Lead, Agri-Tech

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.

The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution India (the “Centre”) developed in partnership with the Government of India through the NITI Aayog has completed 5 years of operations in India . Located in Mumbai, the centre serves as a trusted space where policymakers, business executives, technology experts and other key stakeholders exchange insights on the latest technological trends and applications and help shape the future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Why we are recruiting.

Smallholder farmers in the Global South grapple with multifaceted challenges, including resource scarcity, deficient infrastructure, gender disparities, and limited financial support. Technology plays a critical role making agriculture and food systems safe, secure and sustainable, from improving efficiency and sustainability with precision farming to empowering smallholding farmers through more transparent marketplaces, to enhancing nutrition through genetic analysis and sustainable protein sources. Led by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in India, the “AI for Agricultural Innovation (AI4AI)” initiative has demonstrated the potential of AgTech to drive sustainability, inclusivity, efficiency, and improved nutrition. Building on the strong foundation, the C4IR India will elevate AI4AI into an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) flagship initiative by (1) building “global” AgTech community structures, and (2) actively expanding the engagement of current and new C4IR Centres in the initiative.

The Centre is seeking a Thematic Lead for shaping AI4AI initiative into a Global AgTech flagship initiative. The selected candidate will be at the forefront of driving innovation and collaboration in Agriculture technologies, spearheading initiatives to develop sustainable solutions. Working closely with diverse global stakeholders, including government, industry, academia, start-up entrepreneurs, media, and civil society organizations to drive strategic insights and tangible solutions.

the Thematic Lead will contribute to shaping Ag-Tech initiative globally.

Reporting lines & interactions

The Lead will report to Lead- Ag-Tech, C4IR India at the World Economic Forum to define and progress the Projects. The Lead will collaborate across other thematic leads in India, C4IR network and Centre for Nature and Climate. The Lead is an individual contributor role however will get an opportunity to lead and work closely with fellows from industry partners, Government, interns and experts working with Centre full time/ part time in virtual environment for the projects outcomes.

Breakdown of main responsibilities:

• Curate a comprehensive global Ag-Tech community eco system, establish specific value proposition for each community stake holder group by establishing a road map.
• Actively expanding the engagement of current and new C4IR Centres in the Ag-Tech initiative.
• Conduct the landscape review, government, and industry needs, define the high-level outcomes and opportunities, project focus areas driven through Agriculture technologies.
• Facilitate informal dialogues and meetings to help build trust and coalesce stakeholders around common challenges.
• Curate insight products shedding light on emerging trends and challenges, benchmarking progress
• Prototype, test and iterate- Pilot and sandbox projects w/ government and industry partners to test governance, evidence-based learnings from pilots for scaling.
• Evidence based recommendations on framework and policy which can specifically be deployed by government and industry for scaled commercial deployment of use cases. Globally disseminate protocols and frameworks from successful pilots and support international adoption.

Preferred requirements and experience

• Masters (or higher) degree in Engineering, Agriculture, Public policy, Management, and/or Applied science,
• 10+ years of experience in private or public sector, including working or consulting on relevant topics related to Agriculture technologies.
• Deep knowledge of the relevant stakeholder ecosystem, including leading organizations, experts and decision makers in business, government, and civil society
• Experience in crafting or shaping public policy (such as regulations, standards, guidelines, or other policy tools), inside or with businesses, governments or international organizations.
• Proven track record of relevant thought leadership, including published articles, presentations in international forums, and conference participations; ability to quickly develop a clear perspective on internal and external issues that have organizational impact
• Experience in successfully driving medium to large-scale projects from design to delivery, building and motivating high-performing teams, working on and through international multistakeholder coalitions and alliances, and effectively pursuing opportunities for impact
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills
• Excellent verbal and written language skills in English; proficiency in other languages is an asset
• Proficient with recent digital platforms

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!

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