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Head of Network Development at Help Age International
Help Age International
September 15, 2026
Full-time
On-site
About the Job
The Head of Network Development will provide strategic leadership for HelpAge International's global network engagement and development, localisation, and capacity strengthening work - advancing our commitment to locally led action and building strong, values-driven relationships with network members and other strategic partners.
This role will lead and be accountable for the development and delivery of the HelpAge network strategy, ensuring alignment with our global mission and enabling inclusive, sustainable collaboration across the HelpAge network.
The postholder provides strategic leadership for network engagement, development and capacity strengthening across all regions - Africa, Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. They lead through the Regional Advisers rather than delivering regional workstreams personally: setting annual priorities and deliverables for each region, in alignment with organisational priorities, and hold Regional Advisers accountable for delivery through regular performance management and review.
This is an evolving role. The postholder ensures the capacity strengthening and localisation offer is shaped by what members themselves identify as their needs and differentiated by region and member segment, rather than applied uniformly. They lead the mechanisms that connect global and regional levels of the network - regional convenings, member-to-member exchange, and the flow of regional intelligence into global strategy, positioning and funding decisions.
The role works in close partnership with internal stakeholders - Executive Leadership Group, Board, Leadership Group, and Team Heads - and external stakeholders including network members, civil society organisations, local consortia, donors, and institutional partners. The postholder leads the preparation and quality of Governance Committee submissions and Board papers on network development and engagement.
Alongside this regional remit, the role holder will lead directly on coordinating members in the Europe region, and work closely with the Head of Advocacy and Evidencing to develop our strategic niche on donor advocacy in Europe.
Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities
To make an impact and influence, the role holder will shape and deliver the HelpAge network strategy and HelpAge's transition to locally led ways of working; provide strategic oversight of network member engagement, localisation, and the organisational capacity sharing strategy; lead HelpAge's support to country transitions, including Ukraine; and build an inclusive, resilient and effective global network of local and national organisations.
Network strategy and impact
Lead delivery of the HelpAge network strategy, ensuring it supports locally led transitions, strong partnerships and member engagement. Lead the Thriving Network Impact Vehicle (one of six priority areas through which HelpAge delivers its strategy; the other five target external policy change - social pensions, health coverage, humanitarian action, legal rights, climate adaptation - while this one targets the health and sustainability of the network itself) and its results framework, ensuring a clear connection between day-to-day activities and HelpAge's 2030 network targets, and reporting quarterly to the senior leadership team on progress.
Lead the preparation and quality assurance of Governance Committee submissions (membership applications, ambassador appointments) and Board papers relating to network development and engagement.
Regional leadership
Line manage the Regional Advisers. Set annual regional priorities and delivery accountabilities aligned to the network and advocacy strategies, and hold each Regional Adviser accountable for delivery through regular performance management and review. Hold direct responsibility for engagement with Europe-based members, and work with the Head of Advocacy and Evidencing to develop HelpAge's strategic niche on donor advocacy in Europe.
Set the strategic frame for network convenings - purpose, frequency, participant profile and hold Regional Advisers accountable for regional and thematic convenings. Chair the strategic reference group INDABA, HelpAge's consultative forum with network members.
Membership and capacity sharing
Lead and oversee the network membership lifecycle - recruitment, accreditation, due diligence, segmentation and exit - using segmentation to determine how each member is engaged and what level of capacity sharing support they receive, in line with HelpAge's governance frameworks and agreed decision-making authorities.
Lead delivery of the Network Capacity Sharing Strategy, translating it into a coherent network-wide offer, integrated across programmes, in collaboration with Programme Support, Advocacy and Evidencing and other relevant teams. Hold the Humanitarian Capacity Strengthening Manager accountable for delivery in priority humanitarian contexts and the SCORE Programme Manager for delivery against SCORE commitments, with both required to feed learning back into the offer; facilitate alignment across different programme approaches and escalate cross-functional issues where appropriate..
Hold the Network Platform Manager1accountable for member collaboration platforms that support the network strategy, capacity sharing and member onboarding.
Localisation and country transitions
Line manage the Network Support Lead. Set the strategic framework for localisation and country transition support and hold them accountable for delivery across relevant country transitions.
Ensure network and localisation commitments are reflected in country strategies, programme design and partner engagement, working in collaboration with the Advocacy and Evidencing and Programme Support teams.
Resources, Risk Management and Representation
Be accountable for achieving the agreed Network Development income target. Working in partnership with the Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships (F&SP) team, play a lead technical and relationship role in shaping fundable propositions, contributing to pipeline development, including ownership of priority donor relationships and the funding pipeline**,** donor cultivation and stewardship, and fundraising for network convening, capacity sharing and the knowledge platform.
Act as budget holder for the Network Development portfolio, including grant budgets, with accountability for forecasting, spend against budget, cost recovery and donor compliance.
Ensure that organisational standards, policies and frameworks relating to safeguarding, security, fraud and other relevant risks are effectively embedded across Network Development activities, working with the relevant functional leads and holding team leads accountable for compliance within their areas and programmes.
Represent HelpAge in global fora on localisation and partnerships, positioning HelpAge as a credible voice on localisation, locally led development, civil society networks, and the role of older people and their organisations - contributing to thought leadership and sector-wide learning.
Skills and experience required
Essential
Proven strategic leadership of a membership network, alliance or partnership portfolio in the international development, humanitarian or civil society sectors, including responsibility for network strategy and its delivery.
Demonstrated ability to lead through senior managers - setting the strategic frame, agreeing accountabilities and holding others to delivery - rather than personally owning workstreams. Experience managing diverse, multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
Extensive experience working with and supporting civil society networks, grassroots organisations and local partners, particularly in low- and middle-income or Global South contexts.
Strong knowledge of and commitment to Partner-Led Programming principles, with a proven record of advancing localisation and supporting organisational transitions to locally led ways of working.
Experience of the membership lifecycle in a network or alliance - recruitment, accreditation, due diligence and, where necessary, exit. And of segmentation to inform how members are engaged and supported.
Track record of income generation against a target, including named ownership of institutional donor relationships and management of a funding pipeline.
Budget-holding experience at portfolio level, including grant budgets, forecasting, cost recovery and donor compliance.
Experience leading the implementation of a results framework and reporting on progress against strategic targets to an executive or board-level audience.
Strong understanding of safeguarding, equity and inclusion, and a demonstrated ability to embed these across teams and partnerships and to hold others accountable for doing so.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with network members, donors, civil society organisations and institutional actors, and to navigate disagreement between them.
Lived experience of the Global South or significant professional experience working in Global South contexts.
Desirable
Experience designing and delivering a differentiated capacity sharing or capacity strengthening offer across a diverse membership, informed by member-identified need rather than a single global package.
Experience of governance processes in a membership body - preparing submissions for a governance committee or board on membership, accreditation or appointments.
Experience convening members at regional or global level, including designing convenings for genuine exchange rather than presentation.
Familiarity with ageing, inclusion and rights issues in Global South contextsEducation and Qualification
Education and Qualifications
Degree in international development, public policy, human rights, social sciences, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
A postgraduate qualification is an asset but not essential where practical experience is strong.
Values, Skills, and Ways of Working
Ability to work across cultures, sectors, and geographies in inclusive and equitable ways.
Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written); additional languages used in the Global South (e.g., Spanish, French, Arabic) are highly desirable.
Deep commitment to locally led development and the principles of Partner-Led Programming.
We actively value and encourage candidates with lived experience of inequality, marginalisation, or systemic exclusion—especially related to age, gender, disability, displacement, or economic injustice.
Key Behavioural Competencies
Working Collaboratively with Others
Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organizations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work we do together.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organisation and in our work area; being flexible in our role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.
Supporting and Facilitating Change
Lead behavioural and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged.
Extend HelpAge's Reach and Impact
Extend HelpAge's reach and impact by creating and identifying new business development opportunities andbuilding relationships withnew partners.
Diversity and Inclusion
Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thoughtleadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalised by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.
Leading Others (for managers)
Demonstrate strong leadership to own unit/department and manage people in a well and reputable manner. Create an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
The Head of Network Development will provide strategic leadership for HelpAge International's global network engagement and development, localisation, and capacity strengthening work - advancing our commitment to locally led action and building strong, values-driven relationships with network members and other strategic partners.
This role will lead and be accountable for the development and delivery of the HelpAge network strategy, ensuring alignment with our global mission and enabling inclusive, sustainable collaboration across the HelpAge network.
The postholder provides strategic leadership for network engagement, development and capacity strengthening across all regions - Africa, Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. They lead through the Regional Advisers rather than delivering regional workstreams personally: setting annual priorities and deliverables for each region, in alignment with organisational priorities, and hold Regional Advisers accountable for delivery through regular performance management and review.
This is an evolving role. The postholder ensures the capacity strengthening and localisation offer is shaped by what members themselves identify as their needs and differentiated by region and member segment, rather than applied uniformly. They lead the mechanisms that connect global and regional levels of the network - regional convenings, member-to-member exchange, and the flow of regional intelligence into global strategy, positioning and funding decisions.
The role works in close partnership with internal stakeholders - Executive Leadership Group, Board, Leadership Group, and Team Heads - and external stakeholders including network members, civil society organisations, local consortia, donors, and institutional partners. The postholder leads the preparation and quality of Governance Committee submissions and Board papers on network development and engagement.
Alongside this regional remit, the role holder will lead directly on coordinating members in the Europe region, and work closely with the Head of Advocacy and Evidencing to develop our strategic niche on donor advocacy in Europe.
Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities
To make an impact and influence, the role holder will shape and deliver the HelpAge network strategy and HelpAge's transition to locally led ways of working; provide strategic oversight of network member engagement, localisation, and the organisational capacity sharing strategy; lead HelpAge's support to country transitions, including Ukraine; and build an inclusive, resilient and effective global network of local and national organisations.
Network strategy and impact
Lead delivery of the HelpAge network strategy, ensuring it supports locally led transitions, strong partnerships and member engagement. Lead the Thriving Network Impact Vehicle (one of six priority areas through which HelpAge delivers its strategy; the other five target external policy change - social pensions, health coverage, humanitarian action, legal rights, climate adaptation - while this one targets the health and sustainability of the network itself) and its results framework, ensuring a clear connection between day-to-day activities and HelpAge's 2030 network targets, and reporting quarterly to the senior leadership team on progress.
Lead the preparation and quality assurance of Governance Committee submissions (membership applications, ambassador appointments) and Board papers relating to network development and engagement.
Regional leadership
Line manage the Regional Advisers. Set annual regional priorities and delivery accountabilities aligned to the network and advocacy strategies, and hold each Regional Adviser accountable for delivery through regular performance management and review. Hold direct responsibility for engagement with Europe-based members, and work with the Head of Advocacy and Evidencing to develop HelpAge's strategic niche on donor advocacy in Europe.
Set the strategic frame for network convenings - purpose, frequency, participant profile and hold Regional Advisers accountable for regional and thematic convenings. Chair the strategic reference group INDABA, HelpAge's consultative forum with network members.
Membership and capacity sharing
Lead and oversee the network membership lifecycle - recruitment, accreditation, due diligence, segmentation and exit - using segmentation to determine how each member is engaged and what level of capacity sharing support they receive, in line with HelpAge's governance frameworks and agreed decision-making authorities.
Lead delivery of the Network Capacity Sharing Strategy, translating it into a coherent network-wide offer, integrated across programmes, in collaboration with Programme Support, Advocacy and Evidencing and other relevant teams. Hold the Humanitarian Capacity Strengthening Manager accountable for delivery in priority humanitarian contexts and the SCORE Programme Manager for delivery against SCORE commitments, with both required to feed learning back into the offer; facilitate alignment across different programme approaches and escalate cross-functional issues where appropriate..
Hold the Network Platform Manager1accountable for member collaboration platforms that support the network strategy, capacity sharing and member onboarding.
Localisation and country transitions
Line manage the Network Support Lead. Set the strategic framework for localisation and country transition support and hold them accountable for delivery across relevant country transitions.
Ensure network and localisation commitments are reflected in country strategies, programme design and partner engagement, working in collaboration with the Advocacy and Evidencing and Programme Support teams.
Resources, Risk Management and Representation
Be accountable for achieving the agreed Network Development income target. Working in partnership with the Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships (F&SP) team, play a lead technical and relationship role in shaping fundable propositions, contributing to pipeline development, including ownership of priority donor relationships and the funding pipeline**,** donor cultivation and stewardship, and fundraising for network convening, capacity sharing and the knowledge platform.
Act as budget holder for the Network Development portfolio, including grant budgets, with accountability for forecasting, spend against budget, cost recovery and donor compliance.
Ensure that organisational standards, policies and frameworks relating to safeguarding, security, fraud and other relevant risks are effectively embedded across Network Development activities, working with the relevant functional leads and holding team leads accountable for compliance within their areas and programmes.
Represent HelpAge in global fora on localisation and partnerships, positioning HelpAge as a credible voice on localisation, locally led development, civil society networks, and the role of older people and their organisations - contributing to thought leadership and sector-wide learning.
Skills and experience required
Essential
Proven strategic leadership of a membership network, alliance or partnership portfolio in the international development, humanitarian or civil society sectors, including responsibility for network strategy and its delivery.
Demonstrated ability to lead through senior managers - setting the strategic frame, agreeing accountabilities and holding others to delivery - rather than personally owning workstreams. Experience managing diverse, multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
Extensive experience working with and supporting civil society networks, grassroots organisations and local partners, particularly in low- and middle-income or Global South contexts.
Strong knowledge of and commitment to Partner-Led Programming principles, with a proven record of advancing localisation and supporting organisational transitions to locally led ways of working.
Experience of the membership lifecycle in a network or alliance - recruitment, accreditation, due diligence and, where necessary, exit. And of segmentation to inform how members are engaged and supported.
Track record of income generation against a target, including named ownership of institutional donor relationships and management of a funding pipeline.
Budget-holding experience at portfolio level, including grant budgets, forecasting, cost recovery and donor compliance.
Experience leading the implementation of a results framework and reporting on progress against strategic targets to an executive or board-level audience.
Strong understanding of safeguarding, equity and inclusion, and a demonstrated ability to embed these across teams and partnerships and to hold others accountable for doing so.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with network members, donors, civil society organisations and institutional actors, and to navigate disagreement between them.
Lived experience of the Global South or significant professional experience working in Global South contexts.
Desirable
Experience designing and delivering a differentiated capacity sharing or capacity strengthening offer across a diverse membership, informed by member-identified need rather than a single global package.
Experience of governance processes in a membership body - preparing submissions for a governance committee or board on membership, accreditation or appointments.
Experience convening members at regional or global level, including designing convenings for genuine exchange rather than presentation.
Familiarity with ageing, inclusion and rights issues in Global South contextsEducation and Qualification
Education and Qualifications
Degree in international development, public policy, human rights, social sciences, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
A postgraduate qualification is an asset but not essential where practical experience is strong.
Values, Skills, and Ways of Working
Ability to work across cultures, sectors, and geographies in inclusive and equitable ways.
Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written); additional languages used in the Global South (e.g., Spanish, French, Arabic) are highly desirable.
Deep commitment to locally led development and the principles of Partner-Led Programming.
We actively value and encourage candidates with lived experience of inequality, marginalisation, or systemic exclusion—especially related to age, gender, disability, displacement, or economic injustice.
Key Behavioural Competencies
Working Collaboratively with Others
Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organizations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work we do together.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organisation and in our work area; being flexible in our role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.
Supporting and Facilitating Change
Lead behavioural and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged.
Extend HelpAge's Reach and Impact
Extend HelpAge's reach and impact by creating and identifying new business development opportunities andbuilding relationships withnew partners.
Diversity and Inclusion
Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thoughtleadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalised by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.
Leading Others (for managers)
Demonstrate strong leadership to own unit/department and manage people in a well and reputable manner. Create an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.