PROGRAMME LEADS | NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCILS

Nexus Consortium | 2027 Leadership Stream

Selective Volunteer Emerging Leadership Appointments

What if your Master's, PhD or early-career work placed you directly alongside senior leaders working on some of the most consequential issues shaping the next decade? Nexus Consortium is selecting Programme Leads for its 2027 Leadership Councils of The Global Risks Forum (GRF). These are volunteer appointments for high-potential emerging leaders who want to work close to real strategic decisions across global risk, public policy, technology, resilience and institutional leadership.

This is not shadowing.

This is not a passive internship.

Programme Leads will take responsibility for defined Council portfolios, leadership agendas and programme workstreams under the direction of the Nexus programme team. The role helps senior leaders see risk earlier, understand complex issues more clearly, connect the right expertise and move strategic priorities toward action .

What Programme Leads will do

Each Programme Lead will support one or more Council members, strategic agendas or thematic workstreams.

Typical responsibilities include

- producing concise risk, policy and technology intelligence
- supporting Council members' annual Strategic Leadership Agendas
- mapping systems, stakeholders, institutions and dependencies
- developing scenarios, strategic options and decision frameworks
- identifying relevant experts, institutions, data and technologies
- coordinating working groups, mission teams and expert engagement
- preparing Council briefings, reviews and decision materials
- supporting Nexus Universe exercises, dialogues and outputs
- maintaining disciplined follow-through, evidence and programme records The standard is high.

You should be able to take a complex issue, identify what matters, separate evidence from opinion and communicate it clearly to a senior decision-maker.

Where the work sits

Nexus Consortium brings together work across three connected areas:

- RISK MANAGEMENT: Systemic risk, geopolitics, climate, infrastructure, energy, water, food, health, biodiversity,



supply chains and institutional resilience.
- RISK TECHNOLOGY, DATA & SYSTEMS: AI, GeoAI, data science, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, modelling, simulation, evidence systems and frontier technologies.
- RISK FINANCE: Resilience finance, insurance readiness, protection gaps, public and private capital and risk-to-finance pathways.

Through GCRI Canada, GRF Switzerland and GRA United States , the Consortium connects National Leadership Councils with research, technical assistance, technology, global expertise and Nexus Universe.

Who should apply

This opportunity is designed primarily for:

- Master's students
- PhD candidates and doctoral researchers
- recent graduates
- exceptional early-career professionals

We are particularly interested in candidates from:
- Policy & Global Affairs: International Relations, political science, public policy, diplomacy, international development and law
- Risk, Economics & Finance: Economics, political economy, risk, finance and insurance
- Technology & Data: Artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, digital governance, GIS and GeoAI
- Science, Infrastructure & Resilience: Engineering, climate, energy, water, health, urban systems and natural resources
- Innovation & Futures: Science and technology policy, innovation management, entrepreneurship and strategic foresight

Interdisciplinary candidates are strongly encouraged.

What we are looking for

Strong candidates will demonstrate

- excellent analytical and research ability
- exceptional synthesis and executive writing
- intellectual curiosity and independent judgment
- the ability to distinguish evidence, analysis and opinion
- strong communication and qualified maturity
- reliability, discretion and follow-through
- the ability to work across cultures,



disciplines and institutions
- genuine interest in global risks, frontier technologies and resilience
- the confidence to contribute ideas while remaining open to challenge
- a desire to build and deliver, not simply observe

What you will gain

Programme Leads will work close to consequential leadership and real strategic priorities.

You can expect to gain:

- direct exposure to senior leaders and Council members
- experience converting research into decision-ready work
- practical work across risk management, technology and finance
- access to multidisciplinary experts and international networks
- experience with scenarios, missions, strategic agendas and institutional coordination
- opportunities to contribute to Nexus Universe where relevant
- a documented contribution record tied to substantive outputs
- experience working across sectors, countries and disciplines

Exceptional contributors may be considered for future Nexus assignments or leadership-development opportunities where a suitable institutional need exists.

Volunteer appointment

Programme Lead roles are volunteer appointments .

They are designed as a serious development pathway for emerging leaders seeking substantive responsibility, international exposure and a credible record of contribution.

They are not paid employment and do not guarantee future employment, Council membership or institutional appointment.

To be considered

Please submit to [email protected]:

- your CV or professional profile
- current academic or professional affiliation
- country and time zone
- principal field of expertise
- preferred Council constituency or strategic area
- relevant research, writing or project examples where available
- a short response of 150 to 250 words to the following question:

What emerging global risk, technology or policy issue do you believe senior leaders are underestimating, and why does it matter now?

Work close to consequential decisions. Think across systems. Turn research into action. Build the judgment and record required for serious leadership.

📌 Program Lead- Global Risks Forum (GRF) (Canada)
🏢 The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI)
📍 Canada