Head of Response – OPTI Crisis

ABOUT US

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. This means that we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 21 organisations (affiliates) plus the Oxfam International Secretariat, all working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. All our work is led by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.

Oxfam Novib OPT is looking for a Head of Response

• Duty station: Gaza
• Type of appointment: Fixed-term Contract
• Contract duration: 6 months (with possibility of renewal)
• Work schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week)
• Reports to: Country Director
• Salary & Scale:4028 EUR to 6199 EUR Gross per month / Grading 710. National staff can apply however national conditions are applicable OI Grading B2.
• Start date: As soon as possible
• Deadline for applications: 19 August 2024

TEAM PURPOSE

To effectively lead, manage and drive the Oxfam response to the OPTI crisis working with other stakeholders across Oxfam.

OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

To ensure day to day management of Oxfam’s OPTI’s crisis response. In alignment with Oxfam humanitarian approach, together with the Country Director, Saving Lives Program Manager and other members of the Country Management Team, ensures the design implementation of the response strategy, facilitating contributions from all relevant stakeholders. The Head of Response ensures regular coordination with the Oxfam Global Humanitarian Team (GHT), MENA Regional Platform and Executing Affiliate (EA) on overall support, oversees the design of a timely funding strategy and follow up and HR capacities. Responsible and accountable for ensuring information flows on the response advances (sitreps, etc.) as well as on MEAL key information including management response to key findings. The role also oversees security and risk management in the response.

The Head of Response ensures effective management of financial and human resources in line with Oxfam policy. Provide support and representation linked to the program and in consistency with the advocacy in support Oxfam’s work and interests, ensuring gender justice and feminist principles are adopted.

• Jobs reporting to this post: Savings Lives Programme Manager, Technical Staff to the Response and members of the Country Operational Team (Response Team), varying and based on the response plan
• Budget responsibility: Up to 10 m EUR per annum

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accountable to the Country Director for the delivery, effective management and monitoring, evaluation and learning of the OPTI crisis response.
• Ensures, in close coordination with other colleagues, the design, adaptation, implementation and follow up of a response strategy, aligned to Oxfam commitments and guaranteeing contributions from relevant stakeholders.
• Responsible to ensure that the response integrates Oxfam Humanitarian approach, ensuring implementation of the Safe Programming approach, the Feminist Principles and Community Engagement, as well as Oxfam ambitions and international commitments.
• Accountable for the design of partnership strategies for the response, ensuring Oxfam values and partnership principles are followed and that partners get support from Oxfam in alignment with their capacities and needs.
• Responsible for ensuring the design and implementation of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Social Accountability plan, ensuring follow up of implementation in alignment with the plans, strategy and oversees the quality of the work.
• Promote learning and knowledge management on the response.
• Accountable for ensuring reporting, including sitreps, and good dissemination of results and achievements inside the confederation but as well contribute to the external communication with Oxfam international colleagues.
• Ensures that comprehensive scenario mapping and contingency planning is in place and regularly updated.
• Propose and design, in coordination with the Country Director and CMT effective and efficient structure for the OPTI crisis response ensuring the entire key functions needed.
• Line manages technical positions in the response team and support functions (HR, Logistics and procurement) and security team in Gaza and manages the overall response team, ensuring oversight of Programme Partnerships, and MEAL portfolios, ensuring timely information analysis and decision-making.
• Work closely with Finance, Human Resources, Logs to ensure adequate support provided to the Gaza response as per plans and budgets.
• Ensures risk management for the OPTI response in close coordination with the EA, and regional teams, Saving Lives manager and OPT CMT
• Identifies changing security management needs, ensures security management, plans and SoPs for the crisis response, coordinating with MENA and GHT security support and in close cooperation with the CD the RSA at MENA level.
• Ensures coordination with EA, Oxfam International/GHT, the MENA Regional Platform, and affiliates supporting the response to ensure good information sharing and timely decision making.
• In coordination with the Country Director, represents Oxfam within strategic for a related to the OPTI crisis such as UN agencies and INGOs to ensure coordination, information sharing, development of alliances and networks and promoting collaborative work to ensure better impact of the response.
• In cooperation with the Business Development Manager, leads on donor engagement plan related to the response and work with the funding team to develop and implement.
• In charge of anticipating and managing risks that could threaten the organization’s reputation, operational viability and security.
• Liaises closely with the OPTI Advocacy and Media Manager to ensure that operational data informs Oxfam influencing work on the crisis – and that influencing priorities are adequately considered in program planning and operationalization.
• A commitment to gender justice and women’s rights, an understanding of gender power relations and strategies to address discrimination in all its forms, experience in the promotion of gender justice in humanitarian, development and/or situations of fragility etc.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

ESSENTIAL

• Self-awareness
• Decisiveness
• Relationship building
• Agility and complexity
• Mutual accountability

IN ADDITION

Geographical, Political and Regional Knowledge

• Understanding and knowledge of the politics, economics and political context within OPTI and global dynamics as they relate to the Gaza / OPTI crisis.
• Good In-depth understanding of relevant humanitarian principles and policies, as well as knowledge of challenges related to the international humanitarian system

Leadership and Management

• Proven experience in managing humanitarian responses in complex context, including conflict affected areas and regional responses.
• Significant experience on adaptive management in fast changing and complex contexts;
• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values. Act as a role model and demonstrate exceptional leadership in line with Oxfam’s values.
• Excellent and proven people management skills, with a good understanding of team development, particularly in dynamic and changing contexts and over distance.
• Experience in security management in conflict setting.
• Demonstrated experience in defining response strategies in complex contexts, including conflict and displacement settings, as well as in managing performant programs in alignment with international quality standards (CHS, Sphere, etc.)
• Understanding and experience of conflict sensitivity and safe programming.
• Ability to listen to people under stressful circumstances, and to create space for dialogue.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts

Strategic Analysis

• Proven analytical skills, able to take and manage calculated risks based on analysis and evidence, and to ensure adapted decisions.
• Able to think strategically, to maximize adaptability and agility, and encourage forward thinking in the team, especially the integration of learning from experience in conflict and displacement settings.

Finance and Funding

• Competent financial and asset management experience. Ability to manage multiple budgets, mitigating and controlling financial risks.
• Proven experience in the management of funding coming from different sources, regular follow up and clear direction to Business Support teams.

Risk Management and Security

• Able to take calculated risks based on evidence-based assumptions. Ability to continually access and analyse the external context enabling realistic strategies to maximize adaptability and agility of the response.
• Proven track record of making sound judgments in uncertain and pressurized situations, including experience of security and crisis management.
• Fluent spoken and written English.

Desirable

Knowledge of Arabic

WORKING AT OXFAM NOVIB

• All our work is guided by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.
• At Oxfam Novib, we work according to the Feminist Principles – Oxfam Policy & Practice.
• Oxfam Novib is based on the power of difference. That is why we aim to attract a diverse mix of talented people who share our standards, values and principles, and who are committed to prevent and eliminate any type of misconduct.
• We have an active policy against sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any form of abuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. This subject will be covered in our application and selection process.