Strategic Lead: People, Culture and Wellbeing At Oxfam

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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. Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: The Care and Core Operations hub brings together the essential functions that keep our organisation grounded, connected, and resilient. This includes IT and Digital Services, Finance, People, Wellbeing & Culture, our Integrity functions (Safeguarding, Risk, and Integrity), and Program Support, Integrity, and Accountability.

Rather than following the traditional “people, process, technology” approach, this hub is built on a foundation of systems, people, and principles, recognizing that strong infrastructure and resilience must be values-led and people-centered to support our mission.

It exists to enable and care for the wider organisation, upholding integrity, facilitating delivery, fostering culture, and ensuring our systems support not just what we do, but also how we do it, within the parameters of our decolonial and feminist values.

Enabling with Care, Acting with Integrity.

TEAM PURPOSE: The People, Culture, and Wellbeing team enables a thriving, agile, and impactful organisation by delivering people, systems, and services that are efficient, effective, and grounded in care. We anchor our work in wellbeing, equity, and operational excellence—creating the conditions for people and teams to do bold, transformational work with confidence and compassion.

JOB PURPOSE: The People and Culture agenda is fundamental to the transformative change that we seek within the OIS and the wider Oxfam confederation. The Strategic Business Lead, People, Culture and Well-being, is responsible, together with business leaders, for developing, shaping, and executing the organization’s human resource strategy to align with OIS’s long-term organizational objectives. The incumbent will be a strategic and experienced hands-on leader for the Human Resources and Culture communities in the OIS, and able to lead, highly influence, and motivate confederation HR and hub leaders to drive consistency in people processes and practices, and create HR solutions for One Oxfam in line with Oxfam’s strategic vision. This role drives initiatives that align HR best practices with business goals, fosters a high-performance culture, and ensures the organization attracts, develops, motivates, rewards and retains top talent. This role will oversee all HR functions across the HR value chain, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, performance management, leadership development, and organizational culture, while fostering an inclusive and high-performing work environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, Behavioural, People, and Resource management)

Oxfam International Secretariat (OIS)

  • Provide strategic vision and guidance for the OIS and ensure that the Secretariat’s leadership and People and Culture functions operate efficiently and effectively, and in consistency with our values.
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive HR strategy that supports the OIS and the Confederation’s organisational goals, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and emerging trends.
  • Effective strategic alignment and stakeholder engagement by effectively collaborating with leadership to integrate HR strategies into business plans, advocating for HR priorities, and acting as a change agent during organizational transitions.
  • Provide strategic HR Business Partnership for the OIS Executive Team; partner with them on all employee-related and culture issues.
  • Lead the People and Culture OIS team, aligning team objectives with organizational goals and global HR priorities with accountability for the delivery of the OIS employee experience.
  • Develop and implement strategies to increase Diversity and Inclusion within the OIS and support this in the wider Oxfam confederation. Champion DEI initiatives, ensuring policies and practices promote a diverse and equitable workplace.
  • Ensure the OIS is able and equipped to play its role in providing people and culture operational support, alongside the EA Unit, to countries and regions.
  • Sponsor the implementation of effective continuous improvement systems and projects to enhance the quality and value of HR services provided within OIS and to key stakeholders in the confederation.
  • Lead on building and maintaining relationships with employee representative groups such as the OIS SFLT and AOSA, providing rationale and processes for change, considering the influence of staff voice.
  • In partnership with the OI ED and OI Executive Team, delivering change processes within OIS, and convening and enabling a consistent people approach in Confederation-wide change processes (countries, regions), providing guidance on methodology and best practice.
  • Leverage innovative, creative thinking to build relationships and influence and negotiate complex and contentious HR issues as they arise.
  • Lead initiatives for organizational development, employee training, skill-building, and leadership development programs. Create and manage leadership development programs to build a pipeline of future leaders, support succession planning, and foster a culture of continuous learning. This approach involves partnering with external providers and building internal capabilities to prepare for future roles.
  • Oversee the design and implementation of effective recruitment, onboarding, and retention programs to attract, retain, motivate, and develop talent.
  • Foster a positive, inclusive, and innovative workplace culture by leading initiatives that enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being.
  • Design and implement performance management systems that drive accountability, recognize high performance, and support employee development.
  • Oversee the design and administration of competitive compensation structures, benefits packages, and incentive programs. This includes negotiating with vendors, ensuring equity, and aligning rewards with performance to motivate and retain employees.
  • Manage employee relations by mediating conflicts, promoting open communication, and implementing engagement surveys. Responsibilities extend to cultivating a positive workplace culture, handling grievances, and driving initiatives for well-being and work-life balance.
  • Lead organizational design and change initiatives, including job architecture framework implementation, change management, restructuring, mergers, or cultural transformations, with a focus on employee communication and support. Must be the champion for enhancing overall effectiveness through organizational change and process improvements initiatives.
  • Ensure HR policies and practices comply with labour legislation while mitigating risks related to employment practices.
  • Utilize HR analytics and metrics to assess workforce trends, inform strategic decisions, and measure the impact of HR initiatives.
  • Collaborate with Hub Directors and other senior leaders to align HR strategies with business objectives and provide guidance on workforce planning and organizational design.
  • Develop and monitor the HR budget, allocate resources efficiently, and lead the HR team by providing guidance, performance evaluations, and professional development opportunities.

Oxfam Confederation

  • Collaborate and lead with the confederation affiliate HR Directors, convening and enabling effective leadership of Human Resources across and for the Oxfam confederation.
  • Convene and enable the Oxfam people and culture community to develop and effectively.
  • Implement a Global People and Culture strategy in line with Oxfam’s vision and mission and based on the 2030 Strategic Framework and the Diversified Network as a model.
  • Enable and convene plans and delivery of culture change and the creation of a diverse, enabling, and future-oriented global work environment with increased leadership from the global south in the Oxfam International Secretariat (OIS) and across Oxfam.
  • Convene and enable the Oxfam people and culture community to develop a talent and resourcing strategy to enable Oxfam to attract and retain the best staff in the short, medium, and long-term.
  • Drive innovation around HR systems and processes within the confederation, working closely with relevant partners such as Global IT.
  • Promote positive cultural change, embodying and championing the values and feminist principles, within OIS and the wider confederation, with the purpose of maintaining a healthy working culture, supporting programs and initiatives related to employee engagement.
  • Ensure that Oxfam people and the culture community work together collectively and collaboratively across OIS, affiliates, countries, and regions, and have strong working relationships with safeguarding, gender, and other teams that are key in the people and culture strategy.
  • Oversee, advocate, and drive confederation-wide integration of key HR systems, policies, and processes, and the coordination of best practice HR across the confederation.

ESSENTIAL

  • Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen – Ability to anticipate business trends, analyze business challenges, and align HR strategies with corporate goals using financial and operational insights to enhance profitability and innovation.
  • Change Management and Organizational Development – Leading transformations in order to enhance organizational and departmental efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Transformational Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead a team through operational transformation, embedding digital solutions, rethinking processes, and shifting mindsets while maintaining delivery of high-quality HR services.
  • HR Expertise and Best Practices – Deep understanding of core HR areas and international exposure to HR best practices in order to drive performance.
  • Systems Thinking and Strategic Agility: Strong capacity to understand and design interconnected systems and processes across People & Culture, Finance, and IT, with a focus on integration, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
  • Networking, Innovation and HR Technology Integration – Having a strong network of HR influence and keeping abreast of changes in innovation in the HR sphere.
  • Sound Judgement and Decisiveness: Ability to assess complex issues, make timely and sound decisions, and manage escalations with confidence, tact, and strategic awareness.
  • Cross-border HR Expertise: Solid understanding of global employment practices, with a particular focus on contracting, benefits, and payroll across diverse jurisdictions. Experience supporting HR operations across multiple countries or regions is highly desirable.
  • HR Service Delivery Support and Excellence: Strong generalist HR knowledge with a track record of delivering high-quality strategic and operational support to all areas of the business.
  • Legal and Regulatory Acumen: Demonstrated knowledge of employment legislation and compliance requirements, including data protection, with the ability to apply this within an international operational context.
  • Inclusive People Leadership: Proven experience in leading high-performing, multicultural teams. Strong coaching and development skills, with an ability to foster inclusive, accountable, and learning-oriented team cultures.
  • Collaboration and Relationship Building: Ability to build strong, trust-based relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, including internal teams, affiliate partners, and external vendors. Must have a track record of proven effective service delivery to business leaders.
  • Delivery and Accountability: Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, deliver on commitments, and maintain high standards while leading or contributing to complex HR projects and service improvements.
  • Self-Awareness and Resilience: High degree of emotional intelligence, with the ability to reflect, adapt, and lead with empathy during periods of change and ambiguity.

How to apply

Please upload an up-to-date CV and a covering letter, clearly explaining your suitability against the essential criteria of the role. Please Click Here to apply.
Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted- usually within 2 weeks of the closing date.