Country Director – DR Congo At Oxfam

About Oxfam in DR Congo

Oxfam has worked in DR Congo since 1961. Our work is mainly focused on humanitarian and development projects in the most vulnerable communities. In the DRC Oxfam is one of the few organizations that engage in influence and advocacy as drivers of change

DR Congo is part of Oxfam in Africa (OIA). OiA embraces all the Oxfam stakeholders’ entities (countries, clusters, advocacy offices and affiliates) on the continent and seeks to enable and enhance impact through collaboration and integration. Oxfam in Africa will deliver Oxfam’s impact and Influence in Africa.

About the role

Oxfam is seeking a dynamic, experienced, empowering Country Director to provide strategic leadership and management to this large and high-profile program, including all development and humanitarian programming to maximize our influence and impact.

Reporting to the Oxfam in Africa Deputy Director (HECA) this role will play a key role in the implementation of the five-year Oxfam DRC Country Strategy (2025-2030). S/he will lead the Senior Management Team of 7 direct reports, manage a budget of circa £15 million, and represent Oxfam in the country, influence donors and NGO colleagues and represent the organization in high level meetings and fora. The position is accountable for the delivery, effective management (which includes budgets and planning), monitoring and evaluation, and learning from the program.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s program in country including all development, and humanitarian programming to maximize Oxfam’s influence and impact.
• Accountable to the Oxfam in Africa, Deputy Director for the delivery, effective management and monitoring, evaluation and learning of the program against the annual budget and plan. Accountable to the Country Governance Group (CGG) for strategic oversight, program accountability and affiliation process where appropriate.
• Ensures overall leadership of disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 1 / 2 / 3 emergencies.
• Manages the Senior Management Team and Line manages the work in the country: staff, budget, funding, and program. Ensure that the HR Management in the Country is in line with Oxfam Human Resource Policies and procedures, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding, Security and Health and Safety.
• Creates and supports an environment which results in strong partnerships, government relations, knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Takes the lead in representing Oxfam and the country program nationally and globally. Builds influential relationships and is committed to developing networks for impactful change.
• Works with the Country Governance Group (CGG) to ensure that an 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.
• Working closely with other affiliates with strong interest in the country to develop and deliver high quality programs.
• Play an active role in drawing on learning from across Oxfam and external sources and sharing evidenced based learning with others.
• Accesses and uses shared services appropriately and responsibly where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with the INGOs operating requirements as per the DR Congo laws and guidelines.

Essential Experience, Knowledge, and Competencies

Behavioral Competencies

• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Building
• Influencing
• Strategic Thinking and Judgment

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Management and Leadership

• 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.
• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across several locations.
• Significant senior leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of programs, external relations, and humanitarian strategy, with and through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations.
• 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.
• Demonstrable understanding of both long-term development, resilience and humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles.
• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with partners, government agencies, private sector organizations, media, and donors at senior level: nationally and globally.
• Proven track record of strong relationship building with government leaders and agencies.
• Proven track record of success in influencing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence and negotiate.
• Finance and Funding
• Ability to maximize fundraising from diverse institutions, both local and international.
• High level financial and asset management skills to steer the operational budget across several locations.
• Representation and Communication

Strategic Analytics

• Ability to manage the development of, and contribute to, the high-level analysis of factors driving poverty, marginalization, and vulnerability in developing country contexts. 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 be: Able to take and manage calculated risks based on evidence-based assumptions.
  • Able to think strategically, to maximize adaptability and agility.
  • Encourage forward thinking, new ideas and learning from experience beyond the country program context while acting within a global framework.
• Good level of IT literacy and an understanding of how new developments in technology can positively contribute to the aims of an INGO.

Risk

• Experience of managing security, risk, and legal compliance within an INGO context
• Proven track record of making sound judgements in uncertain and pressurized situations.

Values

Committed to a rights-based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do as well as the rights of other marginalized people in all aspects of an organization’s work.

Travel

Ability to travel away from home, often to remote programmatic sites within the country (up to 30%).

Languages

Proficiency in English and French (Bilingual)

APPOINTMENT TERMS

Location: Kinshasa- DRC

Salary and Benefits: In line with Oxfam International’s B1 CD Pay range. Core benefits. Global benefits for internationally relocated candidates only.

Contract length: Two (02) years fixed term renewable.

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we are open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.