Program Director At Oxfam GB

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Program development and delivery

• Under the leadership of the Country Director, provides overall strategic and technical leadership in the revising, planning, budgeting, and implementation of the Oxfam Country Strategy
• Ensures the delivery of a country program with demonstrable impact and is accountable for ensuring that the programme meets overall program quality and learning standards.
• Manages and is accountable for the programme budget including responding to high-level management and variance reports.
• Working with the Program Quality and Learning Manager, develop, implement, and embed, a knowledge management system, that will ensure the sharing of knowledge across the program, other country programs, and the broader confederation.
• Oversees the development of program and project improvement plans, to ensure effective and timely implementation of the projects and program.
• Working closely with the Business Development Manager, identify opportunities for funding to ensure the financial sustainability of the country programme of Oxfam in Ethiopia
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of Oxfam’s partnership approach, including work with coalitions and networks, adopting a strategic, proactive perspective on how to achieve partnerled approaches to achieve sustainable change
• Oversee the partner portfolio, with specific reference to the identification of both implementing and strategic partners and building and maintaining these relationships
• Leads the development of country-level programme reporting – facilitating Programme Managers and other team members’ contributions to reporting, consolidating programme reports and providing high-level strategic analysis of programme impact
• Directs and coordinates external program engagement
• Strong links between development programmes, humanitarian preparedness and response and policy and advocacy interventions
• Ensures that all work is carried out in a way that is sensitive to community needs and gender issues. In particular, promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of the work
• Assist the programme team to develop, finalise and closely monitor their programme(s) budget
• Work closely with the Finance Department to ensure effective financial and budgetary control of the programmes, according to OI’s policy and procedures

2. Coordination, networking, and representation

• Provides strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s programme in the country including all development, advocacy, and humanitarian programming to maximise our influence and impact
• Coordinate and lead Oxfam’s one program in Ethiopia ensuring it delivers on the Oxfam Country Strategy vision and objectives and championing the new ways of working embodied in the Oxfam

  3. People development and management

• Strategic management and thought leadership
• Ensures that team members have access to staff development opportunities, identifies and addresses capacity gaps and provides ongoing counselling and support to team members
• Motivate and support the Programme Team, providing leadership, inspiration, capacity building and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures.
• Establish effective relations with programme managers and other managers at all levels for the application of matrix management responsibility of Programme and Programme Support staff based in operating locations.
• Ensure all programme teams have set annual performance objectives and perform quarterly and annual performance appraisals as per the Let’s Talk Process
• Manage and support the Programme Team to deliver on the OCS (Oxfam Country Strategy), providing leadership, inspiration and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures

  4. Leadership and Management

• To provide direct support to the Country Director, and the Programme Managers in the field on all matters of program and grants management with a view to ensuring quality program development and implementation standards are met.
• Leadership, management, negotiation, and coordination skills (of people and projects) in a complex multi-stakeholder, networked, global and largely virtual environment
• Provide leadership to the programme team, ensuring the best possible support to the programme and advice to the country management team.
• Liaising with managers in the country in order to resolve problems related to the effective functioning of the program function.

  SKILS, Experience, Knowledge & Competencies :

• Postgraduate from a recognized university/ college in International Development, Sustainable Livelihoods, Humanitarian / Programme Management, or any other area that can bring added value to the job.
• Relevant programme management experience of at least 10 years, preferably in an international NGO/operational UN agency/equivalent, out of which at least 7 years should be senior leadership/managerial experience
• A minimum of seven years of experience in the field leading development and humanitarian programmes in one or more challenging contexts in developing countries.
• Good understanding of development issues in general with significant knowledge and experience in one of the fields of (a) sustainable livelihoods and resilience, b) gender and development
• Good managerial skills to coordinate the Ethiopia program team to deliver on the Oxfam Country Director objectives.
• Ability to coach on the building of strong, credible relationships with international and local NGOs, government associations, business leaders and communities
• Ability to adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans
• Ability to think strategically, work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and those of marginalised people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work in Ethiopia.
• Proven analytical and conceptual thinking, high-level research, project management knowledge and skills and experience using participatory tools and methodologies for assessment, programme identification, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of development programs, humanitarian response and advocacy and campaigning.
• Knowledge of capacity building, learning and development activities and how to create a learning and sharing environment with a strong knowledge management basis
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans
• Persuasive influencing, motivation, team building, and facilitation skills
• Good understanding of management roles and dynamics in organizations
• Developing organizational strategies and plans for communication and measuring effectiveness
• Experience in managing and developing others, including direct line management
• Experience in leading and managing conflict resolution
• Ability to liaise with a wide range of people, both internally and externally at very senior levels (OI, Executing Affiliate, and other senior organizational leaders) with credibility, tact, and diplomacy
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with a demonstrable ability to lead, influence and motivate others.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to explain complex technical/legal issues, and build a considered analysis of taking different approaches
• Excellent in the use of computers and Microsoft, especially spreadsheets (Excel), accounting packages, word processing (Word) and PowerPoint. Competent in the use of email packages.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English, with high-impact influencing and persuasive skills. Able to use different approaches to achieve followership.
• Flexibility in terms of travel and working hours is a requirement of this role with the possibility of working away from the office for periods of up to 2 weeks at a time