Community Building

• Support the development of the design call workshops, provide thematically-relevant content, and define the key investable opportunities for UpLink innovation challenges, collaborating closely with operations and project leads.
• Develop and provide high-quality briefing content and reference materials to guide evaluation panel discussions and decision-making. Support on event curation and delivery, including session development, participant lists and summarizing key next steps.

• Act as a key contact for innovators selected through UpLink challenges. Support onboarding, provide strategic guidance, and help startups maximize value from the Forum’s ecosystem and relevant initiatives.
• Integrate innovators into Forum workstreams and events, elevating their visibility and impact.

Operation Support

• Design, clarify, and document key processes to enhance efficiency across challenges, partnerships, and startup and ecosystem engagement.
• Support internal and external meetings by preparing agendas, notes, and action items.
• Curate and present success stories for impact reports and partner updates.

Preferred requirements and experience

• Ability to collaborate with and coordinate between Forum teams, UpLink team internal and external stakeholders
• 2+ years of professional experience in program or project management, ideally in innovation, entrepreneurship, or partnerships.
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, such as international relations/finance/health care
• Ability to collaborate with and coordinate between internal and external stakeholders

• Passionate connector and networker with demonstrated ability to support cultivation of communities and identify common interests among community members
• A flexible, agile and adaptable entrepreneur mindset to work in a fast-paced and evolving team
• Self-starting, independent thinker who thrives as a flexible team player 

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!