Global Lead – Oxfam Climate Initiative At Oxfam

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

BACKGROUND

In 2018-19 an Oxfam-wide process defined a Global Strategic Program on Climate Change (CC GSP) with a theory of change defined for the period 2020-30 The CC GSP gave the framework to create the Oxfam Climate Initiative (OCI) starting to operate in September 2019. The OCI is a strategic initiative to support, connect, and catalyze climate justice work across the Oxfam confederation. On the last four years, Oxfam has walked a long way on climate action. OCI work and influence has been instrumental to include Climate Justice for the first time as one of our Oxfam global areas of ambition within the Oxfam Global Strategic Plan. Also, OCI has supported the process to develop the Oxfam Global Climate Influencing Strategy (2023-26) as well as the development of the Horizon 2 Roadmap on “Confronting climate breakdown with decolonial feminist action” and “Advancing Decolonial Feminist alternatives for economic justice and climate action.”

TEAM PURPOSE:

The OCI is a strategic initiative to support, connect, and catalyze climate justice work across the Oxfam confederation. As a coordinating body, the OCI facilitates the exchange of knowledge and information within Oxfam’s diverse, global climate justice network. Bringing together influencing and on-the-ground engagement and linking local to global, the OCI works to maximize the scale, visibility, fundraising and impact of Oxfam’s work for climate justice.

To build synergies across all aspects of Oxfam’s work, the OCI Lead closely collaborates with the Climate Influencing team at Inequality Advocacy and Campaigns (at ACE), Climate Justice Regional Coordinators, Climate Justice teams at North and South affiliates, and the Gender Justice OI team and OI functions, including strand leads, program leads, climate experts; and also, technical teams cross sectors and cross affiliates, fundraisers and campaigners, plus Country Directors, Regional Directors and Heads of Programs of Oxfam.

The OCI will be hosted by MENA Regional Platform on behalf of all the Oxfam Confederation, with a view to have this workstream led from and by an Oxfam southern actor. However, the scope of work is global.

JOB PURPOSE:

To lead internally and externally the Climate Justice work in Oxfam assuring strategic vision, external representation, internal coordination, continuous learning, and accountability.

ROLE REPORTS TO

Regional Director of Oxfam in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) .

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS POST

Funding Manager, Gender & Climate Justice Knowledge Coordinator.

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY

Average of 450,000 Euros.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

• Lead Oxfam Climate Initiative and provide strategic vision on how Oxfam should work for the best impact to tackle the interconnected Climate and Inequality Crisis with a feminist decolonial approach.
• Provide strategic and operational support to ensure the delivery of OCI mandate, with special focus on influencing, funding, knowledge and learning, feminist approach, and youth focus
• Work with colleagues to strengthen Southern perspectives and leadership across the development and management of the CJ work in Oxfam, ensuring Southern participation in key working groups and where necessary support Southern team members and partners/allies to engage.
• Ensure the connection and the interaction of the Oxfam Climate Justice network for the best impact of the Confederation in the fight against the Climate Crisis.
• Representing Oxfam externally on Climate Forums and with key stakeholders, such as networks, partners, allies, donors, governments, etc. as needed.

Management and Coordination

• Support & Co – lead Oxfam delegations at the UNFCCC COPs and the preparatory meetings, including the co-creation of the COPs strategies. This work is done in strong coordination and leadership of the OIS Climate Advocacy and Campaigns Strategy Group.
• Preparing and delivering the annual OCI Operational Plan.
• Ensure the engagement and regular coordination with all Oxfam Climate Justice regional coordinators for a better country and regional inclusion on our global work on Climate Justice. Also work with Southern Affiliates supporting them to connect and enlarge their capacities on climate justice.
• Lead the coordination and support to the Oxfam Climate Justice groups and communities of practice. The groups have a learning agenda, and they are as well the spaces where Oxfam Countries, Regions, Clusters and Affiliates staffcoordinate around the different climate justice topics as well as functional areas.
• Line management of the Funding Manager and Gender & Climate Justice Knowledge Coordinator and any other role under OCI in line with Oxfam values and principles, to ensure delivery and achievement of OCI’s objectives.

Technical

• Lead on the development and implementation of the OCI Operational plan and strategy, in coordination with Global Priorities and Oxfam’s stakeholders.
• Ensure coordinated development of Knowledge and Learning processes and products
• Ensure coordinated development of proposals / value propositions responding to fundraising opportunities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• At least 10 years’ experience working in development or humanitarian programming, with a focus on climate change related programming and advocacy within an international organization.
• Proven experience of networking and collaborating across multi-cultural teams and within a complex organization to achieve strategic outcomes
• Demonstrable experience of coordinating and facilitating complex civil society forums / alliances / coalitions working in north and south contexts
• Proven experience in developing and implementing knowledge management strategies and products and learning processes.
• Expertise on direct climate-related work working with a complex variety of partners, allies, and actors to achieve common goals, especially from a Global South perspective.
• Experience in leading teams within complex and multi-cultural organizations
• Proficiency in English
• Availability to travel 15-20% of the time.

DESIRABLE

• University degree on social / political sciences
• Post-graduate degree on climate-related studies
• Proficiency of other languages such as French, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, etc.

Key Attributes:

• Team player, self-motivated, ability to work with little supervision.
• Demonstrable ability to work in a multi-cultural environment, to exert active listening, respectful of others’ opinions and contributions, while taking responsibility of decision making
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender equality, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about and implement the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Most importantly, every individual at 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)