People and Culture Partner (6-month Maternity Cover) Local candidates will be prioritized. The World Economic Forum 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 Join Our People and Culture Team? The World Economic Forum’s People and Culture (P&C) team is at the forefront of fostering a bold, strategic organizational agenda and transformation. We provide essential support to staff, managers, and leadership throughout their employment experience, contributing directly to the Forum’s global mission. We are seeking an exceptional People & Culture Partner for a critical 6-month maternity cover. This pivotal role offers a unique opportunity for a highly experienced professional to operate with significant autonomy. You will provide trusted, strategic guidance to leaders and teams across our complex, international environment, ensuring continuity and driving key P&C initiatives that directly support the World Economic Forum’s organizational goals. Based in Geneva, this role demands collaborative leadership, and a genuine passion for people. The Ideal Candidate should possess: Agility & Global Acumen: A proven ability to integrate swiftly into a complex global organization, working seamlessly across functions with minimal onboarding time with a proactive, hands-on approach Intercultural Intelligence: The capacity to navigate diverse cultural nuances, effectively manage and mediate conflict, and guide sensitive conversations toward constructive and successful outcomes with empathy and clarity Strategic Judgment & Resilience: Demonstrable maturity, unwavering integrity, and seasoned judgment to confidently lead through ambiguity, foster resilience, and provide stable, guidance in challenging situations. People Navigation: Extensive hands-on experience in complex employee relations and case management, coupled with an innate ability to discern and navigate intricate interactions with clarity, offering empathetic yet incisive guidance. Data-Driven Foresight & Human Insight: A unique blend of scenario-planning expertise, data-informed intuition, and analytical capabilities, balanced with insight to drive forward-looking, evidence-based P&C strategies. Key Responsibilities: Driving Strategic People & Culture Impact Strategic P&C Leadership: Provide seamless, high-level advisory and strategic support to leaders across all facets of the employee lifecycle from strategic workforce planning and talent acquisition to development, performance management, compensation cycles, wellbeing & inclusion, and complex employee relations. Organizational Transformation & Advocacy: Champion the Forums people processes, structures, policies, and strategic agendas. Proactively leverage innovative technology platforms (e.g., Workday, WeLink) to foster a highly efficient P&C environment. Data-Driven Strategic Alignment: Actively identify and leverage organizational trends and advanced data insights to align HR practices with strategic priorities, driving continuous improvement and impactful, evidence-based change. Evidence-Based Decision Making: Proactively diagnose complex challenges, assess data requirements, and expertly utilize technology to derive actionable insights, prepare compelling reports, and facilitate robust, evidence-based strategic decisions. Influential Leadership Coaching: Serve as a trusted advisor and insightful coach to senior leadership, offering continuous support, expert guidance, and representing the Forums values with integrity, professionalism, and authenticity. Strategic Workforce Planning & Resourcing: Expertly guide stakeholders through complex planning processes, leveraging self-sufficiency in navigating essential business systems to ensure efficient and compliant talent acquisition and management Preferred Requirements and Experience: Advanced Education: Bachelor’s degree required; a post-graduate degree (Master’s, MBA) in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a closely related field is highly preferred. Extensive Strategic HR Experience: A minimum of 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in senior HR generalist roles, with a distinct emphasis on strategic HR Business Partnering, complex employee relations, and driving organizational change within a dynamic, global context. Mastery of HR Best Practices: Deep expertise in current HR best practices, employment law, and regulatory compliance across diverse international jurisdictions, demonstrating mature judgment. Expert Facilitation & Coaching: Demonstrated proficiency in high-impact facilitation, mediation, and executive coaching, enabling leaders to achieve their full potential with authentic support. Proven Impact in Global Environments: A compelling track record of conceiving, driving, and delivering significant HR initiatives and measurable results within complex, fast-paced, and globally matrixed organizations, indicative of high energy and effective leadership. #LinkedIn 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! Join an independent and impartial organization with over 55 years of experience enabling public-private cooperation for the common good. Be part of a global team that brings leaders together through dialogue, to build trust, and turn shared understanding of complex global issues into collective solutions. Our culture is grounded in care, curiosity and respect, encouraging genuine dialogue and meaningful collaboration. By investing in trust and understanding, we create an environment where everyone can contribute fully to our shared mission. Work in an environment that values shared learning, diverse perspectives, and real-world collaboration, helping you grow through challenge, not routine. At the Forum, every role contributes to global progress. We advance together and help our partners shape solutions that make a lasting impact.