Treasurer (Independent Trustee)

For more details and to apply, click here.

The Start Network Board is seeking a Treasurer (Independent Trustee) to join the Board as well act as a Chair to the Finance & Audit Committee, with specific oversight of the organisation’s financial health and integrity. The Treasurer will bring expertise in finance, accounting, and risk, playing a key role in ensuring robust financial oversight and strategic alignment. 

• Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
• For any questions, please reach out to Dhara Desai ().Company.Secretary@startnetwork.org
• Terms of appointment, instructions to apply, and other information is availablehere.

Operations Officer

For more details and to apply, click here.

Location: United Kingdom with hybrid working options

Team: Operations

Contract: 12 months in the first instance

Salary Range: £30,520 - £32,046 per annum

Closing Date: 5 January 2026 at 23:59 - Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis and may close sooner so candidates are encouraged to apply before the deadline.

THE VACANCY

Are you looking to join a team seeking to bring change in the humanitarian sector? We have an opening for an Operations Officer who will play a crucial, frontline, administrative role for the organisation, working across all directorates. They will provide operational support to the global network, have an important role in ensuring core policies and processes are followed and have key administrative and facilities responsibilities. The Operations Officer will also have the opportunity to be involved in cross-directorate events and projects and may be required to travel within the UK and overseas.

The role requires regular attendance at the London office. Early February 2026 start is preferred.

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 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.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Being a part of a network involved in bringing change to the humanitarian sector.
• Hybrid working with options to work from home and remotely to support your work/life balance
• Employee Assistance Programme through Smart Health (depends on the country based)
• Family friendly policies, e.g., flexible working, maternity policy, parental leave and more!
• 25 days’ holiday (if UK based) plus 2 company days over the End of Year period for all staff (depends on the country based)

APPLICATION

We use Be Applied, our online recruitment platform which uses anonymised applications and predictive, skill-based assessments which are blind- reviewed to reduce bias. Click here to apply.

Please contact the People and Culture Team if you have any questions or need support with your application. Please email us using peopleandculture@startnetwork.org

Crisis Financing Advisor (Pooled Funds)

For more details and to apply, click here.

Location: London, United Kingdom or Start Network countries of operation: DRC · Pakistan · India · Somalia · Guatemala · South Sudan · Philippines · Kenya · Bangladesh Team Start Funds

Contract: Fixed Term (12 months)

Salary: £43,988 - £46,186 per annum (Competitive Birches rated salary for the local market if based outside of the UK)

Closing Date: 18 January 2026 at 23:59 - Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the role may close earlier if filled.

The Vacancy

Start Network is seeking a highly motivated and skilled individual to join our team to drive efforts to strengthen and innovate pooled fund mechanisms.

The Crisis Financing Advisor (Pooled Funds) will play a key role in advancing system change in crisis financing by providing technical assistance to the design, development, and strengthening of Start Network–led and supported pooled funds. The role focuses on strategic, policy, and programmatic inputs, rather than grant management or financial administration. The role will drive collaboration and learning across pooled fund initiatives within and beyond the Start Network, support member engagement, and contribute to innovative approaches that promote locally led, anticipatory, and effective crisis response.

This role requires someone with in-depth understanding of the current humanitarian financing system and policy environment, direct experience of managing or advising pooled funds, as well as a strong track record in stakeholder management within membership organisations or networks.

The Company

Start Network is made up of more than 90 non-governmental organisations across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to local and national NGOs. Our programmes allow members to deliver humanitarian action around the world.

Our mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action that will save even more lives. We aren’t driven by media headlines or political will, we’re here for the communities affected by and at risk of crises.

We are an organisation committed to doing things differently. For some roles, we need more technical humanitarian expertise, but for other roles, we are looking for relevant transferable skills, the right attitude, and a passion to bring change.

Head of Assurance

For more details and to apply, click here.

Location: London, United Kingdom

Team: Assurance

Contract: Permanent

Salary Range: £59,018 - £61,969 per annum

Closing Date: 15 January 2026 at 23:59 - Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the role may close earlier if filled.

The Vacancy

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced compliance and assurance professional to apply their expertise at a strategic level within a global humanitarian network, helping to safeguard public funds and enable faster, more effective responses to crises.

Are you a proven compliance and assurance professional seeking a fulfilling and rewarding role where your expertise (either already gained from the charity sector, or further afield) will make a positive impact? If so join the Start Network, a growing network that is transforming the humanitarian sector to save more lives.

To achieve our mission, it is vital that we ensure the highest standards of transparency, accountability and competent management over the public funds programmed through our member organisations and partners. As Head of Assurance, you'll leverage your compliance and assurance expertise to steer our risk management and due diligence strategies. Specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Strategic Leadership:Lead, inspire, and manage our assurance team, guiding them to excel within Start Network. You'll provide strategic advice and collaborate across the organisation.
• Risk Management and Compliance:Develop robust risk management frameworks that resonate with our mission. Foster a culture of risk awareness, implement controls, and ensure legal and donor compliance.
• Humanitarian Compliance:Working with our hubs and membership team, use your expertise to co-design risk and compliance structures around our humanitarian work. You'll oversee due diligence processes, ensuring alignment with external partners and donor expectations.

This role offers senior-level influence, exposure to Board-level governance, and the opportunity to shape how risk, compliance, and assurance enable humanitarian action at scale.

The Company

Start Network is made up of more than 100 non-governmental organisations across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to local and national NGOs. Our programmes allow members to deliver humanitarian action around the world.

Our mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action that will save even more lives. We aren’t driven by media headlines or political will, we’re here for the communities affected by and at risk of crises.

We are an organisation committed to doing things differently. For some roles, we need more technical humanitarian expertise, but for other roles, we are looking for relevant transferable skills, the right attitude, and a passion to bring change.