Country Director OPTI

Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty: a world in which people can influence decisions that affect their lives, enjoy their rights, and assume their responsibilities as full citizens of a world in which all human beings are valued and treated equally.

For the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel (OPTI) Oxfam is seeking a

Country Director

Based in Jerusalem (with frequent travel)

Family Posting

40 hours a week

Start date November 15, 2014

The program of Oxfam in OPTI is focussed on economic justice, gender justice, humanitarian preparedness and response, including policy and media, and governance and active citizenship. A new country strategy is currently being developed with a stronger focus on influencing the power dynamics that create poverty and injustice. Four different affiliates work in OPTI: Oxfam Novib, Oxfam Great Britain, Oxfam Italia and Oxfam Quebec. Oxfam In Belgium supports the OPTI program from Belgium as a Contributing Oxfam. Oxfam Novib is the Managing Affiliate and represents Oxfam as a whole internally and externally.

The Country Director is responsible for development, management, and representation of all Oxfam’s programme in OPTI, ensuring high levels of accountability and program impact. The Country Director reports to the Middle East and North Africa Regional Director of Oxfam Novib, line manages the Oxfam Novib OPTI Management Team and chairs the Oxfam Country Leadership Team in OPTI.

Oxfam is looking for a dynamic leader with the experience and capability required to position Oxfam in OPTI as a well respected and highly influential agency.

Main tasks

• Provides strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s program in OPTI including all development, advocacy, media and humanitarian programming to maximise Oxfam’s influence and impact
• Accountable to the Oxfam Novib MENA Regional Director for the delivery, effective management and monitoring, evaluation and learning of the programme against the annual budget and plan. The function of Oxfam Novib Regional Director will in the future cease to exist. Tasks and responsibilities will then be handed over to an Oxfam Regional Director for MENA region (to be recruited). All CDs in MENA region will then be accountable to the Oxfam Regional Director for MENA.
• Accountable to the Country Governance Group (CGG) (yet to be established) for strategic oversight, programme accountability and affiliation process at country level.
• Leads the Country Leadership Team and is end responsible for Oxfam’s   work in OPTI: staff, budget, funding, program, policy and media, and security management.
• Ensures that HR Management in the OPTI is in line with Oxfam Human Resource Policies and procedures including but not limited to the Oxfam Code of Conduct, Security, and Health and Safety policies.
• Creates and supports an environment which results in strong partnerships, influence, knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Takes the lead in representing Oxfam and the OPTI program nationally and globally. Builds influential relationships and develops networks for impactful change and is committed to maximising our influencing capability.
• Works with the Country Governance Group (once established) to ensure that appropriate strategy is created to seek out and maintain new funding sources to support program implementation. Accountable for all donor relations and contract management in country.
• Works closely with other affiliates with strong interests in OPTI in order to develop and deliver high quality programmes, both development and humanitarian, including policy and media work.
• Plays an active role in drawing on learning from across Oxfam and external sources and sharing evidenced based learning with others.
• Ensures overall leadership of disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 2 and 3 emergencies .
• Gives strategic steer and input to and signs off for the Country Team on OPTI related policy and media strategies and products.
• Accesses and uses shared services appropriately and responsibly where applicable.
• Successfully leads the design, communication and implementation of the One Oxfam organisation, in a participatory process with the support of the Change Management Task Force.

You have

• Senior management experience in leading the development and ensuring the delivery, of programme strategy, either through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations; Experience with policy development
• Proven analytical skills and ability to think strategically, including the ability to think beyond the country programme context and to act within a regional and global framework;
• Ability to manage the development of, and contribute to, the high level analysis of factors driving poverty, marginalisation, conflict 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;
• Awareness of Oxfam humanitarian approach and Oxfam values;
• Demonstrates good judgement, willingness to take responsible risk, based on solid analysis;
• Understands ethics and codes of practice and IHL/independence/impartiality;
• Experience in leading and motivating multi disciplinary, geographically remote teams; a high degree of self awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development; experience with people management;
• 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 & geographical areas;
• Experience in representing an organisation with partners, government agencies, private sector organisations, and donors at senior level: locally, regionally and globally ideally in OPTI or the MENA region;
• An active commitment to promoting gender equity and the interests of marginalised people in all aspects of an organisation’s work;
• High level financial management skills to steer the operational budget;
• Experience of fundraising from diverse institutions, both local and international;
• Understanding of and experience with managing security and risk within an INGO context;
• Good level of IT literacy and an understanding of how new developments in technology can positively contribute to the aims of an INGO;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence, and effectively negotiate between diverse views to reach a common understanding
• Fluent in English. Command of Arabic and/or Hebrew an asset.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strives to achieve results by setting and communicating goals and ensuring effective and appropriate decision making and problem solving. Able to resolve complex problems and provide clear and effective communication and representation
• Achieves results through working effectively with others and holding others to account. Communicates appropriately, encourages and develops others, providing feedback and adapting leadership style to bring about successful outcomes. Able to influence & manage multiple stakeholders and to negotiate between diverse perspectives.
• Must be able to remain objective, consider broader organizational relevance/implications
• Builds and strengthens internal culture by displaying self-awareness and appropriate communication to set an example for others to follow.

We offer

Oxfam Novib is committed to providing you with a competitive, fair and comprehensive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. The salary range for this position is set between € 3.669 and € 5.644 gross per month on the basis of a 40 hours working week. Additional allowances include 8% holiday, hardship, pension and comprehensive insurance.

More information and application procedure

Are you interested in this position? Send your application in writing, including a motivation letter and curriculum vitae and mentioning reference number 5-6703 to jobs@oxfamnovib.nl to the attention of Koen Hubben before October 24, 2014. Information on position is available with Catherine Essoyan, MENA Regional Director,catherine.essoyan@oxfamnovib.nl Information about the procedure is available with Ewa van den Berg, International HR Advisor, ewa.van.den.berg@oxfamnovib.nl An Occupational Personality Questionnaire test will be part of the procedure.