WHAT IS START NETWORK?

Our purpose is to be a catalyst for system-level change that improves the efficiency, effectiveness and ethics of humanitarian action. We do this by working as a network to develop, test & spread new ways of collaborating and resourcing locally-led crisis response and anticipation.

Our current membership is made up of nearly 100 local, national and international NGOs based all around the world. We also support 10 national and regional hubs made up of civil society organisations and NGOs as our vehicle for devolving power, resources and accountability.

OUR SOLUTIONS

DECENTRAISLING & LOCALLY-LED ACTION: Shifting power and resources and decentralising decision-making to locally led networks and organisations.

EARLY & RAPID FINANCING: Building a global financing system that reduces risk, anticipates, and acts ahead of predictable crises.

COMMUNITY-LED INNOVATION: Incentivising innovative, locally led, and contextual solutions and learning from them together with people affected by crises.

For more information about Start Network and what we do, please visit our website.

OUR VALUES

WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST: Communities come first in our decision-making and programming.

WE ARE BRAVE: We have great ambition and are willing to explore new things and take risks to achieve it

WE OPERATE COLLECTIVELY: We leverage the value of working as a network, sharing risk and resources, and learning together.

WE ARE INCLUSIVE: We see the value in diverse perspectives and work to remove the barriers that prevent voices from being heard.

WE ARE OPEN: We work transparently and with integrity, building mutual trust in all levels of our work, from governance to programming.

WE ARE ETHICAL: We behave and operate based on key principles of anti-racism, non- discrimination, and anti-colonialism. This is a work in progress.

SYSTEMS INNOVATION AND CHANGE TEAM

The System Innovation and change (SIC) team currently comprises three people and works to help drive forward Start Network’s ambitions of systems change, supporting the network (Hubs and members) and staff through innovation, experimentation and learning. We work closely with Start Network Hubs to support locally-led humanitarian innovation, currently providing technical support to hubs in DRC, India and Guatemala. This work is funded through grants from several donors, one of which is run in partnership with Elrha and the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN). The innovation portfolio also includes other systems innovation and change initiatives across the Start Network teams and members.

For more information about our work and strategic priorities, please visit our website.

JOB PURPOSE

The Innovation manager is one of the three team members. You will be an advocate for systems change and innovation methods and bring a user-centred and design-led approach to your work.

You will help ensure our team’s support to our Hubs, members and other teams is flexible in meeting their needs and aligned with Start Network’s vision for change. You will be key in contributing to the successful development and delivery of the SIC team’s programs and workplan.

The post holder will be responsible for coordinating and managing innovation projects and processes, carrying and delivering on the work required but not managing any other team member.

To give a sense of the week-to-week work, you are likely to be getting involved in…

• Coordinating various aspects of our team’s project delivery, including setting up workshops, liaison with suppliers, grant management etc.

• Coordinating and, where appropriate, providing innovation technical support to hubs, teams and members drawing on your own experience and/or managing external innovation experts. For example, you may lead on the design of a workshop for a staff team that wants help on a particular challenge, based on innovation and design methods.

• Ensuring that relationships with stakeholders are equitable, effective, open, and transparent

• Supporting the team’s contracting, invoicing, and other administrative needs

• Supporting Hubs, members and Start Network teams to build the capabilities and practices necessary for impactful and sustainable locally led humanitarian innovation

As we are a small team there is great scope for the right candidate to bring their talents to the team and help shape our work programme and impact, as well as having the opportunity to develop your own capabilities and experience.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO INNOVATION PROGRAMMES

• Support the Senior Innovation and Learning Manager to facilitate Hub’s implementation and learning of community led innovation initiatives and strategies

• Lead on operational delivery and administration processes of a variety of innovation initiatives (this may involve keeping track of contracting, invoicing and payments across programs and activities, help make travel arrangements, planning workshops delivery, etc.)

• Work to nurture and support equitable and effective partnerships with hubs and other partners, encouraging local leadership and learning

• Working with the Start Network finance and grants management team to ensure donor and contractual requirements are met

• Help facilitate the design and implementation of new innovation initiatives run by teams, Hubs and members that contribute to creation of systemic change

• Managing external consultants and contracts of innovation research or technical support

• Maintain a strong understanding and overview of trends, developments, and methods in relation to humanitarian innovation, systems change and working in complexity

LEARNING AND ADAPTATION

• Support the Senior Innovation Learning Manager to ensure learning processes are in place to understand, capture and share learning and impact

• Help build a community of practice amongst hubs, working with innovation practices and facilitate long-term thinking and learning on how change happens in their context and the roe of innovation

• Support the development of learning and communications resources and resources such as case studies, tools, guidance and insights papers

• Help develop how the team consolidates, organises, and shares the learning and insights

EFFECTIVE TEAM DEVELOPMENT

• Play a strong role within the Start innovation team and broader Start Network organisation helping to design and deliver innovation and system change plans and strategies

• Leverage your strengths and talents to support the development of the team and the successful delivery of our work programme

• Promote the team and its work and insights across the organisation to staff, hubs and members, as well as to our wider stakeholders

• Contribute to planning future innovation initiatives and collaborate with the resource mobilisation team to secure appropriate funds

• Be willing to undertake more routine administrative tasks in support of the team and its needs

START NETWORK CULTURE

• To carry out the responsibilities of the role in line with the Start Network Code of Conduct and with a commitment to safeguarding adults and children

• A commitment to the Start Network vision, principles, values and approach.

• Support the growth of a culture of learning, including using learning as an evaluative measure, and sharing from experience.

• The Start Network team is an agile group of individuals who use their experience and skills across the network, so flexibility to work in and with different teams and functions is a part of our culture.

PERSON PROFILE

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Exceptional experience of programme management, planning and coordination including of budget management. Experience in the Humanitarian or development sector is preferred

• Demonstrable experience of working effectively and build partnerships with teams in diverse, dispersed locations and from multiple different backgrounds and cultures.

• Knowledge of innovation processes, techniques and approaches (knowledge of some specific techniques and approaches such as design thinking, systems thinking, sense making, systems/ecosystem mapping and visualisation, futures and prototyping would be an advantage)

• Knowledge and experience of monitoring and learning approaches particularly qualitative approaches to tackle social/behavioural change.

• Good facilitation skills including support the emergence and strengthening of communities of practice, facilitate workshops and bring together diverse groups of stakeholders

• Fluent in French and/or Spanish is a strong advantage.

PERSONAL

• A commitment to locally-led action and decolonisation in the humanitarian sector

• Curiosity and a commitment to learning within the organisation and across our membership, as well as in your own work and development.

• Comfortable challenging and re-thinking the status-quo and an ability to sensitively help others to do the same

• Passionate about achieving change in complex settings, a willingness to challenge and be challenged, and collaborative by nature.

• Proactive and keen to work as a key member of a small and committed team and contribute to its development and success in a constantly changing environment

• Willingness to undertake administrative and supportive tasks to support the team effectively deliver on its commitments

• A self-starter who works well in a team but is also capable of operating with a high level of independence, be propositional and work independently on some tasks

• Candidates must hold the work in the UK or other specified Hub country where they are based – Start Network is not able to provide sponsorship for visa or work permits

KEY COMPETENCIES

Strategic Thinking:

• Able to see the bigger picture and make connections between the parts and the whole, use networks and systems thinking to support our work.

• Enable others to support and deliver cross-organisational initiatives by removing barriers, such as reallocating work, reprioritising, and coaching others to do the same

Communication:

• Generate and support implementation of ideas that have impact at organisational, network and/or humanitarian systems-level by promoting these ideas to relevant internal and external stakeholder

Collaboration:

• Work effectively with others, embracing diverse perspectives, knowing when to step up and when to step back.

Ability to adapt and learn:

• Able to respond to change in external and/or internal circumstances and to uncertainty and risk to continue to deliver.