What will you be doing?
An opportunity for a Social Entrepreneur to shape a new venture in
Humanitarian Operations
The Association has registered a new Community Interest Company (CIC) 'HLA Connect' to be a business venture that leverages its global reputation and positioning on a local basis across the world [https://www.humanitarianlogistics.org/].
HLA supports organisations in the humanitarian sector through training, knowledge exchange, research, and professional networking. As the humanitarian system shifts toward locally led, preparedness, and more effective engagement with the private sector, the role of the HLA is increasingly to act as an expert convenor and platform that bridges local and international organisations with logistics and supply chain partners. The growing emphasis is on local leadership, national systems, and cross - sector collaboration.
The opportunity is to join this nascent organisation and help shape the success of the concept. The role is [Chief] Executive and Director of Business Development.
The focus will be on:
enabling locally led humanitarian logistics and building meaningful partnerships with the private sector in a commercially viable way.
helping the organisation focus on areas where it can add the most value, particularly at national and regional levels.
working with the HLA Directors to define and develop the business model for the new organisation.
Ideally this will attract and suite a social entrepreneur with senior experience in aspects of logistics, supply chains, and disaster management. The ability to bring local connections and engage local agendas will be important and then build partnerships and revenue streams.
Initially it will be part time (1-2 days per week) and remunerated through expenses as the business model is designed and initial business secured. So, this is a mutual investment in a transformational change - with potential for an annual full time salary of around £75,000.
The objectives of HLA Connect CIC are to perform trading activities that generate surplus revenue that can be used to support the Humanitarian Logistics Association (the charity) and continuously develop its neutral knowledge-sharing platform.
Reporting to the Directors, you will work closely with volunteer teams to position HLA as a trusted platform for collaboration — not a delivery agency, but an enabler of better systems, skills, and relationships across the humanitarian logistics ecosystem.
What are we looking for?
You are likely to bring a combination of the following:
A social entrepreneur, ideally with senior experience in logistics, supply chains, disaster management, or related sectors
A strong understanding of locally led agendas and the realities faced by local and national actors
Experience working with, or within, the private sector in logistics or supply-chain contexts
Proven ability to build partnerships across cultures, sectors, and power dynamics
Experience with fundraising, organisational development, or network-based organisations
A collaborative, facilitative leadership style suited to volunteer-led environments
What difference will you make?
This is an opportunity to help shape how humanitarian logistics evolves - supporting locally led response, fostering responsible private-sector engagement, and strengthening professional practice across the sector.
The role will help to improve collaboration, knowledge exchange, systems change, and practical impact in humanitarian logistics by:
Helping the organisation focus on areas where it can add the most value, particularly at national and regional levels.
Supporting collaboration between international and local actors in ways that are equitable, respectful, and sustainable.
Ensuring that HLA Connect’s social enterprise activities align with good practice for locally led supply chain resilience, crisis preparedness and response.
Translating private-sector expertise into accessible learning, tools, and dialogue for humanitarian aid practitioners.