Deputy Country Director – Program (INT8579)

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Do you have 5 years experience in leading humanitarian and development programmes in one or more challenging and fragile environment ?

Do you have 3 years experience in senior management role in large or complex organizations in emergency and development?

Do you have knowledge and experience of the Yemen context and / or dynamics in the Middle East?

If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you.

Overview about the role

The Deputy Country Director will provide overall leadership, strategic direction, guidance, and oversight for effective and efficient delivery of country programmes. She/he will remain abreast on how the context evolves, ensures proper assessment of needs and design of Humanitarian and Resilience with strong focus on localisation and gender programming, Civil Society and Gender Justice strategies.

He/She will feed into interventions design and resource mobilization and that the country programmes address the contextual needs. The incumbent will support the Country Director in preparing the country operational plan. Through regular oversight, she/he will ensure that proper structure, systems and procedures are in place and functional, and human and physical resources are available.

He/She will work with the Programme Coordinators, sector leads, programme quality lead and strategic lead (gender, protection and partnership), she/he ensures safe and gender-sensitive programming and support the local humanitarian and Nexus leadership, civic space strengthening agenda and gender justice programming.

She/he will take the lead in maintaining regular relations and having programmatic calls or meetings with colleagues from the Regional Platform (Regional Office), affiliates, Oxfam GB and donors on programme delivery, compliance and accountability, and support needed. The incumbent works with the Programme Coordinators in negotiating with the authorities on contractual sub-agreement, humanitarian space, access and movement, and mobilizing support for timely delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical:

Programme Design and Fund Raising

• Ensures Oxfam’s transformative approach is a reality in all our sectors of intervention by linking with the Advocacy department, going beyond delivery activities, to build a long-term positive structural transformation in the life of Yemen people.
• Ensures quality program implementation in line with Yemen’s Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS)
• Ensures implementation of One Program approach by building synergies among the three pillars of the OCS and with Advocacy.
• Promotes Local Humanitarian Leadership both internally to Oxfam and externally. Engages with Partner capacity building and progressive transfer of program implementation to partners.
• Ensures appropriate MEAL tools and processes are in place and followed.
• Ensures community participation in all process of proposal design and implementation.
• Leads the process of regular assessment of needs, considering the contextual changes, emergency, outbreak, humanitarian, resilience and development, civil society and gender justice issues and scope.
• Ensures that programme colleagues are part of the inclusive program design: planning, problem analysis, gender, conflict and power analysis, intervention and log frame design, elaborating programme inputs, considering filed learning and innovations, and budgeting.
• Ensures that the comments from the programme development teams, affiliates and donors are clarified and responded on time.
• Through PCs, holds programme colleagues accountable in meeting deadlines in proposal write-up, clarifying issues and budget development until the final submission is done.
• Leads regular assessment of costs of current programme-ops structures, programme needs, available funding, and identify and communicate the funding gaps to the CD and CMT.
• Channels funding information or opportunity from the clusters, RP, EA, PA and donors.
• Works with the DCD-PQ and business development and supports the CD on fundraising.

Safe, Gender-sensitive and Value-Driven Programming

• Ensures that all duties are carried out in a way that promotes Oxfam’s values, culture and beliefs.
• Ensures that all programmes remain at least but not limited to gender-sensitive, considering how to understand and address the specific perspectives and needs of girls, women and the most vulnerable.
• Ensures that governance, gender and protection remain in the forefront of the humanitarian programming and in line with organisational policy on gender and protection.
• Proactively ensure that gender equality and protection issues are taken into account in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Commits with promotion of parity in Oxfam team

Leadership and Management:

Strategic Leadership, Operational Planning & Vision

• Assists the CD in implementing Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) and country operational plan (COP), and country annual budget.
• Leads the process of developing humanitarian strategy and emergency response plan as and when required.
• Leads the process of developing the new Civil Society Leadership component of the OCS.
• Provides support to the CD, and guidance and direction to the senior programme managers / colleagues for the development and implementation of a high-quality programme, consistent with the context, Oxfam’s standards, values and codes, donor requirements and global priorities, ensuring that Oxfam programme remains relevant, safe and impactful.
• Guides the PCs, Technical Lead, and Programme Managers on country strategy, operational plan, programme vision, and offers overall direction on programmes.
• Ensures that programme colleagues contribute to developing an overall programme strategy, and that programmes are designed and implemented in integrated manner and holistically.
• Guides senior programme colleagues to link programmes to other functions such as advocacy, safe programming, localisation, gender, safety and security.
• Ensures highest levels of accountability against population (AAP) and donors.

Programme Management

• Ensures that Oxfam programmes are managed in a way that achieves programme or project goals, is in line with Oxfam policies and procedures, and demonstrates sound resource management.
• Regularly reviews and ensures that the most efficient CO programme management structure is established and functional to ensure effective & efficient delivery to achieve programme objectives
• Ensures Partner development and progressive transfer of program implementation.
• Ensures that qualified staff and appropriate policies, procedures and systems are in place to properly manage Oxfam’s programmes.
• Provides vision and direction, defines expectation and offers leadership and supports.
• Organizes and / holds programme coordination meeting to review progresses, challenges, learning and develop acceleration plans.
• Guides and supports the PCs in ensuring or holding regular awards monitoring / review meeting both in field office and in Sana’a by location and grant to review the programme progress, spending, challenges, and mitigation measures and acceleration plan.
• Ensures that programme budgets are in place and that costs are kept within budgets.
• Ensures proper monitoring of expenses, and that expenses incur in compliance of org and donor policies and procedures.
• Directs and holds senior programme managers accountable for timely submission of org, donor and authority / government reports: narrative, financial and HR reports, and clarifying queries on programmes and expenses.
• Monitors the CO programme to ensure that programmes are implemented in a professional manner in line with the project proposal through project visits and the review of annual operational plans and activity reports.
• Ensures that senior programme managers visit field programmes and support programme colleagues on program delivery and awards monitoring.
• Work closely with programme support functions (admin & liaison, finance, logistics and IT), safety & security, HR, to ensure proper coordination and mobilize support for the programme delivery teams.
• Ensures strong commodity management, and accountability where applicable.
• Ensures delivery of country programme with demonstrable impact and value for money.

People Management

• Promotes Oxfam values and Feminist Principles among the team leading by example. Is a referent for her/his team.
• Offers proper supervision and management for all direct reports and leads the establishment and functioning of a strong, effective and coordinated team.
• Promotes a culture and focus in the country programmes, ensuring recognition of staff successes, and that space and incentives are available for staff development.
• Oversees the recruitment, training, orientation and induction of senior programme staff.
• Develops and maintains a healthy environment for the team, coordinating timely discussions on strategic programming issues and guaranteeing that the staff members reflect the institutional character in their relationships with partner organizations and allies.
• Ensures excellent people management and development of staff managed, in accordance with Oxfam’s performance management cycle and policies: developing job description, setting performance objectives, regular feedback, mid-year review and annual performance review.
• Ensures that the performance management system includes identification of staff development needs, career development, talent management, and succession planning for direct reports.
• Offers regular, constructive and honest feedback and coaching to address performance issues.
• Monitors the team dynamics, specifically to find any conflict and undertake appropriate actions.
• Works with HR and safeguarding colleagues to safeguard staff, partners and beneficiaries.

External Relations and Representations

• In collaboration with the Country Director, Business Support Manager, coordinates and negotiates contract or project sub-agreements with the local authorities and line ministries.
• Participates in meetings and forums on programme delivery and others as appropriate and relevant, including cluster meetings, emergtency response meeting, etc.
• Interacts with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Women Rights Organizations (WRO) to look for synergies and ways of collaboration.
• Represent Oxfam in appropriate humanitarian fora at a local and national level with government authorities, UN organisations, NGO’s and donor agencies as delegated by CD.
• Holds or attends regular programm delivery and operations call with the regional platform.
• Maintains regular communications with broader Oxfam: RP, HQ and affiliates.
• Raises issues or concerns at higher level to mobilize support and influence, and / or speaks to the media, when delegated, in the event of IHL violations or as required.

As a Member of the Country Management Team (CMT)

• Deputises for the Country Director and provides leadership to the CO.
• Holds regular CMT meeting with clear roles, accountability and timeline.
• Promotes a culture of inclusiveness, empowerment and accountability in driving OCS, delivering results and offering quality programmes for the affected population.
• Establishes, maintains and improves active and regular professional relationship with the authorities, local partners, and other stakeholders, including donors and INGOs.
• Ensures that all programme support functions work properly, are supported and complied with rules and regulations, risk management.
• Maintains regular collaboration with the RP, HQ, OI, and affiliates.

Other responsibility

• Performs other duties, as assigned.
• Adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

What we are looking for

Our next Deputy Country Director-Program should meet the following requirements:

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree in international development, sustainable livelihoods, economics, humanitarian, programme management, social science or any closely related fields.
• At least 5 years experience in the field of leading humanitarian and development programmes in one or more challenging and / or fragile environment
• Sound understanding of humanitarian issues in general, with significant knowledge and experience in one of the fields of: (a) emergency or sustainable livelihoods, protection and WASH, and (b) emergency preparedness and response, and (c) Nexus and resilience programme with strong gender and localisation focus
• Sound understanding of Civil Society and Gender Justice programs, working with CSOs and WROs.
• Experience in operational planning and developing programme strategies
• Proven experience in working with Partners and in Local Humanitarian Leadership.
• Demonstrated experience in program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
• Proven experience of building, leading and managing large complex diverse teams
• Substantial experience in financial management: ability to manage a complex budget, and donor compliance and reporting
• Experience in promoting gender equality and safe programming, and commitment to include the views and address the needs of marginalized people in Oxfam’s work
• Experiencing in negotiation, influencing, media speaking, and high-level representation
• Strong analytical skills and ability to think strategically, including the ability to think beyond the country programme context and to act within a regional framework
• Strong understanding of humanitarian principles and their applications in emergency contexts, based on experience from different countries
• Problem solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to work independently when necessary and at times with minimal supervision
• Excellent organisational skills with ability to work to meet deadlines and manage time well
• Strong interpersonal awareness, including diplomacy, tactics, respectful communication, negotiation, influencing, lobbying, being able to work effectively with others, cultural sensitivity and respect for confidentiality
• Excellent communication skills – including fluency in written and spoken English
• Excellent Computer skills – Excel, Word, use of the internet, databases, email.

Desirable

• Master’s Degree in international development, economic, humanitarian, or relevant discipline
• 3 years experience in senior management role in large or complex organizations in emergency and development
• Knowledge and experience of the Yemen context and / or dynamics in the Middle East
• Understanding of large-scale humanitarian response, including humanitarian coordination, and funding mechanism
• Experience in capacity building of CSOs and WROs
• Awareness of the bigger picture of Oxfam and its application to the work of the department / function
• Persistence to achieve change in a challenging environment
• Demonstrated use of positive coping strategies in stressful environments.

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about 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

Organisational Values

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences

Note to candidates: Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values and attributes at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to adhere to our code of conduct. We encourage candidates to read and understand our code of conduct.

Please read more in the attached Job Profile.

We offer

This role will give you an opportunity to make a difference in in the humanitarian field, to act as key contributor to the emergency response in Yemen, to work with a group of passionate people that are specialists in their fields etc, training and development, offers fair pay and competitive benefits package.

Contract duration:

Two Years, extendable based on performance and fund availability

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

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 committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. 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.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply