Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

Department Purpose

The Regional Platform (RP) of Oxfam in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has a mandate to:

• Provide strategic leadership, management & accountability of and to Oxfam country programmes in MENA.
• Deliver regional impact, developing partner relationships, brand and impact in the region through relevant influencing and advocacy work, public engagement and programming.
• Connect, coordinate, convene – Connect practitioners to sources of expertise, convene people to share knowledge and learnings, and coordinate capacity building initiatives.
• Enable operational agility and efficiency – Provide support to Oxfam country offices.

Project Description

The project Food security, WASH and protection, including cash assistance for conflict-affected communities in Syria and Gaza is a regional project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office *(*GFFO), implemented in Syria and OPT-Gaza, with a regional component focusing on strengthening local women and their organization’s leadership in humanitarian response across the region. The project will deliver WASH, Food Security and protection interventions in OPT and Syria, as well as deliver a regional component on feminist local humanitarian leadership, which may potentially bring in other countries in the region including Yemen, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco and Iraq, and will involve travel to those countries to meet with women humanitarian leaders and their organizations and networks, as well as organizing a regional learning event. A second multi-country project of humanitarian nature is likely to be secured to work in two more countries with a focus on protection and WASH.

Job Purpose

The Regional Project Coordinator will be the main focal point of the humanitarian multi country projects with a general overview of all activities and elements of the project in the countries of implementation and will line manage the project manager who will be in charge of the regional component (pending final confirmation of funding). S/He will be facilitating synergies and learning where possible and will be in charge of monitoring the achievement of overall planned results. This person will coordinate and oversee the implementation of the project interventions. The Regional Project Coordinator will be responsible for the coordination of different thematic and geographical project elements, including financial monitoring, monitoring and evaluation, drafting and reviewing progress and donor reports, planning and promoting learning. The Regional Project Coordinator will also have a key role in facilitating and building relationships with key stakeholders, feminist networks and allies, and will support in identifying further funding opportunities and new project ideas in line with Oxfam’s agenda on inequalities in the MENA region.

The position is a national position (with local terms, conditions, and benefits) and will require some travel within the MENA region (security permitting).

Job Description

1. Management of the regional component on Feminist Local Humanitarian Leadership

• Provide guidance, support and oversee the Regional Project Manager’s responsibilities (once funding is confirmed) in the implementation of the regional component’s activities.
• Ensure synergies between different country project components with the regional activities.

2. Coordination of the overall regional humanitarian projects in countries of implementation in MENA

• To oversee implementation of all project elements at country and regional levels, acting as focal point for the country teams for the GFFO project.
• Lead on drafting consolidated narrative reports to the donor, and oversee project financial reports prepared by the finance team from both countries and Oxfam Germany.
• Organize and coordinate programme review meetings (incl. Monitoring of project progress and budget spending) with Oxfam country and affiliate teams, trouble shoot and facilitate experience sharing between the two countries .
• Promote learning within the project’s regional component and with external actors, as well as facilitates synergies, exchange of best practices and learnings where possible across the target countries.
• Development and consolidation of a MEAL Plan in collaboration with the countries and engagement with regional MEAL lead to provide support on design of MEAL tools.
• Exchange regularly with Oxfam Germany and other Oxfam affiliates if relevant on major implementation risks to ensure efficient use of flexibility and donor communication.
• Monitor overall risks affecting the projects both at country and regional level and support risk management and mitigation measures together with Oxfam country and affiliates teams. Regularly update the overall risk matrix for the programme in collaboration with country and regional colleagues and partners.

Please note that some of the responsibilities highlighted above might be altered within the same scope of work depending on the confirmation of a likely funding opportunity.

Job Requirements

Essential

• University degree on social sciences or related. Alternatively, at least 7 years experience in management and / or coordination of humanitarian projects in MENA.
• Experience in working directly on Humanitarian Response in MENA, and more specifically, either in a local organization or an INGO or UN that partners with local organizations.
• Experience in building partnerships, alliances and relationships with organizations and stakeholders in MENA;
• A strong commitment to and deep understanding of the rationale for localization in humanitarian response and the need to ensure a feminist approach .
• Experience in project management, including in work planning, budget management and oversight, managing sub-grants, monitoring and evaluation, report-writing, among others;
• Strong understanding and commitment to a feminist approach in humanitarian response.
• Excellent soft skills such as diplomacy, communication and interpersonal skills, and negotiation;
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work in a variety of cultural contexts within MENA;
• Willingness and ability to travel within MENA (approx. twice a year);
• Excellent English and Arabic (reading, speaking, writing).
• Willingness to travel to high risk locations.

Desirable

• A master’s degree in humanitarian response, social sciences, international development studies, public policy studies, or equivalent;
• Experience in managing a regional (multi-country) project;
• Experience in collaborating with regional partners;
• Experience with GFFO and GAC funds.

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.