Senior Manager, Grant Governance and Compliance

The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
The World Economic Forum manages a portfolio of externally funded initiatives, collaborations and institutional grants that support its mission. As the Forum continues to strengthen its grants governance model, we are establishing a dedicated senior role within the Legal and Compliance function to provide oversight of governance frameworks, compliance standards, risk management and institutional controls across the grant portfolio.
The Senior Manager, Grants Governance and Compliance will lead the development and implementation of a consistent, organization-wide approach to grants governance, ensuring that grant-funded activities are managed in accordance with Forum policies, donor requirements and applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

The Senior Manager, Grants Governance will report to the Chief Legal Officer.
The role will work closely with colleagues across Finance, Grant Operations, Donor Strategy and Engagement, Centre/Initiative teams and other stakeholders involved in the development, management and reporting of grants.
The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor on grants governance, legal and compliance obligations, risk management and institutional controls, while coordinating governance processes across the organization.

• Develop, maintain and strengthen the Forum's governance framework, policies and standards for externally funded grants and related agreements.
• Define and maintain clear roles, responsibilities, decision rights, approval pathways and delegated authorities across legal aspects of the grant lifecycle.
• Establish consistent governance requirements and controls, ensuring alignment with Forum policies, donor requirements and applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
• Develop procedures, templates, guidance and governance tools to promote consistent implementation across the organization.

• Oversee due diligence, compliance reviews and risk assessments for grants and elaborate appropriate contractual framework.
• Advise internal stakeholders on compliance obligations relating to donor restrictions, reporting requirements, use of funds, sanctions, anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, data protection and other requirements.
• Maintain risk-based review and escalation processes, ensuring material risks, exceptions and governance concerns are appropriately addressed.
• Monitor trends, findings and emerging risks and support the implementation of mitigation measures.

• Serve as a central point of coordination for grants governance matters across the organizations. Manage governance decision-making bodies, including documentation of decisions and follow-up actions.
• Ensure grant agreements are reviewed through appropriate governance channels and internal controls.
• Provide guidance to teams on governance requirements, approval pathways and risk mitigation measures.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen grants governance processes, systems, controls and reporting.
• Benchmark practices against relevant governance, compliance and risk management standards.
• Contribute to a culture of accountability, transparency and effective risk management for externally funded activities.

• Advanced university degree in law, nonprofit management, compliance, governance or a related field.
• 12 years of relevant experience in grants governance, legal and regulatory compliance, risk…