Executive Director (GRF)

The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) is an international leader in disaster risk governance, sovereign digital infrastructure, and strategic foresight. With Special Consultative Status at the United Nations ECOSOC and institutional partnerships in over 120 countries, GCRI advances systemic resilience through simulation-driven policy systems, anticipatory governance frameworks, and innovation ecosystems that span science, finance, and diplomacy.

GCRI stewards multiple global platforms—including the Nexus Ecosystem, the Global Risks Alliance (GRA), and the Nexus Sovereignty Framework (NSF)—to empower governments, multilateral institutions, and public-private actors in addressing complex, interrelated risks. The Global Risks Forum (GRF) is GCRI’s flagship multilateral platform for dialogue, simulation, and treaty innovation.

About the Global Risks Forum (GRF)

The Global Risks Forum (GRF) is a hybrid, multistakeholder convening platform hosted in Geneva and aligned with the UN Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations. GRF provides a neutral interface for sovereigns, science-policy communities, and financial actors to co-create solutions to systemic global risks—including climate instability, AI governance, geopolitical volatility, and disaster-driven financing gaps.

The Forum is organized into five tracks—Research & Foresight, Innovation & Demonstration, Policy & Treaty Engagement, Investment & Strategic Finance, and Strategic Communications—supported by a permanent secretariat, simulation infrastructure, and global membership architecture. The GRF serves as both a diplomatic convening and a platform for treaty simulation, institutional onboarding, and policy certification.

Position Summary

The Executive Director will serve as the chief architect and global steward of the Global Risks Forum. This is a founding leadership role with full responsibility for launching, operationalizing, and scaling the GRF as a high-trust, simulation-aligned multilateral institution.

The Executive Director will lead the establishment of the GRF Secretariat in Geneva, direct the onboarding of founding institutional members across five tracks, and oversee the delivery of the GRF’s annual convening, simulation agenda, and year-round programming. This role demands excellence in diplomacy, global governance, operational execution, and multilateral fundraising.

Key Responsibilities

Institutional Development & Governance

• Establish and operationalize the GRF Secretariat in Geneva, aligned with international legal and diplomatic standards
• Formalize the GRF’s governance architecture, in collaboration with GCRI and the Global Risks Alliance (GRA)
• Oversee compliance, risk management, and operational maturity of the GRF as a neutral, non-sovereign platform

Strategic Partnerships & Founding Member Engagement

• Lead institutional onboarding of Tier I–V members across five tracks (Research, Innovation, Policy, Finance, Communications)
• Build strategic partnerships with UN agencies, intergovernmental bodies, sovereign governments, philanthropic institutions, and multilateral development banks
• Oversee drafting, negotiation, and execution of membership agreements, sovereign participation clauses, and co-hosting protocols

Global Convening & Program Leadership

• Lead the design and delivery of the annual Global Risks Forum in Geneva (10-day hybrid event), including summits, simulations, and high-level treaty dialogues
• Direct GRF’s monthly virtual series, regional working groups, and simulation-linked policy labs
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder programming across the five tracks and ensure operational continuity year-round

Communications, Impact, and Visibility

• Serve as the international spokesperson and strategic representative of GRF across global fora
• Engage with media, research institutions, and scientific networks to position GRF as a global reference platform for anticipatory governance and treaty simulation
• Oversee publication and dissemination of GRF outputs, including simulation reports, policy briefings, and Nexus-aligned clause registries

Team Building and Operational Management

• Recruit and lead a high-performing team across diplomacy, programming, strategy, events, communications, and digital infrastructure
• Manage strategic planning, budget execution, and institutional growth in alignment with GCRI’s 10-year roadmap

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in global governance, international diplomacy, public policy, or institutional leadership
• Proven track record in building or leading international platforms, global forums, or treaty-level convenings
• Deep understanding of multilateral systems, including UN agencies, financial institutions, science-policy interfaces, and intergovernmental negotiations
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize funding, structure partnerships, and negotiate institutional agreements with high-level actors
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; fluency in English required (multilingual proficiency preferred)

Preferred Experience

• Executive or senior leadership experience in UN agencies, development banks, international NGOs, academic consortia, or global think tanks
• Familiarity with risk governance, DRR/DRF frameworks, foresight methodologies, and clause-based treaty innovation
• Exposure to simulation-based policy, AI governance, digital trust infrastructure, or multilateral treaty processes

What We Offer

• A once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead a globally recognized multilateral platform from inception to global prominence
• Executive-level autonomy with the support of a world-class advisory ecosystem, global secretariat, and founding membership cohort
• Strategic influence over treaty simulation, anticipatory governance, and international policy certification systems
• Competitive executive compensation, governance participation, and long-term leadership positioning within GCRI and GRA’s institutional ecosystem
• An enduring legacy at the nexus of diplomacy, resilience, technology, and foresight governance

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit:

• A letter of interest describing vision, qualifications, and relevant experience
• A detailed resume or CV
• (Optional) Selected publications, convening records, or platform-building examples
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a multi-phase leadership selection process, including scenario planning and stakeholder engagement interviews.