Lead, Large-Scale Industrial Technology Adoption
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
Lighthouse OS (LOS) is a flagship initiative of the World Economic Forum designed to translate the proven impact of the Global Lighthouse Network into scalable, country-level operating models for industrial transformation.
The Global Lighthouse Network was established to recognize manufacturing sites and value chains that demonstrate world-class deployment of advanced technologies, achieving step-change improvements in productivity, sustainability, resilience and workforce outcomes. Building on these insights, Lighthouse OS codifies the capabilities, transformation pathways and ecosystem enablers that underpin Lighthouse success, transforming site-level excellence into nationally deployable models for inclusive, technology-driven growth.
As Lighthouse OS expands globally, the Forum is seeking a Lead to drive a core workstream focused on advancing national ecosystem transformation. This is a high-impact, externally facing leadership role at the intersection of strategy, industrial policy and advanced technology adoption. The Lead will shape and execute coherent national visions for industry transformation, translating Lighthouse OS principles into actionable country-level blueprints. The role requires ensuring strategic alignment and intellectual rigor, delivering high-quality outputs, and working closely with governments and ecosystem partners to enable scalable, inclusive adoption of advanced technologies.
Reporting Lines & Interactions
Reports to: Lead, Lighthouse OS
Internal interactions: Platform leadership, Global Lighthouse Network, C4IR affiliate networks, CRTG, country industrial policy
External interactions: Senior government officials, C-suite industry leaders, strategic partners, international organizations
Breakdown of main responsibilities
30% Strategy and intellectual leadership
30% Programme leadership and delivery oversight
20% High-level stakeholder engagement
20% Thought leadership and visibility
The successful candidate will:
Own and lead the design, development, and evolution of national manufacturing transformation blueprints based on the Lighthouse Operating System (LOS), with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia serving as the flagship reference case.
Translate Lighthouse OS principles, frameworks, and tools into actionable, country-level operating models, addressing the full transformation system, including industry structure, technology adoption, capabilities and skills, investment mobilization, and ecosystem orchestration.
Work closely with KSA government counterparts and delivery entities to support the coordination and activation of the national industrial ecosystem, including industry leaders, technology providers, skills institutions, and infrastructure enablers.
Operate across local and global levels, ensuring deep engagement in flagship country applications while shaping a globally replicable model for national manufacturing transformation applicable across diverse geographies.
Codify insights, data, and lessons from KSA and other country engagements into structured methodologies and blueprints, enabling systematic replication and scale.
Design and institutionalize feedback mechanisms to ensure learnings from country pilots and regional deployments continuously inform and strengthen the evolution of the global Lighthouse OS framework, principles, and tools.
Oversee Forum-led contributions to national Lighthouse OS pilots and deployments, ensuring high-quality delivery, coherence with local priorities, and alignment with global LOS standards.
Serve as a strategic integrator within the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, driving collaboration and alignment across Lighthouse OS, the Global Lighthouse Network, Lumina, and related initiatives to support large-scale national transformation efforts.
Engage senior government leaders, C-suite executives, and strategic partners, acting as a trusted counterpart to advance execution, build momentum, and reinforce long-term ecosystem impact.
Lead strategic opportunities for KSA partners to engage in the Forum's global ecosystem, connecting them to the Global Lighthouse Network, cross-country collaborations, and public-private platforms to strengthen international positioning and impact.
Preferred Requirements and Experience
Advanced degree in engineering, economics, public policy, business, or a related field.
10+ years of relevant professional experience in strategy consulting, manufacturing, technology, industrial operations, or public-sector transformation.
Demonstrated experience designing or leading large-scale, system-level transformation programmes, involving governments, industry, and multi-stakeholder ecosystems.
Strong understanding of advanced manufacturing, industrial operations, digital and technology transformation, and the enablers required for national-scale adoption.
Proven ability to translate complex frameworks and insights into practical, executable operating models.
Experience working closely with senior government officials and C-suite leaders, ideally within the Middle East and North Africa region.
Track record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives across local and global contexts.
Exceptional communication, executive engagement, and stakeholder management skills; Arabic language capability is a strong advantage.
Why work at the Forum
We believe 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 co-operation, shaping mind-sets and agendas and driving collective action. Join us and become a driver for positive change