Vice President, Public Engagement

The Role

Oxfam America is seeking a visionary and innovative marketing executive to lead Oxfam America’s Public Engagement team. A skilled, tech savvy advocate with a deep appreciation of digital media is needed to position Oxfam in the US and globally. The Vice President Public Engagement, will have a successful track record in increasing engagement of media, donors and activists. Highly collaborative, the new VP will have built and supported multi-disciplinary teams delivering high impact, audience-centric communications, fundraising and campaigns. This role requires an activist mindset and a steadfast commitment to addressing social injustice and inequality.

Role Summary

Oxfam America is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. The VP Public Engagement is a mission critical role as a promoter and protector of the Oxfam brand, messaging, and constituent and media engagement during a period of seismic change where effective and evidence-based communication is key. A highly collaborative and strategic individual is needed to lead a division that drives creativity, innovation, supporter engagement and action for tangible results. The VP PE will empower staff to achieve ambitious goals, work collaboratively to deliver on Oxfam America’s strategy, and promote and support all inequality and poverty initiatives for the US market across Oxfam America and the entire global confederation.

The VP PE will bring strong political acumen, diplomacy, and humility to navigate organizational challenges for positive outcomes. They will be open, transparent, and comfortable with complexity and prioritization. They will be a proven leader who can thrive under pressure and has excellent judgment. As a culture-builder, they will be committed to principles of feminism and anti-racism.

The VP PE will be creative in distilling complex work into effective messaging, compelling storytelling, and public engagement strategies with Oxfam supporters. They will partner closely with their senior leadership counterparts to determine how best to channel resources to engage the public in support of Oxfam’s strategic priorities. They will bring thought and discipline to ensure organizational coherence, effectiveness and consistency to public facing, confederation-wide messaging.

With vision and proven management experience they will support staff who are juggling a high volume of work while providing rapid response to fast changing politics, humanitarian disasters, or racial and gender justice crises in the US. The VP PE will bring a track record of successful leadership working on multi-functional teams and balancing goals among brand, fundraising, and advocacy, especially in a matrixed international alliance or confederation environment. They have a contagious passion that translates into enthusiasm and collaboration with colleagues.

The VP PE will be responsible for leading Oxfam US’ Public Engagement strategy, positioning, communications, digital campaigns, brand awareness, constituent and media engagement and overall operational effectiveness of Oxfam America’s public engagement functions in coordination with the confederation. They are accountable for all public messaging in the US and ensuring that audience insights are reflected into communications, marketing, and campaigning efforts across PE and across other public-facing teams including Resource Development and Campaigns. They will collaborate with peers in the Oxfam confederation and represent Oxfam America in multiple Oxfam International initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership to set, adapt and deliver Oxfam US Public Engagement strategy (and its brand, fundraising, and advocacy components) and assure strategic alignment of messaging to the US market.
• Direct, supervise and coordinate day-to-day oversight, operations, and budget management of the Public Engagement Division.
• Align US constituent engagement, marketing, and fundraising (primarily through Digital Marketing team efforts on email, paid media, web site) with VP Resource Development. This may include support for ongoing digital transformation and investment in the Digital Marketing team.
• Align US influencing and US messaging strategy and plans (with VP Policy and Advocacy and stakeholders).
• Develop and maintain knowledge of market insights, competition and market trends to inform brand building, fundraising, influencing, innovation and testing new approaches and technologies.
• Act as Oxfam America’s lead brand guardian and crisis communication lead including collaboration with Media & PR Director and peers within the global confederation. Work alongside the Executive Office (President/CEO, Chief of Staff, and Internal Comms Manager) to advise and on external and internal communications and representation.
• Represent Oxfam US as needed and in support of public engagement; guide and support other senior leaders in doing same.
• Review fundraising appeals and strategies, brand activities, and campaign messaging, for coherence with messaging strategy.
• Lead development of local story-telling efforts through Content team and project management and visual design coherence through Design team.
• Maintain high level relationships with key counterparts across the confederation.
• Represent Oxfam US on key OI working groups and committees.
• Interface with the OUS and OAAF Board. This includes staffing PE-related committees of the Board and serving as an officer of OAAF as requested. Update the Board on PE related matters regularly.
• Represent Oxfam US or Oxfam as needed on projects that are jointly conducted with others in our sector.
• Contribute strong strategic input to the Senior Leadership Team and support SLT shared goals fully.

Candidate profile

KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Bachelor’s Degree or proven senior leadership experience in marketing, digital and communications related discipline, or exceptional relevant practical experience.

EXPERIENCE AND CORE COMPETENCIES:

• At least 10 years or equivalent demonstrated relevant and exceptional practical experience in senior leadership and management in two or more Public Engagement disciplines:
  – Marketing,
  – Communications/media,
  – Digital,
  – Branding,
  – Supporter engagement.
• Relevant senior management and leadership experience in a complex and diverse environment, including:
  – strategic planning, management and execution,
  – facilitative and collaborative management and leadership of large, diverse, multidisciplinary teams through organizational change,
  – budget development and financial management, with financial reporting and analysis
  capabilities.
• Demonstrated senior level people management skills including high level recruitment, organization development and transformation, retention, and leading empowered, directorlevel leaders in a matrix and a commitment to developing team members.
• A committed team player and proven collaborator with strong interpersonal skills and a kind disposition.
• Strong motivation and experience in fundraising and advocacy.
• Diplomacy and strong analytical capacity to bridge and deliver fundraising, influencing and brand goals.
• Curiosity about and engagement with all aspects of Public Engagement—fundraising, campaigns, private sector, etc. Deep commitment to racial justice, gender justice and feminist principles in the workplace and as core to Oxfam’s mission to fight inequality to end poverty – the future is equal.
• Established skills and aptitudes that will lead to strengthening the Oxfam Ameria organizational culture, feminist principles and anti-racist journey.
• Broad communications experience across multiple channels and media types including with crisis communications.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven track record in developing strategic communications and leading effective US and global influencing initiatives through a cross-functional team.
• Ability to engage other senior staff and lead the development of a new way of imagining and executing Oxfam America engagement with the public.
• Ability to manage and motivate teams working within — and outside of — the Public Engagement division.
• Ability to empower directors and managers to conduct the daily business of the organization freely and provide an enabling environment to test and innovate new approaches.
• Ability to represent Oxfam America Public Engagement to all relevant stakeholders in the confederation.
• Ability to represent Oxfam in high level public forums.
• Comfort, curiosity, and commitment to exploring emerging communications technologies.
• Willingness to take calculated risks and encourage others to do the same in pursuit of strong, long-term supporter engagement and influence.
• Well established, up-to-date professional network in global to local rights-based development, fundraising, brand and marketing, and supporter engagement and youth, digital and/or innovation networks.
• In our fast changing world a keen interest and demonstrated ability to learn core functional areas is essential for this role