Myanmar: Country Director-Myanmar

Employment Term: Fixed-term (2 years)

Level: B1

Location: Yangon, Myanmar

Closing Date: 28 November 2019

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 19 organizations (affiliates) working togetherwith partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

All our work is led by three core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness. To read more about our values please clickhere

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

Note to candidates:Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values and attributes at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to adhere to our code of conduct. We encourage candidates to read and understand our code of conduct here.

The Role

Oxfam is looking for Country Director-Myanmar.

Job Purpose

To contribute and implement Oxfam’s Global Strategy, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in the Country. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses, long term development programme design and implementation, advocacy and policy and influencing. Responsible and accountable for the strategic direction and effective management of the country programming ensuring development, continued improvement in quality and impact of programmes and effective financial and human resource management in line with Oxfam Policy.

The Country Director will be responsible, with support from the Asia Regional Platform under the leadership of the Regional Director, to implement the Oxfam 2020 Vision which aims to create a stronger Oxfam that is globally coordinated and relevant in every country in which we work. In view of the Oxfam Vision 2020 the Asia Leadership team (which comprises of all Asia Country Directors and the Regional Platform) designed the forward-looking Asia Regional Strategy which the Country Director is expected to align ensuring the Myanmar country programme adds value and leverages itself within the Asia region.

Key Responsibilities

Accountability

• Accountable to the Oxfam International Asia Regional Platform, for the delivery and effective management (which includes budgets and plan) of the Myanmar Country Programme, including effective monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Guided by advice from the Country Governance Group (CGG).

Strategy

• To be responsible for the development, implementation, monitoring and periodic review and of the Country Strategic Plan and ensure alignment to the Asia Regional Strategy and the Global Strategy.
• Provide strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s programme in Myanmar - including all programming and advocacy, humanitarian and development - to maximise influence and impact.
• Ensure that Oxfam is responding to the context and is able to adapt strategy and approach as the context changes.
• Ensure all programming and advocacy, humanitarian and development adopt the One Programme Approach and showcase high Programme Quality standards ensuring programmes are impactful, future focused and relevant.
• Successfully lead the design, communication and implementation of Oxfam’s Vision 2020 including the country strategy and its added value to Asia and the ‘new ways of working’ that Oxfam is promoting aiming to be agile, impactful, efficient and networked.

People Management

• Line manage the Country Leadership Team and two Consortium Managers.
• Manage the work in the country which will include: staff, budgets, funding and programme, ensuring that managers in country are in accordance with Oxfam’s policies and procedures, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct, Performance Management, Security, Health and Safety and local legislation.
• Create and supports an environment which prevents abuse and fraud in the workplace, and results in strong partnerships, influence, knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Responsible for Talent management and development of Oxfam staff. Nationalising will continue to be a core priority.

Public Engagement

• Takes the lead in representing Oxfam and the country programme nationally and globally. Builds influential relationships and develops networks for effective change, both internally and externally, and is committed to maximising our influencing capability.
• Accountable for ensuring that appropriate tools and technology are in place to allow a strong flow of positive and consistent programme content to influence and communicate with internal audiences and external stakeholders including but not limited to government, media, donors, national and international nongovernmental sector, private sector and supporters.

Programme and Delivery

• Work closely with staff and partners in country to develop and deliver high quality programmes, including regional and multi-country programmes when necessary.
• Take leadership role in influencing a diverse set of stakeholders – both internal and external through convening and brokering
• Play an active role in drawing on learning from across Oxfam and external sources and sharing evidenced based learning with others.
• Ensure value-driven, timely and quality humanitarian response to displacement caused by conflict and natural disasters. In the event of a large-scale Category 1 or 2 emergency liaise closely with the Global Humanitarian Team (GHT) and the Organisational Lead within the Asia Regional Platform.
• Provide leadership on the Grand Bargain and Charter for Change commitments – particularly the commitment to localisation of humanitarian action.
• Contribute to and maximise use of the Knowledge networks to share strategic thinking and learning more widely as part of the Asia Leadership Team as well as within the Country Team to ensure that programming builds on learning and is evidence based, innovative and agile to respond to opportunities
• Develop appropriate strategies to seek out and maintain funding sources.
• Accountable for all donor relations and contract management in country.

Other

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Management and Leadership

• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary teams and operations across several locations in fragile, contested, complex environments. Experience in conflict sensitivity and adaptive management critical
• Significant senior leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of high quality programme, influencing and humanitarian strategy, with partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations.
• Experience in designing and leading conflict sensitive programmes that address gender inequality and enhance the ability of people to participate in decision-making processes.
• Experience of 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.
• Experience of taking leadership of formal and informal networks comprising of various stakeholders
• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.

Representation and Communication

• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with civil society partners, strategic allies, the INGO community, UN Agencies, donors and government agencies.
• Proven experience of establishing equal relationships, based upon mutual trust, respect and understanding, with civil society partners.
• Proven ability to engage actively among the international community and to exercise strategic influence.
• Proven track record of success in advocacy and influencing
• Experience of working with the media and an ability to represent the organisation in the media if required.
• Demonstrable ability to convey complex messages in an appropriate manner to broad and diverse audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence and negotiate.

Finance and Funding

• Ability to maximise fundraising from diverse institutions, both local and international.
• High level financial and asset management skills to steer and efficiently manage the operational budget of Euro 10-11 million across a number of locations and approximately 25-30 projects

Risk

• Experience of managing security, risk and legal compliance within an INGO context.
• Proven track record of making sound judgements in uncertain and pressurised situations.
• Able to fulfil agreed standards in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 1 / 2 / 3 emergencies.
• Able to anticipate and manage risks that could threaten the organisations reputation, operational viability and security.
• Experience of crisis management and security management.

Strategic Analytics

• The ability to understand and operate in complex, opaque environments with many competing narratives
• The ability to ‘think politically’ understanding motivations, pressures, power dynamics and challenges faced by colleagues, partners, decision makers and other actors; and the ability to generate effective strategies to influence them.
• Proven analytical skills, with the ability to:

Take and manage calculated risks based on evidence based assumptions.
Think strategically, to maximise adaptability and agility
Encourage forward thinking, new ideas and learning from experience beyond the country program context while acting within a global framework
Wide ranging interest in global affairs

Application Link: https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/vacancy/11585/description

Deadline: 28 November 2019, 5 PM (Myanmar Time)