Lead Corporate Engagement

The World Economic Forum (the Forum), committed to improving the state of the world, is the international organization for public-private cooperation. The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is the leading global public-private-philanthropic partnership hosted by the Forum focused on delinking the production, processing, trade and financing of key agriculture commodities from deforestation and ecosystem conversion.

Why we are recruiting

We are looking for a Lead, Corporate Engagement, to support TFA’s key strategic priorities at the global level including accelerating private sector action on sustainable commodity supply chains to create a strong enabling environment to halt deforestation and ecosystem conversion. This is a unique opportunity to work on one of the world’s most pressing global challenges, from the perspective of climate, nature and sustainable development, and to engage directly with key stakeholders working across global value chains.

Reporting Lines & Interactions

The successful candidate will be based in the Forum’s Geneva or New York office, will report to TFA’s Head of Sustainable Commodities, and will work closely with the Sustainable Commodities team (Regional Directors and Sustainable Commodities Leads), and the broader Leadership Team.

The successful candidate will also work closely with:

• Teams across the Nature, Net Zero and Better Living Pillars of CNC

• Regional and geo-political teams with a specific focus on Brazil, China, and Indonesia

• Industry teams, specifically those focused on companies operating in the food/agriculture and consumer goods.

• Externally, the successful candidate will work with a diverse range of stakeholders, at different levels, from C-suite to leading issue experts, from Forum partner companies to international organizations, financial institutions, technical agencies and professional services firms.

General duties and responsibilities

• Manage and implement TFA’s specific agenda related to the Agriculture Sector Roadmap to 1.5°C, including:

• Lead on overall implementation and management of the Sustainable Forests and Agricultural Commodity Trade project.

• Prepare for regular touchpoints with the signatory companies and effectively plan for and facilitate virtual and in-person interactions.

• Engage signatory companies on a 1-1 basis and ensure their active engagement, input and advancement of the Roadmap.

• Prepare for the Roadmap stocktake at COP30 including.

• Support all relevant communications efforts around the Roadmap.

• Enable strong stakeholder engagement around Roadmap development and implementation.

• Oversee and support TFA’s joint strategy with the Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition of Action.

• Contribute and support on the design and strategic delivery of global public-private/multistakeholder dialogues facilitating sustainable commodity trade among consuming and producing countries, including companies along the supply chain and other stakeholders (e.g.: government representatives, financial stakeholders, think tanks etc.).

• Assess, address and elevate key elements of the integrated supply chain strategy with visibility across TFA priorities (Cattle, Palm Oil and Soy) and supplemental commodities (Coffee, Cacao, etc.) when strategic.

• Contribute to deepen the engagement of existing TFA corporate partners into the workstreams/action tracks at the global and regional levels, ensuring delivery of value and impact to partners.

• Expand the reach and impact of the TFA through the engagement of strategic priority partners that are in position to contribute significantly to collective progress.

• Contribute to building connectivity and alignment between TFA corporate/private efforts and other initiatives and communities from the Forum.

The successful candidate will be assessed on:

• Capacity to be a self-starter, a team player, and to approach the role with creativity, humility, and a strong desire to support the TFA community.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with stakeholders representing competing agendas.

• Organisational skills and structured approach to work, with agility to move at speed in a changing environment.

• Strong problem solving, analytical, and synthesizing skills and the ability to communicate complex information succinctly.

• Strategic thinking with experience leading within complex dynamics situations.

• Excellence in managing multiple competing priorities and tight deadlines in a fast-paced, highly demanding environment.

• Ability to build collaborations with a range of internal and external stakeholders and move from commitments to action and impact.

• Analytical, practical and problem-solving mindset.

• Knowledge of the deforestation and conversion free agenda, good understanding of agricultural value chains and dynamics in tropical countries.

• Experience working within and/or with private sector firms in the agriculture, consumer goods, or other sectors with a focus on sustainable value chains.

Education and professional background

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field

• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience working in the sustainability space, preferably on deforestation, sustainable supply chains, or climate change at a relevant organization.

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, and a strong eye for detail

• Strong command of Excel and PowerPoint required

• Experience working on sustainability, climate change, deforestation, sustainable supply chains, and the agriculture and food industry

• Fluency in English; knowledge of Portuguese, Spanish and/or French would be an asset.

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!