Essential

•       A proven record of effective leadership, especially in conflict/post conflict contexts. Ability to challenge, motivate and develop a team through periods of programme change.

•       Ability to work with significant levels of autonomy and make prompt and sound decisions.

•       Proven analytical skills and ability to work with others to develop strategy into action and communicating and influencing this to a wider audience.

•       Knowledge and experience of promoting gender equity, and an active commitment to promoting the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of programme work.

•       Experience of programme planning, and competent use of project management tools.

•       The ability to meet agreed deadlines in a stressful and fast paced environment, will be critical.

•       Proven experience of effective management of complex humanitarian situations, including managing finances, staff and funding of the programme (contract design and management).

•       Experience of managing staff: challenging, motivating, developing and inspiring team members

•       Evidence of professional excellence in related sectors (Livelihoods, WASH, Gender, Protection and Advocacy).

•       Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.

•       High-level interpersonal and communications skills.

•       Ability to influence and liaise effectively with key stakeholders and representation in high profile environments.

•       Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.

•       Sympathy with the aims and objectives of Oxfam.

•       Commitment to humanitarian principles and action.

•       Commitment to Oxfam’s equal opportunity and gender policies.

The most relevant leadership competencies for this role are:

·       Self-Awareness: Understanding personal strengths and limitations to foster effective relationships and team dynamics.

·       Mutual Accountability: Promoting shared responsibility and collaboration to achieve organizational and program goals.

·       Strategic Thinking and Judgment: Making well-informed decisions and shaping strategies to maximize program impact.

Key Qualifications and Expertise

Leadership and Role Modeling

·       Demonstrates exemplary leadership qualities, serving as an inspiring role model for team members, program units, and peer managers.

Creative and Analytical Thinking

·       Proven expertise in strategic planning, with the ability to influence and shape program strategies, significantly contributing to the country program’s vision and goals.

·       Exhibits creativity and innovation in both conceptual and analytical thinking, driving forward new ideas and solutions.

Programme Management Experience

·       Extensive experience in international program management, including budgeting, planning, and full program cycles, ideally within an international NGO.

·       Demonstrated supervisory and managerial expertise in leading complex programs in developing countries, managing multi-year projects with budgets of 5 million or more per year.

Stakeholder Engagement

·       Skilled at engaging and influencing stakeholders (internal and external) at all levels and across various functions.

Communication and Influence

·       Possesses exceptional communication, negotiation, and representation skills, effectively influencing diverse internal and external audiences.

·       Demonstrable experience in developing donor relationships and managing all aspects of donor reporting, ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective communication.

Policy and Strategic Influence

·       Proven ability to influence high-level policy decisions externally, leveraging strategic insights and expertise.

·       Success in shaping departmental and organizational strategies to align with broader institutional goals.

Risk and Crisis Management

·       Successfully managed large-scale risks and crises, ensuring effective resolution while minimizing operational disruptions.

National and International Representation

·       Recognized nationally and/or internationally as an organizational representative, particularly within specific geographical or thematic areas of expertise.

Work-Related Travel

·       Willingness to travel at short notice, often under challenging circumstances, to meet program needs.

Commitment to Values and Equality

·       Deep understanding of and commitment to Oxfam’s core values, including gender equality, diversity, and social justice, ensuring these principles are embedded in all activities and interactions.

Desirable

•        Arabic language skills highly desirable.

•        Knowledge of the Iraqi and Middle Eastern context

•        Knowledge and understanding of Oxfam’s programmes in emergencies and development.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:

·       Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)

·       Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):

1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity.”

2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Competencies

Description

Decisiveness

We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.

Influencing

We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organisation We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility

We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building

We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.

Listening

We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.

Mutual Accountability

We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity

We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Systems Thinking

We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organisational decisions and actions.

Strategic Thinking and Judgment

We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.

Vision Setting

We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.

Self-Awareness

We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

Enabling

We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.

SAFER RECRUITMENT

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and 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. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.