Regional Policy Advocacy & Influencing Manager

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National posting

Contract type:  Fixed Term – 2 years

Location: Any country of the Southern Africa countries with right to work (Malawi/Mozambique/South Africa/Zambia/Zimbabwe)

One person in three in the world lives in poverty. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty.  Around the world, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. We save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. And we campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them. In all we do, Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.

As a confederation, our values are Accountability, Empowerment and Inclusiveness.

Empowerment: Everyone, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can be a catalyst for change.

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

Background

Oxfam started working in southern Africa in the 1980s. Since then, we have implemented both development and humanitarian programmes to support practical and innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty.

We work with local stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the root causes which keep people in poverty. Oxfam is currently collaborating with the Government, international and local CSOs, UN Agencies and other stakeholders.

Oxfam envisions Southern Africa free of extreme inequality and injustice; a society where citizens and particularly women across all age groups claim and exercise their rights and responsibilities and can influence decisions that affect their lives.

Our programs aim to promote women’s rights, good governance and accountability, resilient livelihoods, as well as enhance preparedness, reduce vulnerability to disaster and ensure an effective response to humanitarian crises.

The Role

The position is accountable to the Oxfam Program Director for Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster for the delivery, effective management (which includes budgets and planning), monitoring and evaluation, and learning from the program.

Job Purpose

Lead on working with CSO, social movements, alliances, media, activities, and other actors to amplify results of our work in a way that challenges poverty and inequality

The person

We are looking for an individual who is dynamic, charismatic and credible leader with the following:

• At least a Masters’ level degree in the specific thematic area
• Demonstrated experience of advocacy and campaigning resulting in dependable impact.
• Ability to engage and influence both corporate direction, contributing to and following it as appropriate and the ongoing development of program policy and quality to enhance the impact of Oxfam’s work.
• Ability to manage large amounts of work, outstanding prioritization and time management skills.
• Ability to build a people’s movement around the program theme and  inspire followership.
• 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 experience of building leading and developing staff with different backgrounds ideally built on mature understanding of relevant issues derived from field experience.
• Commitment to and good knowledge of working with networks, coalitions and a partnership approach across the spectrum of Oxfam’s work, including innovative approaches to capacity strengthening.
• Good knowledge of and experience in developing advocacy and campaign strategies and plans and successfully achieving external impact and change. Some experience in undertaking media presentations.
• Proven management experience at a strategic level in a complex, dispersed organisation with evidence of leading, facilitating and integrating a specific area of expertise across a wide network, providing clarity and focus of vision and impact, strategic planning and decision making and the delivery of agreed results.
• Excellent knowledge of the Southern African political environment and issues.
• Politically astute, with high impact influencing and persuasive skills and personal gravitas to gain respect and build and maintain strong, credible relationships, with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Spoken and written Portuguese will be an added advantage.

Our 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 competitive compensation package based on a 40-hour work week.