JOB PURPOSE

The Innovation Advisor is responsible for supporting Hubs, members and Start Network teams to build the capabilities and practices necessary for impactful and sustainable locally led humanitarian innovation. This includes project managing some initiatives, channelling financial support to hubs, coordinating, and providing innovation technical support, promoting learning both internally as well as externally, and ensuring that relationships with involved stakeholders are effective, open, and transparent.

The role may also support and advise other systems, innovation and change initiatives across Start Network. The Advisor is an advocate for systems, innovation and change and takes a user-centred and iterative design approach to ensure that support to Hubs, members and Start Network teams is flexible in meeting their needs and aligned with our vision for systems innovation and change.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO INNOVATION PROGRAMMES

• Support the Senior Innovation and Learning Manager to facilitate Hub’s design and implement community led initiatives and strategies

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

• Lead on operational management and compliance processes of a variety of innovation initiatives

• Foster a management environment and approach that is open and transparent, encouraging local leadership and learning

• Working with the Start Network International Grants and Finance Officer to ensure hub-based teams and the Innovation team meet all donor and contractual requirements including financial reporting

• Contribute to planning future innovation initiatives and collaborate with the resource mobilisation team to develop fundraising strategies

INNOVATION TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• Engage and advise Hub teams and the wider Start Network team to build familiarity and confidence with the use of innovation techniques

• Maintain a strong understanding and overview of trends, developments, and methods in relation to innovation, systems change and working in complexity and facilitate connections with external experts when necessary to support the development of our thinking and practice

• Organise training, skills-building and other innovation learning events for our teams and Hubs when appropriate

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

• Help to develop strategic partnerships with external organisations to support our system innovation work

LEARNING AND ADAPTATION

• Support the Senior Innovation Learning Manager to ensure learning processes are in place for hubs, partners, and innovators to understand the effectiveness of their approach and impact of emerging innovations.

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

• Contribute to documenting and facilitating Hubs and Start Network teams learning around how change happens, the role of innovation, conditions of success, etc in their context

• Help build a community of practice amongst hubs, working with innovation practices and facilitate long-term thinking on future initiatives

• Support the development of learning and communications resources relevant and appropriate to Hub context and locally led humanitarian innovation

• Help develop how the team consolidates, organises, and shares the learning and insights gained through the work of the hubs and the wider Start Network.

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

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Extensive experience of programme management in community and innovation settings. Humanitarian or development sector-specific knowledge is preferred

• Knowledge of innovation processes, techniques and approaches and experience in their use in different settings (experience of some specific techniques and approaches such as design thinking, systems thinking, sensemaking, systems/ecosystem mapping and visualisation, futures and prototyping would be an advantage)

• Demonstrable experience of working to effectively support teams in diverse and dispersed locations

• Knowledge of monitoring and learning approaches

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

• A commitment to locally-led action and decolonisation

• Curiosity and a commitment to learning, comfortable 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. Keen to work as a key member of a small and committed team.

• Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be an advantage

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.

START NETWORK

We are tackling what we believe are the biggest systemic problems that the humanitarian sector faces. Start Network’s vision is for a locally led humanitarian system that is accountable to people affected by and at-risk of crises. We aim to achieve this vision by making systemic-level shifts in the way humanitarian assistance is approached and delivered. To achieve this, we need a substantial change evolving from the centralised structure of today to a dispersed, international network of hubs operating nationally and regionally. Our aims are to see:

LOCALLY-LED ACTION: We believe that a more balanced international aid system, which shifts power to those closest to the front-line, will generate more effective and appropriate responses for people affected by crises. 

NEW FORMS OF FINANCING: Our pooled funds enable fast and early action to tackle the kind of crises that are often overlooked by other funding mechanisms. Our risk financing pilots are introducing new ways of working that can save even more lives. 

COLLECTIVE INNOVATION: New ways of working are needed to tackle the challenges we face. By innovating collectively, we can share expertise, insights and perspectives to shape a more effective humanitarian system.

The Start Network Innovation Team works with Start Network Hubs to support locally-led humanitarian innovation. The Innovation team currently provides technical support to hubs in at least three countries (currently DRC, India and Guatemala). This work is funded through grants from several donors, one of which is run in partnership with Elrha, 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. 

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Centrally located office in London (if UK based) with onsite drinks available free of charge

• Hybrid working with options to work from home and remotely

• Flexible working arrangements

• Contributory pension

• Life Assurance

• Family friendly policies

• Learning and development opportunities for individuals and cross-organisationally

• 25 days’ holiday plus 2 company days over the end of year break

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Our roles are open to discussion about flexible working. For part-time working and job-shares, please get in touch with us for a conversation about possibilities.

Start Network is committed to protecting people, particularly children, at-risk adults and affected populations from any harm that may be caused due to their encountering the Start Network as well as responding effectively should any harm occur.  We are also committed to safeguarding staff from any forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power as outlined in the Dignity at Work policy. 

Start Network embraces diversity, promotes equality of opportunity and eliminates unlawful discrimination. We are an equal opportunities employer and treat every application on merit alone.  We particularly encourage applications from disabled, BAME, LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates.  We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet our essential selection criteria set out in the Person Profile. 

APPLICATION

Applications should be through Be Applied our online recruitment platform which uses anonymised applications and predictive, skill-based assessments which are blind- reviewed to reduce bias.

If you have any questions or need support with your application, please email us using peopleandculture@startnetwork.org

Applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so please apply early where possible

Any offer of employment will be conditional subject to relevant checks. Please refer to our privacy statement and candidate privacy notice regarding treatment of your data.