Job Title
Head of Strategic Initiatives & Foresight
Department
Office of the President
Introduction
Shape what comes next.
ETH Zurich is seeking an exceptional strategic thinker and leader to take charge of its Strategic Foresight Hub (SFH) within the Office of the President. Leading a small, highly skilled team, you will work at the intersection of strategy, foresight, analysis, and institutional development—helping ETH Zurich anticipate emerging challenges and opportunities, make strategic choices, and mobilize expertise to transform strategic thinking into actionable outcomes.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys tackling complex, cross-cutting issues, is comfortable operating with incomplete information, and can transition seamlessly from analysis to action. The perfect candidate is agile, thrives in a dynamic environment, and is capable of inspiring and motivating a high-performing team while maintaining a strong strategic focus.
Position Details
Head of Strategic Initiatives & Foresight, 100%, Permanent
Job Description
As the Head of Strategic Initiatives & Foresight, you will lead the SFH and serve as a key strategic partner to the President and ETH Zurich’s leadership.
Your Responsibilities:
- Lead strategic initiatives on behalf of the President, addressing complex, cross-cutting, or time-critical institutional challenges and opportunities.
- Anticipate emerging developments, trends, and disruptions, assessing their implications for ETH Zurich.
- Shape strategic options, priorities, and decision-making by developing analyses, scenarios, strategic briefs, and actionable recommendations.
- Mobilize expertise from across ETH Zurich and beyond, assembling and coordinating temporary, purpose-driven task forces as needed.
- Design and lead strategic planning processes at the institutional level, supporting strategic planning within Departments, Centres, and other units.
- Advise the President and Executive Board on the scoping and delivery of strategic projects, providing strategic, analytical, and coordination support.
- Develop and apply foresight methods, strategic frameworks, and collaborative approaches to support long-term institutional thinking and decision-making.
- Build and maintain an interdisciplinary community of future-oriented thinkers across ETH Zurich, including the Foresight Champions network.
- Develop and facilitate strategic workshops, foresight initiatives, and leadership dialogues for the President, the Executive Board, and the broader ETH community.
- Strengthen ETH Zurich’s strategic foresight capability and culture, contributing to its future-oriented thought leadership and institutional positioning.
- Lead, develop, and inspire a small, high-performing team within the Office of the President.
Depending on the nature of an assignment, you will transition between various roles: strategist, analyst, facilitator, convener, and orchestrator. While you may not provide all the expertise required to address a problem, you will know how to identify the right expertise, bring people together, structure the problem, create a productive process, and transform diverse perspectives into clear options and actionable outcomes.
Your Profile
We are looking for an intellectually curious, strategically minded, and highly accomplished professional who combines analytical depth with sound judgment and a strong bias toward action.
Qualifications:
- A university degree, preferably at the doctoral level, in a relevant field such as social sciences, economics, political science, science and technology, engineering, or related disciplines.
- Several years of professional experience in strategy, strategic planning, foresight, policy, management consulting, research, innovation, task forces, or a comparable field.
- A proven ability to quickly comprehend complex issues, identify critical elements, manage ambiguity, and develop clear, evidence-based recommendations.
- Strong analytical and conceptual skills, ability to translate complex information into concise and compelling decision-making materials.
- Experience in leading strategic projects and multidisciplinary teams, preferably in an international and intellectually challenging environment.
- Demonstrated effectiveness in engaging with senior leaders and diverse stakeholders, including academics, experts, institutional leaders, and external partners.
- Excellent facilitation, communication, and presentation skills, with outstanding written and verbal English; proficiency in German is a plus.
- The confidence and agility to operate in situations where questions are not yet clearly defined, requiring speed, discretion, and sound judgment.
- A collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset, capable of building trust, mobilizing individuals, and achieving results across organizational boundaries.
- A genuine interest in science, technology, and the societal forces shaping the future, along with the role of a leading university in addressing complex global challenges.
What We Offer
You will join the Office of the President of ETH Zurich at a significant juncture in the institution’s development. Working closely with the President and the Executive Board, you will have the opportunity to engage with some of the most consequential strategic questions facing one of the world's leading universities.
In this role, you will lead a small team with a broad mandate and substantial autonomy while leveraging the exceptional expertise of ETH Zurich’s faculty, staff, and international network. The position provides a unique combination of strategic proximity, intellectual breadth, institutional impact, and the opportunity to shape what comes next.
Apply Now
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Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.