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.

JOB PURPOSE

The key purpose of the role is to oversee and manage the assurance function, focusing on provision of internal risk management and due diligence for members, while ensuring compliance to regulations, including legal and donor requirements. 

The role provides an assurance service to the senior management and wider team, including hubs. Internally, the role is responsible for ensuring risk policies and processes are in line with our vision and values, as well as regulation. At a network level, the role will work with colleagues to develop risk models and frameworks involving strategic, programmatic and operations risks. 

The role is required to bring innovation to our assurance function and to challenge the status quo.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Team Management

• Build, manage and lead the assurance team, as part of the wider support functions of Start Network enabling team members to perform to their strengths and to develop

• Provide leadership and professional advice to drive a strategic approach to the operations and risk function, and act as an internal advisor to different parts of the charity, including senior leaders

• Provide reports and advice to the Senior Management Team, and Board Committees as needed

• Manage budget related to the Assurance Function

  Risk Management Framework and Organisational Compliance

• Maintain and improve a robust risk management strategy and framework that integrates with our existing strategy and plans

• Promote a risk management culture that aligns our approach to risk with our mission, vision and values, balancing risk, reward, and opportunity, including design and delivery of training

• Ensure effective controls and mitigation measures are in place, including ongoing compliance with the charity’s compliance plan and Code of Conduct, updating relevant policies

• Lead on disaster recovery planning and critical incident management planning and processes, making improvements based on learning

• Together with CFOO and Director of People Operations and Assurance be the main contact point with the Risk and Compliance Committee, which oversees operational functions including compliance, legal, risk and internal audit

• Lead any investigations for complaints / whistleblowing / safeguarding including carrying out investigations and Board reporting

• Ensure the organisation has all necessary insurance cover in place

• Oversee and support the Senior Assurance Advisor in coordinating internal audit and responsible for overseeing implementation and reporting of internal audit recommendations across the organisation

• Ensure the Operations function are managing safety and security risk for staff international travel and provide sign off for travel to high risk environments against travel risk assessments

Compliance in Humanitarian Work

• Support the design of risk and compliance infrastructure for our humanitarian work, such as a financing mechanism that pools risk and a network of Hubs

• Oversee the Due Diligence Manager and Assurance Advisor to improve the processes, tools and guidance for due diligence compliance

• Support on response to due diligence requests from external partners

• Support the Due Diligence Manager to design and implement non-membership due diligence and vetting framework

• Ensure Resource Mobilisation meet institutional donor reporting and compliance requirements

Legal Oversight

• Responsible for keeping updated on legal requirements for charities

• Oversee the Senior Assurance Advisor, who in collaboration with external counsel, delivers legal advice, including drafting and reviewing contracts and agreements

LINE MANAGEMENT

• To carry out effective line management of a team, including recruiting and training direct reports and having an active role in building an inclusive team culture in line with our values

  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

• 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

• Proven experience in compliance and assurance, probably gained through work in audit, compliance or risk

• Ability to think creatively and innovatively, developing solutions to challenge the status quo

• Experience of working in an agile, complex environment with an ability to work at strategic and operational level

• Proven ability to develop and implement organisation-wide risk management strategy and framework

• Proven ability to successfully build, coach, and motivate high performing, remote, diverse and inclusive teams to deliver an effective assurance function

• Sound leadership, strategic thinking, management and planning skills

• Membership of a professional body such as the Institute of Risk Management or similar is desirable

• Charity sector knowledge and experience is desirable

 KEY COMPETENCIES

• Influence stakeholders to address difficult or complex issues by listening to diverse perspectives, finding common ground and avoiding criticism or complaint

• 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 stakeholders

• Provide leadership by inspiring and unlocking motivation in others across the network to lead and hold them accountable for the results

• Create and promote a learning culture, authentically sharing own learning and supporting others to do the same at organisational, team and network level

• Bring in best practice from a range of external sources to drive innovation to advance our work, connecting with diverse stakeholders and perspectives outside the sector

• Identify opportunities and take calculated risks to capitalise on opportunities that further our purpose and mission without compromising our vision Effective communicator, experienced working in cross-cultural settings and explaining concepts using simple English avoiding jargon

• Excellent relationship builder internally and externally

• Strong collaboration and listening skills to maximise the strengths from a diverse team