Contract Type : fixed term, one (01) year
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Job Grade: National C1
Reporting to: Country Director
Job Ref No: 12506
WHO WE ARE
Oxfam is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. We work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change.
OXFAM has been active in Senegal for more than two decades. In recent years, our focus has been on supporting sustainable livelihoods, promoting good governance and ensuring sustainable human development in the face of crisis and human/natural disasters.
Job purpose
Key member of the Senior Country Management Team, the Head of Programs, Policy and Influencing primary responsibility includes coordination of programmatic axes sectors to ensure coherent and effective influencing work as One Oxfam Program. The role is responsible for the strategic development and management of the country program and supports Oxfam’s impact locally, regionally, and globally through ensuring program alignment to the key strategic objectives and program standards.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Strategic management and thought leadership
• Under the leadership of the Country Director, lead program strategy development , ensuring strong gender justice and MEL across programs
• Ensure coherent design and synergies during implementation of the One Oxfam country program
• Provide overall strategic and technical leadership in the design, development, planning, budgeting, and implementation of the OCS
• Initiate, coordinate and lead Oxfam’s one program in Senegal ensuring it delivers on the OCS vision and objectives and championing the new ways of working embodied in the OCS
• Deputize for the Country Director as required
• Participate in the annual budget process, leading on the program budget process, and provide ongoing oversight of program budgets
Lead influencing program development and delivery
• Ensure the delivery of a country program with demonstrable impact and accountable for overall program quality and learning
• Drive the development of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning within national influencing initiatives
• Oversee the development of program and project improvement plans, to ensure effective and timely implementation of the projects and program
• Work closely with the Country funding coordinator, identify opportunities for funding to ensure the financial sustainability of country program of Oxfam in Senegal
• Provide high level technical advice and support on all policy issues and facilitate the development and delivery of high quality programs with strong gender justice and MEL components across all programs
• Provide direct and close leadership ensuring that women rights and women leadership are at the core of Oxfam’s work in Senegal
• Ensure adequate resourcing allocated within budgets to scale up influencing at national level and support initiatives for resource mobilization
• Provide guidance to the country team on good practice around power analysis, evidence based advocacy, public campaigning, effective messaging, risk assessment and ensuring the creation of clear and accessible tools and resources for teams to maximize their program impact through WIN.
• Manage external relations and public perception in addition to supporting wide dissemination of Oxfam’s policy positions, facilitating networking and ensuring that the organization has the necessary information to engage in influencing activities, Work closely with communication and MEL to support public campaigning, advocacy and influencing
• Support the program to develop effective networks and partnerships with multiple stakeholders for the effective delivery of campaign goals ensuring linkages at regional and global level.
Strengthen the vision and leadership for influencing in Senegal
• In line with the vision for the country, guide and support the CMT to develop influencing programs that complement the program strategy and ambition.
• Identify and coordinate support for the translation of the OCSs into effective influencing program designs and proposals
• Support the CMT to develop appropriate ways of working that will ensure that they are externally focused and tuned to developments within their context ensuring the development of appropriate behaviors for influencing.
• In collaboration with the other Head of Teams, ensure that that the country program is implemented in consistent, coherent manner that promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing and accountability across the whole organization
• Strengthen the relevance, legitimacy and downward accountability of our global influencing initiatives
• Stay abreast of and adjust to changing circumstances and understandings regarding international interventions and practices and anticipate, analyze and manage highly complex and diverse public policy issues and program strategy, ensuring that Oxfam in Senegal ideas and approaches include the latest thinking
• Promote a culture shift in how advocacy, humanitarian and long term development staff bring their skills together to achieve change at national level.
Build country team capacity and autonomy on influencing
• Manage the program team to deliver on the OCS, providing leadership, inspiration and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures
• Support the CMT to identify critical influencing capacity gaps among the country staff and partners and develop a plan of action to support the development of such capacities
• Ensure that the country team embeds WIN standards in their program framework and regularly review compliance with such standards
• Strengthen internal knowledge of and staff capacity of range of campaign and advocacy tools that can be applied in program activities
• Explore opportunities for regional engagement/programs that adds value to the achievement of the country program goals
• Promote the integration of women’s rights into national influencing strategies
• Under the leadership of the Country Director, lead program strategy development , ensuring strong gender justice and MEL across programs
• Ensure coherent design and synergies during implementation of the One Oxfam country program
• Provide overall strategic and technical leadership in the design, development, planning, budgeting, and implementation of the OCS
• Initiate, coordinate and lead Oxfam’s one program in Senegal ensuring it delivers on the OCS vision and objectives and championing the new ways of working embodied in the OCS
• Deputize for the Country Director as required
• Participate in the annual budget process, leading on the program budget process, and provide ongoing oversight of program budgets
Lead influencing program development and delivery
• Ensure the delivery of a country program with demonstrable impact and accountable for overall program quality and learning
• Drive the development of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning within national influencing initiatives
• Oversee the development of program and project improvement plans, to ensure effective and timely implementation of the projects and program
• Work closely with the Country funding coordinator, identify opportunities for funding to ensure the financial sustainability of country program of Oxfam in Senegal
• Provide high level technical advice and support on all policy issues and facilitate the development and delivery of high quality programs with strong gender justice and MEL components across all programs
• Provide direct and close leadership ensuring that women rights and women leadership are at the core of Oxfam’s work in Senegal
• Ensure adequate resourcing allocated within budgets to scale up influencing at national level and support initiatives for resource mobilization
• Provide guidance to the country team on good practice around power analysis, evidence based advocacy, public campaigning, effective messaging, risk assessment and ensuring the creation of clear and accessible tools and resources for teams to maximize their program impact through WIN.
• Manage external relations and public perception in addition to supporting wide dissemination of Oxfam’s policy positions, facilitating networking and ensuring that the organization has the necessary information to engage in influencing activities, Work closely with communication and MEL to support public campaigning, advocacy and influencing
• Support the program to develop effective networks and partnerships with multiple stakeholders for the effective delivery of campaign goals ensuring linkages at regional and global level.
Strengthen the vision and leadership for influencing in Senegal
• In line with the vision for the country, guide and support the CMT to develop influencing programs that complement the program strategy and ambition.
• Identify and coordinate support for the translation of the OCSs into effective influencing program designs and proposals
• Support the CMT to develop appropriate ways of working that will ensure that they are externally focused and tuned to developments within their context ensuring the development of appropriate behaviors for influencing.
• In collaboration with the other Head of Teams, ensure that that the country program is implemented in consistent, coherent manner that promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing and accountability across the whole organization
• Strengthen the relevance, legitimacy and downward accountability of our global influencing initiatives
• Stay abreast of and adjust to changing circumstances and understandings regarding international interventions and practices and anticipate, analyze and manage highly complex and diverse public policy issues and program strategy, ensuring that Oxfam in Senegal ideas and approaches include the latest thinking
• Promote a culture shift in how advocacy, humanitarian and long term development staff bring their skills together to achieve change at national level.
Build country team capacity and autonomy on influencing
• Manage the program team to deliver on the OCS, providing leadership, inspiration and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures
• Support the CMT to identify critical influencing capacity gaps among the country staff and partners and develop a plan of action to support the development of such capacities
• Ensure that the country team embeds WIN standards in their program framework and regularly review compliance with such standards
• Strengthen internal knowledge of and staff capacity of range of campaign and advocacy tools that can be applied in program activities
• Explore opportunities for regional engagement/programs that adds value to the achievement of the country program goals
• Promote the integration of women’s rights into national influencing strategies
Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Masters level degree in political science, public policy, sociology, development, anthropology or related field
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of development programs, humanitarian response and advocacy and campaigning
• Influencing experience and ability to develop organizational networks and associations
• Proven commitment to, and hands-on knowledge of Oxfam’s One Program approach
• Strong representational experience which relies on excellent communications skills through diverse mediums
• Knowledge of capacity building, learning and development activities and how to create a learning and sharing environment with a strong knowledge management basis
• Demonstrated ability to manage and work within complex multi-functional projects and teams
• Good managerial skills to co-ordinate the Senegal program team to deliver on the OCS objectives
• In-depth experience of leading or working with team(s) to enhance influencing capacity and impact
• Ability to coach on the building of strong, credible relationships with international and local NGOs, government associations, business leaders and communities
• Very strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand highly complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans.
• Ability to think and act strategically and understand the relationship between national and regional programs and the global objectives of Oxfam
• Excellent communication skills, in written and verbal English and French
• Highly developed interpersonal and collaboration skills; excellent relationship skills with ability to influence external organizations and individuals
• Ability to adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and those of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work in Senegal.
Desirable
Politically astute, with a good understanding of key external organizations, how they operate and make decisions, and the country development context, experience working in Senegal
• Fluency in Wolof
• Knowledge and experience of Oxfam’s program work and systems
• Willingness to travel
Equality and diversity
We are committed both to promoting equality and diversity within the organization and to Equal Opportunities in employment. We believe in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are made entirely on merit.
HOW TO APPLY:
This opportunity is for a dedicated and highly motivated professional with strong commitment to Oxfam's values and beliefs. If you believe you are qualified for this post and you are the candidate that we are looking for, please submit your application and CV to: RecruitmentSenegal@oxfamamerica.org, by mentioning in the subject “Application for Country Humanitarian Coordinator”
THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 31 JANUARY 2017
Given the urgent need for this position, suitable candidates can be shortlisted and interviewed before the closing date.
