Country: Jordan
Closing date: 24 Apr 2017
Reporting to:
Oxfam International Global Programs Director
Staff reporting to this post:
Country Directors, and key regional staff
Total workforce:
Approximately 700 staff based over approximately 11 countries in the region
Annual Budget:
Approximately 110m Euros, may vary depending on humanitarian response
About Oxfam International
One person in three in the world lives in poverty. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty.
Around the world, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. They save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. And they campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them. In all that they do, Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.
About the Role
The Regional Director will contribute to Oxfam’s Global strategy and objectives, by providing vision, leadership and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in the MENA Region. The successful candidate will have understanding and knowledge of the politics, economics and political context within the Middle East Region gained by long term experience within this region. This position covers 11 countries in the Middle East North Africa region, with 700 staff. We are looking for a diplomatic, innovative, visionary leader to achieve Oxfam's strategy in MENA, working at the highest level in stakeholder relations, and shape effective humanitarian and development programming for Oxfam in the Middle East.
Purpose of the Job
Contribute to Oxfam’s Global strategy and objectives, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in the Region.
Role Responsibilities and Accountabilities
- Accountable to the Oxfam International Global Programs Director for the leadership, delivery, effective management and monitoring, evaluation and learning of the programs in all countries within the MENA region, against Oxfam’s Strategic Plan (OSP), 2020 vision and achieving Oxfam standards.
- Remotely line manages 10 geographically dispersed Country Directors within the region. Where applicable, manage other MENA regional staff, budget, assets and funding.
- Responsible for the development and management of an effective and efficient regional structure, including the direct line management of certain positions within that structure; ensures that the regional structure includes all the key functions needed in the MENA region and that it is supportive to the country programs and any possible regional programs.
- Provides vision and strategic leadership support to the Country Directors of Oxfam’s programs in the MENA Region, both directly and through the Country Governance Groups.
- Works closely with the relevant affiliates involved within the Region in a number of different ways to ensure the good relationships are maintained in order to develop and deliver all Country and Regional Programs.
- Responsible for aligning Country Programs towards the Oxfam 2020 Vision and leading Oxfam through major transformational change to shift towards the Affiliate process in countries and region as appropriate.
- Ensures that the One Oxfam Stakeholder Structure change activity is implemented successfully.
- Responsible for approving Oxfam Country Strategic plans, fundraising strategies and annual plans and budgets in line with the Oxfam Strategic Plan and having taken on board CGG feedback and views.
- Represents Oxfam within the MENA region and globally. Working with internal and external audiences at the most senior level to influence and inform decision makers at the highest levels, and work collaboratively with leaders in Oxfam and externally, building alliances and networks within the Poverty movement.
- Ensures that Oxfam’s work in the region is adequately funded, both internally within Oxfam and externally.
- Build relationships with external donors and proactively identify new donors for Oxfam’s work in the region.
- Ensures that countries take a One Program Approach in tackling poverty and inequality so that development, campaigning and humanitarian work is strategically aligned and balanced to maximize their impact and influence.
- Responsible for the delivery of all Country and Regional Programs. Ensures that programs are of the highest quality and meet the required standards. Works with the Country Directors to ensure that quality standards are met in the country: for programme, programme management, Human Resources (including but not limited to the Code of Conduct), finance, security, health and safety etc.
- Ensures that programs are monitored and evaluated. Promotes sharing of learning with others and drawing on learning from across Oxfam and externally and utilizing the results to inform programme decisions and enhance institutional knowledge.
- Contributes to the overall leadership of Oxfam, as a member of the Regional Management Group (RMG) to ensure that the voice of the Region is effectively heard, and influences the direction of Oxfam though the contribution and leadership of the Region and organization wide activities.
- Responsible for anticipating and managing risks that could threaten the organization’s reputation, operational viability and security. Responsible for managing security in line with Oxfam Policy.
- Ensures MENA is fulfilling agreed standards in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 1 / 2 / 3 emergencies.
- Facilitates the provision of Shared Services to countries within the Region.
- Be a member of Oxfam International’s Global Programs Department team, headed by the OI Programme Director.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Geographical, Political and Regional Knowledge:
- Understanding and knowledge of the politics, economics and political context within the Region.
- Ability to manage the development of, and contribute to, the high level analysis of factors driving poverty, inequality and vulnerability in developing country contexts, including the ability to ‘think politically’ by understanding motivations, pressures and challenges faced by colleagues, partners and other actors.
Management and Leadership:
- At least ten years senior leadership experience of managing and motivating multi-disciplinary, multicultural, geographically remote teams, preferably at the regional level. As well as the development and delivery of large scale impactful long term program and humanitarian strategy, either with partners or directly, in multiple challenging contexts.
- Significant experience of leading and managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and geographical areas.
- A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development. Act as a role model and demonstrate exceptional leadership in line with Oxfam’s values.
- Understanding and experience in humanitarian and well as long term development issues as well as an ability to include and lead in the further development of program policy.
- Committed to maximize their influencing capability across their humanitarian as well as long term development mandate.
- Track record of managing multiple campaigns/ programs/ humanitarian crisis.
- An excellent reputation of high integrity.
Strategic Analysis:
- Ability to oversee the development of, and contribute to, high level analysis of factors driving poverty, marginalization and vulnerability in developing country contexts, including the ability to ‘think politically’ by understanding motivations, pressures and challenges faced by colleagues, partners and other actors across the Region.
- Proven analytical skills, able to take and manage calculated risks based on evidence based assumptions. Able to think strategically, to maximize adaptability and agility, and encourage forward thinking, new ideas and learning from experience beyond the country program context while acting within a global framework.
- A track record or driving programme quality improvements through evidence based learning. A focus on outcomes and accountability enabling countries to build on learning and effectively share and manage knowledge within Oxfam and externally.
Finance and Funding:
- Competent financial and asset management experience. Able to manage multiple budgets of over $60m, mitigating and controlling financial risks – including managing donor funding and relationships, across a large number of countries and programs.
Risk Management:
- Able to take calculated risks based on evidence-based assumptions. Ability to continually access and analyze the external context of the organization enabling the development of realistic strategies to maximize adaptability and agility, encourage future thinking, innovation, new ideas and learning from experience, as well as sound judgment on when to stop as well as start new initiatives.
- Proven track record of making sound judgments in uncertain and pressurized situations. Including experience of crisis management leadership.
Representation and Communication:
- Proven track record of advocacy, and representation to the highest level including understanding of an experience with media.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence, and negotiate with in a multi-cultural environment which includes decision makers in government, media and pivotal figures in society. Able to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
- Fluent in English and a good working knowledge of French language.
Values:
- Committed to a rights based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights at the heart of all they do as well as the rights of other marginalized people in all aspects of an organization’s work.
Travel:
Willingness and ability to travel away from home, often to remote programmatic sites within the Region as well as to Global Headquarters, for several weeks per annum.
How to apply:
To apply for this role, kindly send through a Microsoft Word version of your CV and a cover letter detailing why you are suited to this role. Please mark it for the attention of Tim Wingrove, email address: applications@redseasearch.com.
Please subject your email with the following reference: Oxfam-MENA.
Please note that only complete applications will be reviewed and only qualified candidates will be shortlisted and contacted.
It is important to note that there will be three stages of interviews held for this recruitment process. Kindly take note of these important dates:
- End of April 2017– Internal interviews with Red Sea
- Early May 2017– Interviews with Oxfam International for successful candidates