DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE :
The following responsibilities are not exhaustive. They aim to provide a clear sense of the nature and scope of jobs at this grade:
• Management of a budget or of significant processes and relationships, particularly with partners and external contacts;
• May involve line management of a team;
• Project management – within own specialism;
• Works independently, making decisions and problem solving on routine, new and complex issues/problems, which are often highly unpredictable in type, content, or circumstances;
• Expert knowledge of relevant communications environment and programme context;
• Provides creative/innovative solutions to wide range of problems/tasks/projects – some new/some routine;
• Forward planning & management of projects/development of strategy within own specialism;
• Contributes to strategic development at a wider level within the programme;
• Providing technical advice and specialist guidance on appropriate communications solutions across the affiliate at all levels – possibly also OI-wide;
• Representing affiliate to influential external contacts, and acting as key external spokesperson;
• Achieves goals by influencing internal/external agenda/policies through using well-developed influencing, negotiating and sales skills;
• Responsible for shaping work which has potential major impact on public image;
Requires ability to analyse and communicate complex information to a wide range of audiences.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical :
• Lead the implementation and updating of the Jordan national influencing strategy in conjunction with programme based advocacy strategies;
• Work closely with programme teams to ensure policy positions are grounded in programme realities;
• Provide support during the development of project proposals and ensure that policy and influencing actions including media work are adequately resourced and responsive to the subject matter at hand;
• Write advocacy and policy products (policy papers, briefs, talking points, letters etc), support research development as relevant; ensure that team under your management and wider Oxfam teams deliver high quality products;
• Work closely with programme team to gather and analyse information from our programs for use in policy advocacy;
• Provides specialist policy advice and contextual analysis on legal frameworks/practices for Jordan programme management more broadly;
• Ensure policy and media products – whether national, regional or global as may be of relevance to Jordan- and analysis are signed off by the Country Director and all communication including pictures and tone-of-voice follows relevant Oxfam’s policies and principles;
• Liaise with Oxfam confederation members to shape and lead media engagement such as delivering stories from Jordan program for use in confederation members’ domestic market and accompanying journalists visiting Jordan program;
• Lead and shape media engagement by producing media products, press releases and media ready policy and program materials;
• Develop and hold relationships with national, regional and global media outlets as relevant and in coordination with the Regional and Global Media colleagues;
• Produce analysis and talking points for the Country Director ahead of strategic meetings and provide strategic advise on key geopolitical, socio-economic, thematic (as relating to the Oxfam Country Strategy themes of Climate Justice, Economic Justice and Gender Justice) and human security related developments to Senior Management at country, regional and global level;
• Perform related strategic tasks on behalf of country office as assigned by the Country Director.
Leadership
• Lead the development and delivery of policy and influencing work in Jordan and liaise across the Oxfam confederation, ensuring, as required, tactical and effective engagement from policy and advocacy staff within Oxfam International offices;
• Undertake proactive lobby and policy work with Government, UN agencies, donors, IFIs (the World Bank and IMF) and other actors, and advise/brief relevant Oxfam colleagues and Country Director ahead of external meetings as appropriate;
• Diplomatic skills and political sensitivity. Good representational skills;
• Ensure that a strong gender lens and gender analysis is embedded in approach, analysis and products delivered by Policy, Influencing and Media team.
Management
• Budget responsibility: Dependent on the scale and scope of programme requirements;
• Direct line management of three staff with matrix management of two staff embedded within programme teams. Ensuring professional development opportunities for the team and programme staff.
Other
• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values (click here) as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights (click here);
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Most importantly, every individual at Oxfam GB needs to be able to:
• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY and EMPOWERMENT (read more about these here);
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANISATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):
1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity.”;
2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.
Experience, Knowledge & Competencies
Essentials
For this role, you will need to model Oxfam’s feminist leadership approach so we have selected the most relevant feminist leadership practices which we will use for assessment purposes (which you can read more about here): Self -Awareness, Humility, Strategic Thinking & Judgement, Listening, influencing, relationship building.
• Master’s degree in law, humanitarian affairs, development studies, public policy, international relations, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience);
• At least 7 years’ experience in humanitarian and development programming (ideally in protracted crises and/or host country settings), with at least 2 years’ experience in country program senior management. Experience in development contexts is an added value;
• Experience in representation within coordination mechanisms, as well as with Governments, donors, IFIs and UN agencies. Knowledge and understanding of the UN system, humanitarian coordination architecture, and humanitarian/development principles/coherence is essential;
• Experience developing or managing policy analysis and advocacy initiatives;
• Experience working in the MENA region and/or with the Syria Crisis preferred;
• Expertise in strategic advocacy and networking and building alliances;
• Experience in working with media outlets, good understanding of media landscape and ability to identify the right media fit for Oxfam’s work;
• Experience in dealing with public facing campaigns that seek to change social behavior;
• Strong writing skills, preferably with a history of writing for external publications, and ability to produce quality research materials within tight deadlines;
• Clear and pleasant communication style that seeks to present the nub of the matter;
• Strong organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines.
• Well developed interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain relationships and work in complex teams/groups;
• Good analytical and conceptual thinking skills with good strategic perspective, able to understand complex issues and information from different sources and present this clearly and simply;
• Ability to work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner and to identify and develop new ways to use research to further Oxfam’s influencing objectives;
• Excellent communication skills, in written and verbal English. Arabic skills a plus;
• Demonstrated experience of integrating gender considerations into policy strategies and recommendations;
• Humility and flexibility in working with teams, local partners, allies and other internal and external actors.
Education:
• Master’s and undergraduate degree in relevant area (e.g. law, economics, development studies, political science) from a recognised university.
Experience:
• Experience working with communities and civil society organisations, especially in supporting their linking of on-the-ground issues to national-level change;
• Proven experience of evidence-based policy work;
• Ability to work with UN agencies, INGOs, civil society, government agencies and policy makers.
Key Attributes:
• 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.
Organisational Values:
• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions;
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen;
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.
At interview, shortlisted candidates will also be assessed on our values and organisational attributes, as outlined above.