Job Description
REPORTS TO: Director, Regional Programs Department
DEPARTMENT: Central Africa Regional Office (CARO)
LOCATION: Khartoum, Sudan
COORDINATES WITH: The Director works in close cooperation with partner organizations, members of the Regional Team, other Oxfam America staff as well as other Oxfam affiliates and Oxfam International as appropriate. The Director works with other Departments to link programs and partners to Oxfam America's donors, public, and advocacy targets.
BACKGROUND: Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that seeks long-term solutions to global poverty and injustice. Its annual budget is over $60 million; it has over 300 employees located in Boston, Washington DC, and seven regional field offices. Oxfam America is part of a confederation of 14 Oxfam affiliates with combined revenues in excess of $500 million. Oxfam America is engaged in regional and US-based development work including partnerships with local organizations to help people identify and address the root causes of poverty. Our work with partners is complemented by campaigning and advocacy aimed at changing policies, practices, ideas and beliefs that perpetuate poverty, exclusion and avoidable suffering.
PURPOSE OF POSITION: To provide strategic program leadership and overall management of the Oxfam America Regional Office in Central Africa in alignment with Oxfam objectives and mission.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program Planning and Strategy
- Provide overall creative and administrative leadership to agency development of a long-term strategic vision, medium-term humanitarian strategic plan and action plan for a growing regional program. This plan should achieve scale and impact consistent with the goals and needs expressed by the local population and the strategic plans of Oxfam America and Oxfam International.
- Ensure program coherence, alignment, and impact in the region.
- Help shape Oxfam America's overall as well as departmental strategies, leading their interpretation and implementation to a diverse regional audience including staff members and partner organizations. Participate in the development and formulation of policies, advocacy positions, and research related to the region.
- Ensure that Oxfam America meets its responsibilities to donors, staff and supporters; to ensure that it complies with the terms of the agreement with the Government of Sudan, other regional governments and with the local law and regulations.
- Assume the Oxfam International management lead role for all Oxfam affiliates' programming in Sudan.
- Build effective, collaborative and accountable relationships between affiliates and partners to support programming, influencing significant and high profile external relationships.
- Prepare regional operational and personnel work plans that reflect the goals and strategies of the Oxfam America Strategic Plan, the Oxfam International Strategic Plan, and the Regional Strategic Plan.
- Ensure a timely, appropriate and integrated agency response during emergencies by working closely with the Humanitarian Response and Regional Program Departments in response, risk management, security, rehabilitation and disaster prevention.
- Anticipate, analyze and manage highly diverse and complex programmatic and policy issues, corporate and branding risks. Propose proactive changes to strategic program plans where necessary.
- Oversee and support regional staff members in developing program strategies and other agency or regional initiatives, challenging staff to be innovative, to keep abreast of new and diverse technical skills and theoretical approaches, and to fully incorporate planning and knowledge from the different regions and departments of Oxfam.
- Develop the formulation and manage the annual regional office budget including grants, administration, and other operational expenditures.
- Participate in Program Management Team meetings, present annual operating plan and budget for discussion, and represent regional or programmatic issues to the Oxfam America Board of Directors.
- Promote cross-regional program collaboration and learning opportunities.
- Work with multiple governing Oxfam's and lead the delivery of country programs through implementing Oxfam's operating within Sudan.
Staff supervision, development and scale up
- Maintain a healthy working environment for regional staff members, coordinating timely discussion on strategic planning issues and agency updates, and creating opportunities for learning and career development.
- Provide overall supervision of regional staff members and ensure effective use of external consultancies.
- Supervise and support office administrative personnel to guarantee compliance with agency, US, OFAC and foreign legal, administrative and financial regulations.
Regional Representation
- Keep the agency informed of important events or programs occurring in the region.
- Participate in and lead (if designated) regional Oxfam International program strategic planning and other thematic or coordination teams.
- Represent Oxfam America in the region by attending selected meetings and conferences, and networking with individuals, groups, local and international organizations, institutions and relevant governmental agencies on issues of local development. Maintain a positive image and reputation for Oxfam America and the "Oxfam" brand abroad in collaboration with other Oxfams in the region.
- Represent the regional program before Oxfam America donors and other constituents when necessary, both in the region and during visits to the United States.
- Represent Oxfam America corporately in the geographical area on complex organizational themes and on managing and influencing significant external relationships.
- Cultivate relationships with individuals, organizations and institutions, based in the United States or elsewhere, who can contribute to the development of program objectives.
Policy and Advocacy
- Support partner organizations and Oxfam International in advocacy work consistent with agency strategies - in particular - support the OI RIC campaign as appropriate.
- Coordinate with other departments on key advocacy issues affecting the regions - in particular the DC-based Sudan Policy advisor.
- Contribute to the development of agency-wide advocacy strategies.
Fundraising
- Supervise agency compliance with the obligations for funds administered by Oxfam America for the region. Assist the Resource Development Department in preparing and submitting reports, as necessary.
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE POSITION:
- The incumbent will be familiar with and committed to Oxfam America mission and goals.
- S/he will stay abreast of professional standards, trends and issues affecting this set of responsibilities, demonstrating continuous learning of the field.
- S/he will work effectively and collaboratively in support of building a team-based culture of work, will perform all duties appropriately for a multi-site, multi-cultural environment, treating all persons with dignity and respect.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
Education:
- Masters' Degree or equivalent work experience in a relevant field
Experience and Core Competencies:
- Ten years progressively responsible senior management experience in the management of a regional office.
- Seven years progressively responsible of managing large complex humanitarian programs and staff.
- Demonstrated ability to safely manage personnel and agency assets in highly insecure working environments.
- Demonstrated ability for contingency and security planning for humanitarian programming and staff development.
- A broad understanding of the relevant social, economic and political issues and their impact on poverty and social injustice.
- Knowledge and experience in a rights based development approach and social change.
- Highly developed strategic planning and operational / business management skills.
- Ability to assess program impacts and incorporate lessons into the design and implementation of programming.
- Demonstrated strong, consistent ability to deliver high programmatic quality support, innovation and implementation.
- In-depth understanding and knowledge of Oxfam America's development and program approach.
- Ability to influence Oxfam America overall strategies and direction.
- Strong ability for networking and creating opportunities for synergies among programmatic areas.
- Demonstrated effective experience in gender awareness issues.
- Ability to travel throughout the region, often to remote programmatic sites.
- Excellent command of both written and spoken English.
- Excellent command of, or ability to learn, at least one regional language.
- Proven strategic planning skills.
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills that cross conventional boundaries.
- Strong operational and financial management skills.
- Strong interpersonal communications skills and experience working in a multi-cultural environment.
- Strong team leadership and managerial skills in a multi-disciplinary setting.
- Good public speaking skills.
- Ability to work effectively at multiple levels.
- Timely and well-reasoned decision-making.
- Ability to stay focused on key objectives.
- Dedication to improving impact and efficiency.
- Strong follow-up skills on complex tasks.
- Ability to delegate authority appropriately.
- Excellent internal and external representational skills.
- Proven complex problem-solving abilities.
