Humanitarian Support Personnel - Policy & Advocacy

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

−  Do you have a proven track record in humanitarian policy/advocacy, influencing government, donors, or other organizations at national and international levels?

− Do you have training and capacity building skills, and ability to support Programme staff to build their skills in advocacy work?

− Do you believe in supporting platforms for local organizations to undertake advocacy and for communities to speak for themselves at national and international levels?

− Do you have the ability to deploy rapidly to different countries to scale up advocacy in crisis situations?

- Are you ready to travel at short notice and work away from your home base as part of Oxfam's humanitarian responses anywhere in the world?

If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you.

The Role:

What are Humanitarian Support Personnel (HSPs)?

The Humanitarian Support Personnel (HSP) Team comprises of technical humanitarian experts from various fields across the globe who bring their skills and experience to Oxfam’s country teams to help them respond to conflicts and natural disasters.

HSPs are globally roving and work away from their home base continuously. Typically, they are deployed to a particular location from a few weeks up to six months’ duration per assignment. HSPs could expect to be deployed to country programmes up to nine months a year (pro-rata for part-time posts). Our current emergency programmes are in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. When not deployed (or on annual leave), HSPs may be assigned project /proactive work, and the location in which the HSP undertakes this work will be determined by legal and cost implications.

What will you be doing as an HSP Policy and Advocacy Adviser?

− Be deployed to support country teams around the world to integrate advocacy into Oxfam’s emergency response. Deliver national and global advocacy, actively linking strategy and messaging to our humanitarian Programme work with crisis-affected communities.

− Work alongside media and campaign colleagues to deliver high quality advocacy and campaigning, using Oxfam’s advocacy network to provide a channel for partners and local organization to raise their voices in high level forums to bring real change.

 − Be accountable for ensuring community participation shapes Programme decisions, actively seek a partnership approach and work following feminist principles including strong awareness of power dynamics.

− Along with other technical staff, advisors and managers, promote safe programming in all humanitarian responses.

− Where necessary assist in developing country advocacy strategies, oversee project budgets, and work with funding colleagues to develop advocacy proposals for donors.

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a candidate who cares about Oxfam's mission to end poverty and is personally aligned to our feminist principles and values of empowerment, accountability and inclusion in all you do.

An ideal candidate for the role will also be / have:

− A person with the ability to deploy at short notice to areas affected by crisis and support the rapid scale up of humanitarian programmes to meet lifesaving needs of affected people.

− Knowledge and understanding of global justice, social change, women’s rights and gender equality and commitment to delivering humanitarian work through feminist principles.

− Practical experience of humanitarian work with a good understanding of context, dilemmas, challenges and ways of working.

− Proven track record in policy/advocacy, influencing government, donors or other organizations through advocacy at national and or international levels. Good understanding of key global humanitarian issues and institutions.

− Strong analytical ability and ability to prioritize issues in complex situations.

− Ability to think strategically and beyond the local/country context.

− Fluent written and spoken French & English is essential and knowledge of another additional language – Spanish and Arabic, is highly desirable.

We offer:

This role will give you an opportunity to make a difference in Humanitarian responses, to act as a key contributor to the Policy and Advocacy team, to work with a group of passionate people that are specialists in their fields. On this role, Oxfam Offers a fair pay and competitive benefits package which include a Net GBP pay whereby Oxfam covers the tax obligation for the employee, and attractive pension package; 33 leave days; a 100% medical cover for all reimbursables and a 75% cover on optical and dental expenses for the employee.

 Location:

HSPs: Roving role deployable to Oxfam Programmes worldwide. HSPs work away from their homebase continuously. Deployments to a particular location vary in length from a few weeks to 6 months duration. You will be deployed from your home country.

Flexfam:

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.  

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.