United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Start Fund Manager – Start Network

Fixed Term Contract for 6-9 months

We are looking for an experienced and driven individual to join us as Start Fund Manager ensuring the Start Fund is effectively run and that it is positioned to grow to scale. You will be the prime focal point for a ground-breaking and unique multi donor pooled fund, managed exclusively by NGO’s.

Currently hosted by Save the Children, the Start Network is planning to become a fully independent entity during 2016. It has a vision that the humanitarian sector can change to become more diverse, decentralised and collaborative, and as such is currently working on three key areas: Start Fund (for financing emergency responses), Start Engage (for strengthening civil society capacity) and Start Labs (for experimentation, rapid prototyping and learning). Comprising nearly 7,000 partner agencies and with a staff of a quarter of a million working in 200 countries and territories, the Network’s reach is huge.

Collectively the 27 Start Network agencies operate the Start Fund, designed to reach small to medium sized ‘under the radar’ crises. The Fund operates to key principles: minimal bureaucracy, alert-to-funding allocation within 72 hours, preserving the space for judgment, impartial and transparent decision-making awarded to the international or local organisations best placed to respond.

As Start Fund Manager you will work closely with the Start Network leadership team day-to-day to deliver on the objectives set out in the business plan. In addition you will shape the input and manage the outputs from the quarterly meetings of the Start Fund Committee and oversee the professional development of the Start Fund team members. You will also:

• Develop and oversee work planning of the members of the Start Fund Team and ensure their results are delivered on time, within budget and to the expected quality


• Serve as the central focal point for members and donors regarding the strategic and system level of the Start Fund


• Support the design and evolution of the Start Fund through championing experimental approaches to acting on learning and recommendations to its processes


• Ensure the Start Fund MEAL and learning frameworks are appropriate and effective


• Represent the Start Fund at international meetings.

To be successful you will be a confident communicator and networker with excellent networking and relationship-building skills with the confidence to work with people at all levels of seniority and from different backgrounds. You should also have significant experience in managing large and complex programmes involving multiple stakeholders. In addition you will:

• Be an effective leader who can enthuse the team and take the initiative when working independently


• Have experience of process design and process planning leading to improvements in efficiency and value-for-money


• Have excellent attention detail with the ability to prioritise work in order to meet competing deadlines


• Have a good understanding and experience of interagency collaboration and partnerships


• Have excellent written and spoken English


• Have a post-graduate degree.

At Save the Children our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. If you share our mission, are passionate about making it happen and strongly believe you can contribute then join us and we’ll give you every opportunity to succeed. We look forward to hearing from you.

Closing date: 27th March 2016

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. And interviews may commence prior to the advert closing date. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early.