Area Manager (Rakhine) (INT10138)

The Role:

Oxfam is looking for Area Manager (Rakhine).

Job Purpose:

To oversee all aspects of Oxfam’s business operations, liaison, coordination and external engagement in Rakhine State in order to ensure humanitarian, development and advocacy efforts to address the root causes of poverty and suffering and create lasting impact for communities. 

The Oxfam’s Area Manager will provide overall leadership across operations, coordination, liaising and oversight of some programme interventions in Rakhine State, focusing on high quality, strategic interventions that reflect thorough context and conflict analysis. S/he will engage with local civil society organisations and oversee the development of initiatives to work more with local actors. S/he will coordinate projects and programmes that contribute to all of Oxfam’s strategic goals in Myanmar – Humanitarian & Resilience; Gender and Economic Justice, civic space strengthening – ensuring a coordinated and holistic approach to the programme. S/he will ensure high level representation, coordination and advocacy in Rakhine, and on Rakhine issues, working closely with the advocacy colleagues. S/he will also serve as a member of Oxfam in Myanmar’s Program Leadership Team (PLT).

Key Responsibilities:

Programme Strategy, Advocacy and Influencing

• Oversee all of Oxfam’s Rakhine based programmes and operations and ensure close coordination and alignment with other Oxfam interventions in Rakhine State.
• Embed strong gender and conflict analysis in all of Oxfam’s programming and advocacy to ensure interventions adhere to ‘do no harm’, support equity and inclusion, and strengthen the protection of human rights for all target population. Ensure this ongoing analysis continually informs and drives programme quality and strategy.
• Support the programme leads/project managers in the development and implementation of a locally appropriate programme strategy for Rakhine state, moving to nexus programming for affected communities and by influencing the Rakhine humanitarian community.
• Represent Oxfam in Rakhine with other INGOs, with the UN, with local civil society, with the relevant stakeholders at both State and Township levels and provide necessary information to support external representations (CD, Head of Programmes, Head of Advocacy, Head of PQ & Impact and other members of senior management team) at Yangon level.
• Work closely with advocacy and humanitarian colleagues to contribute to national and global level influencing work and support state and local level advocacy work.
• Lead locally on ongoing coordination with relevant organisations, UN, INGOs, communities at state level and provide necessary information to support external representations of Oxfam’s senior management team at Yangon level.
• Guide and support the programme, to drive continual learning, innovation and ensure that Oxfam is driving change for the communities it works with.
• In the event of an emergency in Rakhine, in close coordination with Oxfam humanitarian team in Yangon and Emergency Management Team, provide context updates, situational analysis, security and risk analysis at field level – to support the design of interventions, to mobilise teams and resources; produce Situation Reports; and lead in coordination with other agencies, clusters etc. In the period of emergency response operation, if needed, line management of this position can be changed, directly to CD or country humanitarian programme manager.
• Responsible for regular updates of States level security situation to Security focal in Yangon and lead and initiate necessary protocol if situation prevail.

Programme Quality & Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Coordinate and support the programme managers in Rakhine to ensure that projects implemented by Oxfam in Rakhine State, Myanmar are of high quality and meet global standards.
• Lead/contribute on development of innovative strategies to meet the needs of the protracted humanitarian crises in Rakhine State.
• Promote systematic review/evaluation of operations, programmes and coordination process within Oxfam team in Rakhine to ensure that lessons learned are documented and shared in-country, and with staff from the region. This role is to support Programme Quality and MEAL team to make sure learning effectively informs future responses.
• Identify and document current good practices in Oxfam’s programming and capture learning / lessons learned.
• Ensure that gender equality and women’s leadership is fully integrated into Oxfam’s humanitarian approaches and work in Rakhine. This includes ensuring gender and protection analysis is conducted and mainstreamed in any humanitarian action and monitoring and adapting actions accordingly.
• Ensure that Oxfam’s Rakhine programmes and operations are in compliance with donor contractual obligations and Oxfam’s internal policy and is done of good quality and is done in a timely manner.
• Ensure high level of compliance with internal project and contract management systems (OPAL and CRIMSON).
• Participate in regular programme learning events and reflections.

Human Resources

• Ensure transparent and consistent implementation of Oxfam’s HR systems and policies in Rakhine.
• Lead on recruitment of Rakhine based staff, working closely with HR teams to improve recruitment and retention.
• Line-manage national staff, as well as all team leaders in Rakhine, in accordance with Oxfam’s performance management systems, demonstrating high standards of accountability and transparency.
• Ensure internal coordination and programme monitoring & reflection meetings are held on a regular basis.
• Cultivate and develop high quality programme teams that link with and support one another.
• Be a champion for Oxfam values and support staff to understand and adopt them in their work and relationships.
• Promoting diversity, inclusion, and empowerment in day-to-day work and among colleagues at Oxfam in Sittwe.
• Supporting and collaborating with Safeguarding colleagues and focal points, ensure Sittwe staff and partners understand and follow safeguarding processes and procedures etc.
• Advise the Myanmar Leadership Team on strategic HR requirements for the Rakhine programme.
• Support the continual professional development of all Rakhine based staff, ensuring that appropriate support and development mechanisms are in place.

Safety and security

• Assume responsibility for staff safety and security in Rakhine State operations.
• Ensure all relevant information regarding safety, security and the context is collected, updated and shared in a regular and timely manner to relevant colleagues.
• In coordination with Security advisor and the leadership

Budget Management

• Participate actively in seeking and developing new business opportunities, including proposal development and coalition forming.
• Providing oversight management of all contracts according to donor requirements
• Monthly budget analysis and variance reporting across all relevant project and accounts.
• Ensure accurate forecasts, timely release of grant funds and internal budget monitoring in compliance with Oxfam’s financial systems.

What we are looking for:

Essential

• Advanced university degree in relevant field
• More than eight years proven experience of managing Humanitarian and Development programmes in complex/fragile/politically sensitive context
• Proven experience working with/in a refugee /IDP camp context or protracted crisis context.
• A commitment to rights-based and participatory approaches
• Proven ability of Do No Harm approaches and conflict sensitive approaches.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and analytical skills with strong understanding of the context.
• Experience of humanitarian transitions and demonstrated ability to ensure coordinated support to affected populations through different phases of response, from humanitarian through to return and recovery.
• Proven ability to effectively coordinate development and humanitarian programmes.
• Proven experience in conflict mitigation and resolution techniques
• High level people management and leadership skills demonstrated experience in managing diverse and high performing teams.
• Ability to represent Oxfam externally, with international and national actors, with strong diplomatic and negotiation skills. Experience with advocacy and influencing an asset.
• Ability to embed systematic, high-quality programme monitoring, learning, coordination and reporting

Desirable

• Technical expertise in core humanitarian programme areas e.g., WASH, Protection, Safe programming – with added proven ability to embed women’s rights into all programmes.
• Previous experience working in Rakhine State or Myanmar generally.

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits. 

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more. 

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

Flexfam:

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you. 

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.