Home-based: Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) Coordinator
About Sphere:
Our Vision: Crisis-affected people actively participate in decisions and actions which impact them; have what they need to survive and recover with dignity; and are resilient to future crises.
Our Mission: Sphere defines, promotes and applies humanitarian principles and minimum standards to ensure lifesaving, protective and accountable response to crisis.
Sphere was started in 1997 by impassioned aid workers who wanted to improve the level and approach of emergency response. With this goal in mind, they framed the Humanitarian Charter and identified a set of Minimum Standards to be applied contextually in all humanitarian crises.
Initially developed by non-governmental organisations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Sphere resources are primary reference tools for national and international NGOs, UN agencies, governments, donors, the private sector, volunteers, and many others. Today, Sphere is a global network bringing together and empowering practitioners to improve and sustain the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance. Sphere hosts the Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) and the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS), and is joint copyright holder of the Core Humanitarian Standard.
Sphere’s flagship publication, the Sphere Handbook, is the most widely known and internationally recognised set of humanitarian principles and minimum standards.
Sphere guidance informs over 80% of aid operations globally.
At the end of 2025, Sphere was operating with a lean, six-person global team, comprising of staff in Geneva, Karachi, Manila and Mexico City. Sphere has been registered in Switzerland as an independent association since 2016.
At the start of 2026, Sphere is expanding its team to implement its ambitious three-year strategy which includes revision of the Sphere Handbook and stewardship of the HSP.
About the HSP:
The Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) aims to improve the quality and accountability of humanitarian action through the increased knowledge, use and application of humanitarian standards. The HSP is hosted by Sphere.
The HSP brings together evidence, expert opinion and the best practice of thousands of global humanitarian actors. Through its partners, it has extensive influence around the world and reaches organisations large and small, private and non-profit, governments, UN, Red Cross and Crescent, and civil society. Collectively, these standards are the reference point for policy makers and all other actors in crises, squarely placing affected populations at the centre of humanitarian action and promoting the right of all crisisaffected people to life with dignity.
The Role:
The main role of the HSP Coordinator is to facilitate cooperation between HSP partners. This role is important as HSP membership is expanding, with new opportunities for collaboration, including by sharing services and platforms.
The HSP Coordinator reports to the Operations Director and works closely with all Sphere team colleagues. Key external contacts are the HSP individual agency representatives.
Working Arrangements: Global, remote, full time1, with occasional travel. Ideally, the HSP Coordinator will be an employee of a Sphere or HSP Member, Focal Point or other partner organisation, seconded into Sphere’s global team.
Duration: Twelve months with a view to extend.
Key Responsibilities:
The HSP Coordinator engages and enables a community of humanitarian standards providers, and undertakes some content management and development tasks (e.g., curating case studies or commissioning guidance related to standards) on behalf of Sphere and the HSP. This role involves constant communication, including building strong relationships with HSP partners, as well as reaching out to new people and organisations.
The new Humanitarian Standards Platform (for release in March 2026, name to be confirmed) will increasingly host content, and by used by content providers, beyond the HSP, so the role is not limited to engagement with HSP partners.
Activities may include, but are not limited to:
- HSP strategy and workplan: Work with the HSP SC and the Sphere management team to define, refine and deliver an HSP strategy and workplan.
- HSP SC Meetings: Schedule, facilitate and minute regular online HSP SC meetings, and one annual face-to-face partner meeting (historically as part of HNPW in Geneva). Agenda to include information sharing, joint initiatives, partner updates, and review of progress against the workplan. Also meet bilaterally and/or convene subgroups, as required, e.g., for planning joint advocacy initiatives.
- New potential HSP partners: Engage with potential new standards partners, to decide collectively whether HSP partnership is appropriate for them. If so, support them through the standards development process through to application to the HSP. If not, explore other forms of collaboration.
- New related content providers: Onboard providers of related content (e.g., case studies, innovations, sitreps, reports, etc.) to Sphere’s rapidly growing accessible/ digital publishing platform and content management system.
- Sphere case studies: Develop and curate a series of case studies which document programmes demonstrating adherence to one or more Sphere standards.
- HSP case studies: Develop and curate a series of HSP case studies which showcase collaboration between two or more operational partners and their standards.
- Shared services: Explore and implement further shared services between HSP partners. For example, most HSP partners maintain a roster of trainers and have some system of trainer certification or assessment for those wishing to join the roster. It should be possible to achieve considerable efficiency gains by having a shared HSP trainer roster, which would result in a better user experience for both trainers and organisations searching for trainers.
- Social media and comms: Work with HSP partner communications people/teams to cross-promote their organisations and the HSP. Co-create blogs and other content. Grow visibility of the HSP. Work with Communication Manager on the HSP page on LinkedIn. Provide HSP content for Sphere and other HSP partner newsletters. Etc.
- Revisions: Collate information about revisions, including lessons learned, best practices, etc.
- Webinars and events: Work with HSP partners to organise webinars, workshops and other events on humanitarian standards themes.
- Training materials: Contribute to training materials, e.g., by developing HSP content for partner self-paced and facilitated training initiatives. Promote joint events, e.g., a Sphere + Inclusion + Livelihoods workshop.
- Advocacy: Represent HSP at relevant and agreed events. Support HSP partners to promote HSP at events they are attending, for example, by co-creating a ‘song sheet’ of key messages. Enable HSP SC members to join panels at high profile events.
- Fundraising: Actively seek and apply to revenue streams for which a consortium of two or more HSP partners gives the best chance of success.
- Annual survey: Establish a regular survey of HSP partners to track the progressive institutionalisation of humanitarian standards.
Prioritisation: As evident from the activities listed above, which may not be exhaustive, this role has a broad scope. The successful candidate will start with the first two activities which are essential (meeting with HSP partners regularly in group and one-to-one meetings, and defining an HSP strategy/workplan), and in doing so determine with activities to prioritise and implement.
Person Specification
Essential:
- Fluent (minimum C1) in English and one other language
- Excellent interpersonal communication and networking skills
- Stakeholder and Project Management experience
- Work experience in at least one humanitarian context or lived experience of a humanitarian crisis
- Has used at least one set of HSP standards
- Graduate level educational qualification in a related field (or equivalent work experience) plus three years relevant work experience
Desirable:
- Other languages
- Expert and current knowledge of relevant subjects
- Expertise in digital/ inclusive publishing
- Comfortable with MS365 (Teams, Windows, SharePoint, Word, Excel, etc.)
- Experience using a CRM (e.g., Salesforce, monday.com), Work Management platform (e.g., monday.com), and/or design tools (e.g., Canva)
- Grant management and/or fundraising experience
- A sense of humour, a passion for creative problem solving, and an enthusiasm for working flexibly in a small team for an agile organisation
- Ability to work independently in an online global remote working environment
What you Can Expect from Us:
- Working with a large diverse international community
- Interesting job with varied tasks
- Good atmosphere in a small, friendly and focused team, committed to making real improvements in the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance around the world
Salary and Benefits:
Sphere aims to offer competitive and fair compensation packages designed to attract and retain exceptional talent globally. Because this role is open to candidates everywhere, salary and benefits will be tailored to reflect the successful candidate’s location, experience, and local market conditions.
Our approach ensures that all team members are compensated in a way that is both equitable and appropriate for their region, while remaining aligned with the scope and impact of their respective roles.
We are committed to transparency and fairness, and we welcome open conversations about compensation and benefits throughout the recruitment process. In the case of a secondment, your current salary and benefits package will be the basis for negotiation.
Recruitment Process:
- Analysis of applications and shortlisting
- For shortlisted applicants: An initial interview by video
- For finalists:
- A second interview, also by video
- In the case of a secondment, designated representatives of the Sphere and host agency management teams will meet to negotiate terms and conditions
- References and AML/CTF checks before making an offer
How to Apply:
To apply for this position, you must send an email to recruitment@spherestandards.org. Applications via other methods (e.g., LinkedIn, ReliefWeb, or other job platforms) will not be considered.
You must include:
- Letter of motivation of why you would be a good fit for the role (1 page maximum)
- Profile/CV (2 pages maximum)
- Details of two references (these people will not be contacted unless we are planning to make you an offer and first agreed with you)
You may attach links to your LinkedIn profile page and/or portfolio websites.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 8 February 2026.
Incomplete applications or applications that exceed page limits (or use excessively small fonts) will not pass the initial screening process.
Sphere does not discriminate employees or potential employees based on race, skin colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age or disability.
We value diversity in backgrounds and experiences. Sphere is a global public service, and we need people from diverse backgrounds to sustain our mission.
This role involves remaining in a stationary position most of the time in front of a computer, using a keyboard, mouse, and telephony to communicate with the team and others.
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