A great place to begin your humanitarian career but best to avoid if you have any experience in the sector
Pros
Lots of introductory training – if you have never heard of a logistics cluster you will do the introduction to the logistic cluster training multiple times. Already completed the training? Already sat on or chaired a logistics cluster meeting? Got a BA in Development Studies, an MSc in Humanitarian action? No problem! You will still do the intro to the logistic cluster training multiple times. Beautiful office Good work life balance – even if there is an emergency that you are mandated to respond to, you will not be permitted to work the hours necessary to respond. So what if the beneficiary don’t get the aid shipment, at least you will be well rested! Want to get hold of your manager to discuss an emerging context? They will probably have finished an hour early to go for a run.
Cons
Shelterbox has achieved some impressive things for an organization that was organically formed by people who had no sectoral experience. Now they are recruiting experienced international staff but have not yet updated their recruitment and training program to reflect this and require all new starters to sit through the most basic of introduction training packages. Most positions within the organization have little autonomy to make their own decisions and even line managers are seemingly unable to authorize leave without first clearing it with their line managers. Meetings to plan meetings that discuss how busy we all are and don’t have time to complete any work – of course these meetings are finished early so the chair can go for a run. Overzealous security policy, designed by ex-military personnel who have no field experience outside of Shelterbox deployments. Recruitment/selection weekend akin to military training with no bearing on the actual humanitarian space. Candidates will have guns pointed at them with no follow up debriefing and no training value as the actors brandishing the guns have limited experience of the humanitarian space.