The Vacancy
Salary: £62,415 - £64,058 (if UK based) / Competitive Birches rated salary for the
local market if based outside of the UK
Location - London, United Kingdom or the following Start Network countries of operation: DRC · Pakistan · India · Somalia · · South Sudan · Philippines · Kenya · Bangladesh
Team - Communications
Line Manager - Director of Impact and Change
Line Reports - Manage the Communications team, including line management of, Communications Manager and Digital Communications Manager.
Hours - 35 hours per week
Contract - Permanent
Closing date: 24th July 2026
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Head of Communications is a senior role responsible for shaping and delivering Start Network's communications strategy—externally and internally—to strengthen organisational influence, impact and coherence across all audiences. The role provides leadership to a global hybrid and remote working communications team, including direct line management responsibilities.
The role is responsible for ensuring an integrated, audience-led approach to communications that effectively engages key stakeholders and advances organisational priorities. The role will also oversee the delivery of key publications and act as our brand champion, ensuring that our outputs, messaging and communications are consistently on-brand, clear, compelling and aligned with our values and strategic objectives.
As part of the Impact and Change Directorate, the role will work with colleagues across Policy, Advocacy and External Affairs, Evidence and Learning, and Systems Innovation and Change in positioning Start Network as a leading agent of change, translating evidence and learning into compelling communications that influence policy, practice and funding across the humanitarian system.
The role plays a critical part in strengthening Start Network's profile, influence and thought leadership across the global humanitarian system.
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 145 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)
For complete job description and to apply, visit:
https://startnetwork.org/about/current-vacancies/head-communications-2026
HOW TO APPLY:
For more information and to apply click here (https://startnetwork.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/4251820?cid=3271)
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 (mailto:peopleandculture@startnetwork.org)
We use Recruitment+ IRIS Cascade as our online recruitment platform. Recruitment+ IRIS Cascade allows you to demonstrate your skills and abilities through blind-review by our team to reduce bias.
Closing date: 24th July 2026
Date for 1st Interview: 18th August (Subject to change)
Date for 2nd Interview: 25th August (Subject to change)
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications and we may review candidates on an ongoing basis, so please apply early where possible to avoid disappointment.
Any offer of employment will be conditional subject to relevant checks. Please refer to our privacy candidate privacy notice (https://startnetwork.org/about/current-vacancies) regarding treatment of your data. Start Network also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more information regarding this scheme, please visit their website: https://misconduct-disclosure-scheme.org (https://misconduct-disclosure-scheme.org/)