East Africa Food Crisis Response Manager

Our vision is to contribute to a transformed and stable Horn, East and Central Africa (HECA) region, where people exercise their right to challenge power and have dignity and security to drive transformative change in their lived experiences.

HECA is implementing a humanitarian response to the food crisis affecting Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. Prolonged drought and extreme flooding, on top of conflict, locusts and climate change, have devastated harvests and rangelands and triggered a dramatic inflation of food prices. The affected populations are struggling to access food, and more than 28 million people are facing severe food insecurity. Oxfam has declared this a regional Cat1 (highest organizational priority) crisis and scaled up their responses in the 4 countries significantly with focus on Food security, WASH, and Protection. The crisis responses are coordinated on regional level through a dedicated Programme management unit that is led by the EA Food Crisis Response Manager. Oxfam is working in close collaboration with national and local partner organizations.

The Role

To provide adequate management, direction, and support to Oxfam’s East Africa food security response regionally and in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. The postholder will be the Operational lead for the Response.

The position is accountable to the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, HECA.

Who we’re looking for

A dynamic and committed individual with the following:

• Post Graduate Degree or Degree with equivalent work experience from a recognised University/college in International Development or any other related area that can bring added value to the job.
• Relevant international humanitarian experience of 7 – 10 years for post graduate holders, or 10 years + for degree holders, including budgeting, planning, programme cycle management, preferably in an international NGO/operational UN agency/equivalent, out of which at least 5 years should be supervisory/managerial experience.
• Excellent value-based people management skills, with proven ability to lead multi-cultural with integrity and professionalism always.
• Extensive experience in large-scale humanitarian and resilience programming at senior levels, including both in sudden-onset disasters and in complex, insecure environments.
• Experience of working with and influencing government at senior levels.
• Knowledge of and experience of working with and influencing donors, UN and the cluster system at senior levels.
• Commitment to and experience of working with local partners, including women rights organizations, and civil society networks and provide strategic support to gradually increase their influence and programme portfolios.
• Knowledge and understanding of WASH, Emergency Food Security and Livelihoods, Gender and Protection programming in humanitarian response and resilience programming.
• Experience of implementing gendered humanitarian interventions and mainstreaming of other key programme quality themes such as accountability to local populations in humanitarian and resilience interventions.
• Commitment to and knowledge of working with networks and a partnership approach across the spectrum of Oxfam’s work, including innovative approaches to influence humanitarian actions
• Knowledge and commitment humanitarian values viz. community engagement, local humanitarian leadership, safe programming and feminist approach – in line with Oxfam’s humanitarian approach.
• Excellent communicator with strong written and reporting skills, and an excellent ability to influence verbally to persuade with diplomacy and tact.
• Ability to work strategically and cooperatively with a number of different in and out of country stakeholders and working relationships.
• Adaptable in approach to work with a willingness to work under pressure in a demanding environment.
• Proven ability to work with multi-million budgets, including monitoring and evaluation and reporting.

Our offer

At Oxfam, we believe that every aspect of our work can lead to a positive outcome. If you have the same opinion, together with the ability to meet the challenges involved, this role offers scope for immense personal fulfilment – as well as outstanding opportunities to develop your career.

Oxfam is committed to providing a competitive compensation package based on a 36-hour work week.