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 

This new role within the Institutional Funding team will support statutory and multilateral donor engagement in humanitarian programmes. Based in the Business Development directorate, the postholder will gain regular exposure to humanitarian programming funding, strategies and structures. Key relationships will be both internal and external, including direct contact with donors, humanitarian NGOs, and locally led hub networks in target countries. 

Start Network is looking for someone organised with strong communication skills and a strategic mindset, who is interested in catalysing change for the humanitarian system. The successful candidate will have experience in fundraising, ideally with institutional donors plus some prospecting experience together with the ability to hold an administrative support role coordinating across different teams or function areas. 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

• Draft, develop and share briefing notes or analysis about donors or funding opportunities and their alignment with Start Network programming 

• Organise and support strategic engagement meetings with new or existing funding partners, managing agendas, preparation and debriefs 

• Lead on donor prospecting, looking up new opportunities and themes for funding 

• Coordinate opportunity risk escalation/Go No Go processes, legal reviews, approvals and signatures in accordance with the Delegation of Authority and Donor Policy 

• Update and maintain tracking tools including the Start Fund pot tracker and donor records 

• Support Programmes colleagues to follow up with prospective donors, briefing them on alignment with Start Network’s priorities and developing compelling presentations 

• Coordinate with the Advocacy team around global meetings and events, ensuring the Resource Mobilisation team has plans for institutional donor engagement and involvement 

• Monitor funding opportunities and calls, ensuring relevant staff are informed in a timely manner  

• Support the development of concept notes and pitches in collaboration with the Senior Institutional Funding Officer and Institutional Funding Manager  

PROGRAMME COORDINATION 

• Establish and maintain a strong connection and dialogue between Programmes teams and the institutional funding team, exploring and communicating new ideas and challenges 

• Liaise with different teams across the organisation to gather relevant information for donor reporting 

• Work with the MEAL team to develop and implement new processes for IATI reporting 

• Work with Programmes and Communication teams to support the preparation of programme visibility material and copy writing 

• Support the national programmes in Bangladesh and Nepal to navigate global processes 

• Develop programme marketing material and identify opportunities to engage donors in programmes 

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 

• Develop and maintain information trackers (pipeline funding, active funding, contractual reporting dates) to help inform decision-making, process improvement and growth strategies 

• Maintain knowledge and filing systems related to institutional donor engagement 

• Prepare team inputs for organisational reporting including the Start Network Annual Report 

• Provide support for the negotiation of hosting agreements with member NGOs 

• Support all institutional donor due diligence processes (at the global and local level) and audits (analysing which information we already have, coordinating missing information with teams, following up on recommendations) 

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 

ESSENTIAL 

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field or equivalent work experience (3+ years) 

• Experience of coordinating administrative processes across multiple function areas 

• Experience in fundraising 

• Ability to summarise complex information quickly and appropriately for different audiences  

• Excellent team player, able to work flexibly and adapt to changing demands 

• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills 

• Ability to organise own work, and to manage time and resources effectively 

• Ability to follow and advise teams on organisational policies and procedures  

• Strong communication and coordination skills in English, able to work remotely using different communication styles and tailor communication to different audiences 

• Experience writing communication pieces or reports for external audiences 

• Ability to lead and coordinate across multiple levels and teams including Senior Leadership 

• Experience designing basic presentations or communication material using Canva 

• Confidence public speaking, comfortable delivering presentations to different audiences 

• Experience of building and maintaining a pipeline of prospect donors with a global focus  

• Demonstrable experience of collaboration, including forging and maintaining effective new relationships and partnerships, often across organisational boundaries. 

DESIRABLE 

• Spanish or French language skills 

• Previous experience working for an NGO 

• Demonstrated interest in or understanding of the humanitarian system 

• Prior understanding of the grant funding cycle or best practice project management 

• Experience using Asana