Head of Humanitarian

The Role

The Head of Humanitarian will be sitting in the SLT to ensure decision-making readiness in all humanitarian matters. This position will provide leadership to ensure, with the team, that Oxfam and its partners are both ready and able to respond to humanitarian crises in a timely, proportionate, and professionally competent manner, wherever and whenever they occur in the Sub-Sahara region of Africa, will support the launch of responses, scale-ups and implementation. The role will also contribute to humanitarian influencing and practicing LHL agenda and delivering on global commitments. This role will be the link with the Global Humanitarian Team and affiliates and will work towards ensuring the adequate humanitarian capacity is available in Oxfam in Africa, with special focus in the countries. The team will be at service to SAF Cluster and Country Offices for any support to ensure right level of preparedness, meeting global humanitarian standards and Oxfam humanitarian mandate across Africa.

This role reports to the Programmes and Influencing Director for Oxfam in Africa.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for a dynamic, charismatic and credible team player with the following:

• Proven strong experience of managing humanitarian response work in a range of environments – including field-level management of complex humanitarian response programmes and all phases of the project/programme cycle.
• Commitment to the Humanitarian Imperative with demonstrated abilities in crisis management and the coordination of rapid humanitarian responses.
• Demonstrable skills in gender analysis in humanitarian response or preparedness programming, and a clear understanding of the practical significance of gender issues in humanitarian environment.
• Demonstrable experience of policy development in relation to humanitarian response work.
• Experience of identifying training needs and coordinating training implementation.
• Demonstrated facilitation and coaching skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, a high level of analytical skills.
• Demonstrated financial management skills.
• Ability to manage competing demands and produce results under pressure.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently
• Strategic individual with the ability to engage with key stakeholders to develop a compelling vision, while at the same time a pioneer in setting up operations.
• Ability to strengthen and execute the vision with their own team of professionals, country teams and with other stakeholders (affiliates and partners in Africa and other Oxfam entities like the GHT) coordinating and overcoming barriers when things become ‘stuck’.
• Agile and engaged, with demonstrated strong and coordinated leadership.
• Ability to handle complexity, unpack it, and dive deeper with positive enquiry skills to explore blockages.
• Ability to engage in the most appropriate way, demonstrating deep listening to facilitate understanding of messages.
• Strong influencing skills – engages and collaborates, with cultural and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across a range of audiences; fluency in English and French is required and other languages.
• Training in Disasters Preparedness/Emergency Response (desirable)
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal in English and French (bilingual).

What we offer

At Oxfam, we believe that every aspect of our work can lead to a positive outcome. If you have the same opinion, together with the ability to meet the challenges involved, this role offers scope for immense personal fulfilment – as well as outstanding opportunities to develop your career. Oxfam is committed to providing a fair compensation package based on a 36-hour work week.