Application Guide
How to Apply for Board Chair & Chair of the HR Committee (Independent Trustee)
at Start Network
🏢 About Start Network
Start Network is unique as a global humanitarian network of over 80 NGOs working to transform the humanitarian system through locally led crisis response and anticipation. Unlike traditional aid organizations, it operates as a collaborative network focused on systemic change, testing innovative funding models like risk pooling and anticipatory action. Someone might want to work here to drive meaningful reform in humanitarian aid, moving beyond traditional top-down approaches to empower local actors.
About This Role
This dual role involves providing inclusive leadership to the entire Start Network Board while specifically chairing the HR Committee, ensuring effective governance and fostering a collaborative culture among Trustees. It's impactful because you'll directly shape the strategic direction of an organization redefining humanitarian action, safeguarding its mission while overseeing critical human resources and risk management decisions that enable locally led responses.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve facilitating a virtual Board meeting with Trustees across multiple time zones, reviewing HR Committee materials on organizational culture initiatives, and having a strategic check-in with the CEO about network growth plans. This could be followed by representing Start Network in a donor meeting about innovative funding models and preparing for an upcoming governance review of risk management frameworks.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Start Network Is Looking For
- Has prior Board experience in the humanitarian or international development sector, with demonstrated success in strategic oversight and governance of complex, multi-stakeholder networks.
- Possesses proven experience in inclusive leadership practices, specifically in fostering collaborative environments across diverse cultural and organizational backgrounds.
- Can effectively represent Start Network to key external stakeholders such as donor agencies, member NGOs, and humanitarian partners, articulating the network's unique value proposition.
- Has experience working closely with senior leadership teams in remote settings, with the capacity to balance support and oversight of a CEO leading a decentralized network.
📝 Tips for Applying to Start Network
Highlight specific examples of how you've fostered inclusive governance in previous Board roles, particularly in networks or collaborative organizations.
Demonstrate understanding of Start Network's unique model by referencing specific initiatives like their risk pooling funds (Start Ready) or anticipatory action programs in your application materials.
Emphasize experience with HR governance in the nonprofit or humanitarian sector, such as overseeing executive compensation, diversity initiatives, or organizational culture development.
Show how you've balanced strategic oversight with support for organizational leadership in previous roles, as this role requires close collaboration with the CEO while maintaining independent governance.
Tailor your application to address both the Board Chair and HR Committee Chair responsibilities separately, showing how your skills apply to each aspect of this dual role.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your experience with governance in network-based organizations and how it prepares you for Start Network's collaborative model.", "Specific examples of inclusive leadership practices you've implemented in previous Board roles to foster collaborative decision-making.", "How you've successfully chaired committees (particularly HR or similar) in governance roles and the impact of those committees.", "Your understanding of the humanitarian system's challenges and how Start Network's approach to locally led action addresses them."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Start Network's current governance structure and Board composition (available in their annual reports) to understand the existing dynamics you'd be joining.
- → Their specific programs like Start Ready, Start Fund, and anticipatory action initiatives to understand their operational model beyond the mission statement.
- → Recent publications or positions Start Network has taken on humanitarian reform topics to understand their strategic priorities and advocacy stance.
- → Their membership network of 80+ NGOs to appreciate the diversity of stakeholders you'd be representing and governing.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying with only corporate Board experience without demonstrating understanding of nonprofit governance or the humanitarian sector's unique challenges.
- Focusing solely on the Board Chair responsibilities while neglecting to address the specific HR Committee Chair role and its requirements.
- Using generic governance language without showing how you'd adapt practices to Start Network's network-based, collaborative model versus traditional hierarchical organizations.
📅 Application Timeline
⏰ Deadline: April 7, 2026
We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!