Country Director - Occupied Palestinian Territory

About The Role

The Country Director (CD) will provide strong leadership of the OPT country office and ensure the delivery of Oxfam’s programme and influencing work within OPT, in line with the Oxfam OPT Country Strategy, Regional Strategy and Global Strategic Framework. The CD is expected to follow feminist principles in their leadership. The CD is expected to contribute and implement Oxfam’s Global Strategy, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in the Country. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses, long term development programme design and implementation, policy, advocacy and influencing. S/he will be directly responsible for the overall strategic planning, program development, and risk management, ensuring high level of program quality and grant management, overseeing program support operations (Finance, HR, Operations) to maintain organizational, donor and legal compliance, and represent Oxfam for country-level external relations and interagency coordination. S/he will also manage both the growth and contraction of the country programme based on changes to the country programme’s portfolio, ensuring a strategic, and principled, approach to change management.

It will be essential for the CD to work simultaneously at both strategic and operational levels and is expected to be present and active within the broader sector at country level, contributing to and providing leadership within the INGO and UN community in OPT. Representation will be a key part of the successful delivery of the CD role. The CD must also ensure that all Oxfam policies and procedures with respect to HR, safety and security, code of conduct, safeguarding, and other relevant policies and procedures are in place, implemented and adhered to. The CD will continually assess, identify and address gaps and weaknesses so as to improve overall country programme performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The Country Director will be responsible, with support from the Oxfam International SWANA regional platform, to implement the Oxfam 2030 Vision. This vision aims to create a stronger Oxfam that is globally coordinated network organization while staying relevant in every country in which we work. The Country Director has overall responsibility for the Oxfam program and reports to the OI Regional Director in the SWANA region, or her delegate.

Country Context and Oxfam Program in OPT

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) remains one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian, protection and political crises globally. Decades of Israeli unlawful occupation, restrictions on movement and access, recurrent cycles of conflict, and the siege in Gaza have severely constrained Palestinians' rights, livelihoods, economic opportunities, and access to essential services. These conditions have contributed to deepening poverty, aid dependency, forced displacement, and protection risks across Gaza, the West Bank including East Jerusalem. Israel’s genocide in Gaza with unprecedented levels of killing, destruction, forced displacement and deprivation continues to unfold. Across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinians are facing escalating settler violence, forced displacement, movement restrictions, settlement expansion, and growing threats to their rights and security. The humanitarian, political and protection environment remains highly volatile, with significant operational constraints and rapidly evolving risks. Leading Oxfam's work in this context requires strategic leadership, sound political judgement, and the ability to navigate a highly sensitive and fast-changing environment.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Accountability

• Accountable to the Oxfam International Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) Regional Director or as delegated for the delivery, effective management and oversight of all aspects of the country programme monitoring and evaluation, and learning from, the OPT country program and for leading the OPT Country Program to deliver quality programming at scale and in line with Oxfam’s policies and procedures

Strategic Management & Leadership

• Responsible for leading the design and delivery of the Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) for OPT in line with Oxfam’s Regional and Global strategies, and Oxfam’s global approaches
• Responsible for leading the delivery of the Gaza Emergency response and the West Bank emergency response programmes, ensuring that ongoing programmes and the responses are well integrated into the country strategy
• Provide strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s program in country including ensuring integration between all development, advocacy, and humanitarian programming to maximise our influence and impact.
• Provide oversight and strategic leadership to the business development strategy for Oxfam in OPT, ensuring pro-active business development, well managed growth of the programme in financial size and scope, and innovation. Specifically, in collaboration with relevant regional and country staff, lead and ensure funding proposals are of the highest quality and closely aligned with donor requirements
• External representation and effective, pro-active influencing, communications and networking with donors, U.N. agencies, other NGOs (international and national) and government actors that produces actionable and timely business intelligence to ensure Oxfam’s coherence with and leadership within the wider sector
• Ensure that gender justice, climate justice women’s rights, International Human Right and Humanitarian law and civilian protection with strong attention to influencing are reflected in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Be a driving force in ensuring the development and implementation of Oxfam’s Local Humanitarian Leadership agenda with a particular focus on working with partners with clear growth of partnership portfolio to meet and/or surpass Oxfam’s global commitments.
• Be an active participant in the SWANA regional leadership team and the SWANA regional strategic advisory groups and in regional planning and analysis; understand relevant regional and global objectives. Ensures that gender equity (or women’s rights), and civilian protection with strong attention to influencing are reflected in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Ensure a comprehensive risk management approach is followed to manage strategic and operational risks, including compliance, financial, security, brand risks and prioritising a do no harm approach in all of Oxfam’s interventions, including programme and influencing work. Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.

People Management and Culture

• Directly line manages the Country Management Team and their operations which will include: staff, budgets, funding and program, ensuring that managers in country are following Oxfam’s policies and procedures, including but not limited to the code of conduct, safeguarding, Aid diversion, performance management, security, health and safety, risk management and local legislation.
• Creates a supportive and collaborative environment that enables strong and effective coordination, partnerships, influence, knowledge sharing, learning, staff development and innovation.
• Ensures effective engagement in and roll out of all key policies related to Code of Conduct, safeguarding, Aid diversion, security, and ensures staff, partners and beneficiaries are oriented on reporting misconduct mechanisms and necessary systems are in place.
• Ensure enabling and conducive organizational culture is nurtured in line with Oxfam’s values and feminist principles and leadership model.
• Maintains a strong focus on supporting the well-being of all staff through a multi-faceted approach.
• Responsible for talent management and development of Oxfam staff, and the creation of a learning and nurturing working environment.
• Ensure right capacity exists in country and/or to reach out to above country structures to secure support and bridge any capacity gaps.

Programme and Delivery

• Responsible for regularly monitoring and ensuring overall country specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are achieved, take appropriate and prompt actions to manage identified gaps
• Manages and takes lead on development and timely delivery of the Program in country and works closely with partners in country in order to develop and deliver high quality, innovative programmes.
• Ensures adherence to Oxfam quality standards and processes, including but not limited to: Oxfam’s Gender in Emergencies standards, the Safe Programming approach, the Core Humanitarian Standards, the GBV call to action, all global level environmental commitments, as well as other commitments made under the Charter for Change and the Grand Bargain
• Promote a culture of learning, and ensure a strong focus on Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) across all of Oxfam in OPTs work, with a view to ensure programme quality and that interventions are evidence based.
• Works with the Business Development Manager to manage relations with donors and ensures that Oxfam meets all contractual obligations and achieves high quality proposal and donor reporting.
• Supports partners, including government authorities, in developing and delivering projects within agreed parameters where appropriate.
• Ensures that Oxfam's Program is cost effective, efficient and complies with all organisational standards of management and accountability.
• Ensures that the Program is implemented in a consultative, participative and gender sensitive way.
• Reports regularly to the Regional Director or as delegated with agreed indicators against the overall objectives and ensures that key information is circulated appropriately.
• Contribute to and maximise use of the Knowledge Networks to share strategic thinking and learning more widely as well as within the Country Team to ensure that programming builds on learning and is evidence based, innovative and agile to respond to opportunities for change.
• Ensures overall leadership of disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities
• Ensure country strategy and Country Operational Plans (COPs) are properly resourced, Country budgets are effectively and responsibly utilized and monitored

Influencing, Public Engagement and Representation

• Represents Oxfam at a local and national level with government authorities, UN organisations, NGOs and donor agencies, including in the media. Builds influential relationships and develops networks for effective change, both internally and externally, and is committed to maximising our influencing capability. This may include media representation.
• Develops and maintains constructive relationships with key officials at Government, Line Ministries, Regional and local administration levels with the aim of maximizing our influence for effective change both internally and externally.
• Engages proactively with UN entities, the UN Humanitarian Country Teams, donors, and diplomatic missions and agencies; including The Association for Development Agencies (AIDA)
• Liaises with senior managers of other INGOs and national NGOs to identify common challenges and solutions to operational concerns.
• Leads on the relations with the affiliate members of the Oxfam Confederation.

Safety and Security

• Leads on issues of safety management including, risk assessment, safety mitigation plans and all other elements of staff safety in OPT.
• Takes a lead on ensuring that staff safety guidelines are regularly updated, and that Oxfam organizational policy is adhered to regarding safety management.
• Ensures safe programming, Oxfam’s staff, partners, and the people in communities with whom we work are safe and protected from harm, exploitation, abuse and harassment.
• Maintain a culture of safety throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response.

Safeguarding

• Act as a role model to all staff and related personal by acting as Safeguarding champion and advocate.
• Lead and guide, with various stakeholders, the implementation of One Oxfam Safeguarding Policy and Core Standards at all country levels
• Ensure the necessary support to safeguarding leads and safeguarding focal points
• Foster an organizational culture that understands and values safeguarding across country strategy and program implementation
• Holds responsibility to ensure safeguarding is included in overall risk management procedures.
• Overall accountability in ensuring that individuals are protected from harm, including Safeguarding:
1\) Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) and 2\) child abuse committed by staff or related personnel.
• With the support of the CMT ensure to create and maintain an organizational culture that understands and values safeguarding. This includes creating a safe working environment where all diversity is embraced, and inequality is challenged. Encourage positive behaviour and challenge inappropriate behaviour.
• Safeguarding is maintained as an agenda item in leadership meetings as well as all staff meetings.
• Hold Safeguarding as a priority in the country strategy, program implementation and office culture

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Management and Leadership

Essential:

• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across a number of locations.
• Proven track record in leading large scale emergency response programmes in highly insecure environments, including responsibility for security management
• Significant senior leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of high-quality program, influencing and development-humanitarian/nexus strategy, with and through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations.
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and geographical areas.
• 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 and policies.
• Demonstrated experience in being a leader in promoting women’s rights and gender equality

Representation and Communication

Essential:

• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with partners, government agencies, UN, INGOs, private sector organizations, media and donors at senior level: nationally and globally.
• Proven track record of success in advocacy and influencing
• Demonstrable experience of working with the media and an ability to represent the organisation in the media when required.
• Demonstrable ability to convey complex messages in an appropriate manner to broad and diverse audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence and negotiate.

Finance and Funding

Essential

• Significant experience of optimizing funds and effectively contract management from diverse institutions, both local and international.
• High level financial and asset management skills to steer and efficiently manage the operational budget across a number of locations.

Risk and Duty of Care:

Essential

• Experience of managing security, risk and legal compliance within an INGO context.
• Proven track record of making sound judgements in uncertain and pressurised situations.
• Able to fulfil agreed standards in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities.
• Experience of crisis management and security management.
• Demonstrable experience of effectively anticipating and managing risks that could threaten the organizations reputation, operational viability and security.

Desirable:

• Experience of meeting agreed standards in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities.

Strategic Analytics/Thinking

Essential

• Ability to manage the development of, and contribute to, the high-level analysis of factors driving poverty, marginalization and vulnerability in developing country contexts.
• The ability to ‘think politically’ understanding motivations, pressures, power dynamics and challenges faced by colleagues, partners, decision makers and other actors; and the ability to generate effective strategies to influence them.

Desirable

• Proven analytical skills, with the ability to:
- Take and manage calculated risks based on evidence-based assumptions. - Think strategically, to maximise adaptability and agility - Encourage forward thinking, new ideas and learning from experience beyond the country program context while acting within a global framework
• Good level of IT literacy and an understanding of how new developments in technology can positively contribute to the aims of an INGO.

Key Attributes

Essential: Education, Capacities and Experience

• Master’s degree in international development or related relevant subject or qualification
AND At least 15 years \[progressive\] experience in INGO or relevant sector organization in dynamically responsible international work experience, including significant leadership and management experience at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex and fragile operating environment. OR in case of absence of Degree At least 17-18 years \[progressive\] experience in INGO or relevant sector organization in dynamically responsible international work experience, including significant leadership and management experience at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex and fragile operating environment.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situation.
• Experience working in the SWANA region
• Experience working in OPT/I
• 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.

Desirable

• Fluent in written and spoken English is required. Working proficiency in Arabic is a plus

Organisational Values

• Equality: We believe everyone has the right to be treated fairly and to have the same rights and opportunities.
• Empowerment: We acknowledge and seek to expand people’s agency over their lives and the decisions that impact them.
• Solidarity: We join hands, support, and collabo-rate across boundaries in working towards a just and sustainable world.
• Inclusiveness: We embrace diversity and difference and value the perspectives and contributions of all people and communities in their fight against poverty and injustice.
• Accountability: We take responsibility for our action and inaction and hold ourselves account-able to the people we work with and for.
• Courage: We speak truth to power and act with conviction on the justice of our causes.
• Commitment-to a rights-based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights and feminist principles at the heart of all we do as Oxfam, as well as the rights of other marginalized people in all aspects of an organization’s work.

Other

• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.
• Ability to travel away from home, in the region and to remote programmatic sites within the country and periodic travel aboard for global meetings.

Key Behavioural competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Competencies and Description

Decisiveness

We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.

Influencing

We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and, where there are no opportunities, we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility

We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building

We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organization.

Listening

We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear and consider different preferences.

Mutual Accountability

We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values. We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity

We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Systems Thinking

We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organizational decisions and actions.

Strategic Thinking and Judgment

We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.

Vision Setting

We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.

Self-Awareness

We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

Enabling

We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job. We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.