A SAMPLE FUTURIST JOB DESCRIPTION TO CONSIDER

While no two are like, a typical futurist job description might take the following shape:

As a futurist, you will be responsible for analyzing current trends, emerging issues, and new research findings across diverse fields in order to envision and plan for potential future scenarios. Your main duties as part of a futurist job description would span:

Future Forecasting & Foresight
• Conduct comprehensive research into advancements in science, technology, economics, environmental issues, cultural shifts, geopolitics, and other relevant areas
• Synthesize data and insights from multiple sources to identify patterns, make connections, and extrapolate how current trends may evolve and converge into the future
• Develop plausible long-term scenarios for how different domains and aspects of society could transform over the next 10-30+ years
• Distinguish between probable, possible, and wildcard future outcomes and map their potential implications

Strategic Futures Planning
• Work with organizations and stakeholders to discuss and prioritize their future goals and objectives
• Translate future forecasts into accessible narratives, models, and visualizations that can inform strategic planning
• Apply futures thinking techniques like backcasting, horizon scanning, and speculative design to map paths to desired future states
• Facilitate workshops, ideation sessions and consultations to help teams envision future growth opportunities and potential challenges

Trend Analysis & Signal Mapping
• Monitor weak signals, emerging innovations, new scientific discoveries, and fringe developments for their disruptive potential
• Analyze the intersections and cascading impacts of converging trends across industries and sectors
• Prepare trend analysis reports, data visualizations, and briefings to communicate future trajectories and impacts
• Advise leaders and executives on the strategic implications of technological, economic, political and social changes

Thought Leadership & Knowledge Transfer
• Author insightful reports, articles, books and multimedia content on future forecasts and foresight
• Deliver keynote presentations and facilitate futures thinking workshops for conferences, organizations and academic institutions
• Engage in public speaking, media interviews, and podcasts to discuss future trends and their significance
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams of strategists, innovators and domain experts on futures projects

The ideal candidate for the futurist job description will have an interdisciplinary background, intellectual curiosity, creative problem-solving abilities, and top-notch research, analytical and communication skills. A master’s degree or Ph.D. in a relevant field like future studies, strategic foresight, technology analysis or public policy is strongly preferred.