ABOUT OXFAM

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. We are shop volunteers, women's rights 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 an 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.

DEPARTMENT & TEAM PURPOSE

Department Purpose: To lead and enable the delivery of Oxfam's Global Strategy in Southern Africa by operating as a unified, regionally integrated team that drives systems change through partner-centred programming, strategic influencing, and knowledge-led practice. The department ensures an agile, digitally enabled and cost-efficient operating model that maximises impact, strengthens regional coherence, and positions Oxfam as a catalyst, convenor and trusted partner across the region.

Team Purpose: We are part of a broader movement for justice in Southern Africa and work in solidarity with partners, allies, and the communities we serve. Our role is to enable locally led change by strengthening the capacity, voice and influence of local actors to shape the systems and institutions that govern power and resources. Through partnerships, convening spaces, and evidence-based influencing, we contribute to thought leadership and collective action on gender and social justice, accountable governance, and alternative economic systems.

JOB PURPOSE

The Food and Economic Security (FES) Coordinator provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for Oxfam's food security, livelihoods, resilience, and economic justice humanitarian programming across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster.

The role is responsible for ensuring that Oxfam's food security and livelihoods interventions are technically robust, partner-led, gender-responsive, and fully aligned with Oxfam's humanitarian mandate, localisation agenda, and the broader 2026–2030 SAF Strategy. It supports the design, implementation, and adaptive management of integrated programming that addresses immediate humanitarian needs while strengthening resilience, economic recovery, climate adaptation, and long-term systems change.

As a core specialist within Oxfam's humanitarian and nexus architecture, the FES Coordinator strengthens the Cluster's technical capacity to respond to increasingly complex food, climate, and livelihood shocks while linking emergency response to resilience-building, social protection, and economic justice priorities. The role contributes directly to anticipatory action, programme quality, partner strengthening, regional influencing, and technical thought leadership.

Working under the Humanitarian Action Programme Manager, the role operates with significant autonomy in complex and rapidly evolving humanitarian contexts, requiring strong technical expertise, operational judgement, systems thinking, and the ability to coordinate effectively across multiple countries, partners, and stakeholders.

CONTEXT

Southern Africa is experiencing a convergence of complex and interlinked crises. Persistent poverty and extreme inequality, among the highest globally, continue to shape the lives of millions, compounded by climate shocks, economic instability, shrinking civic space, and entrenched gender inequalities.

At the same time, the region is undergoing rapid transformation. Climate-induced disasters such as droughts, floods, and cyclones are intensifying, humanitarian needs are rising, and urbanisation is reshaping patterns of poverty and exclusion. Youth populations are expanding rapidly, presenting both opportunities for change and risks of deepening inequality if economic inclusion is not achieved.

In response, Oxfam in Southern Africa has undergone a significant organisational transformation; shifting from country-based programming to a unified regional model designed to increase impact, efficiency, and influence across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The 2026–2030 Strategy marks a decisive shift toward locally led, partner-driven approaches, with Oxfam acting as a convenor, catalyst, and influencer rather than a direct implementer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership in Food and Economic Security Programming (25%)

• Lead strategic design and technical direction of emergency food security, livelihoods, resilience, and economic recovery programming.
• Ensure interventions are contextually relevant, technically sound, and aligned with regional strategic priorities.
• Develop and refine sector strategies across emergency food security, livelihood restoration, climate adaptation, market systems, cash and voucher assistance, and social protection.
• Ensure programming addresses both immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term resilience and economic justice pathways.
• Guide programme teams and partners in applying innovative, integrated, and adaptive programming approaches.
• Promote nexus programming that strengthens links between humanitarian response, climate resilience, and inclusive economic systems.
• Ensure compliance with humanitarian principles, Sphere standards, donor expectations, and Oxfam frameworks.

2. Assessments, Analysis, Preparedness and Early Warning (20%)

• Lead or support food security assessments, market analyses, household economy analyses, vulnerability assessments, and livelihood diagnostics.
• Strengthen data-driven programme design through context analysis, scenario planning, and strategic forecasting.
• Develop and maintain systems for early warning, anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, and crisis forecasting.
• Support preparedness planning for both rapid-onset and protracted emergencies.
• Strengthen country and regional capacity to identify and respond to emerging food and livelihood threats.
• Ensure technical evidence informs wider strategic humanitarian and programme decisions.

3. Partner Capacity Strengthening, Localisation and Technical Accompaniment (15%)

• Strengthen partner capacity in EFSL design, emergency programming, cash programming, market systems, compliance, and accountability.
• Provide structured technical accompaniment and mentoring to local partners and consortium members.
• Support localisation by shifting technical capacity and leadership closer to local actors.
• Develop tools, guidance, templates, and training systems that strengthen partner autonomy.
• Support partner emergency preparedness and institutional strengthening.
• Ensure partnerships are equitable, transformative, and aligned with feminist and decolonial principles.
• Work collaboratively with safeguarding, PQK, and compliance systems to strengthen responsible partner-led programming.

4. Programme Quality, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (15%)

• Ensure technical quality across all phases of programme design and implementation.
• Strengthen sector-specific monitoring, evaluation, and accountability systems.
• Support development of indicators, frameworks, and quality assurance systems.
• Conduct technical reviews, programme audits, and quality assurance missions.
• Work closely with MEAL and PQK teams to strengthen adaptive programming and evidence generation.
• Ensure affected communities are engaged through accountability systems and feedback mechanisms.
• Support donor reporting, programme reviews, evaluations, and strategic learning.
• Capture and disseminate innovation, best practice, and technical learning.

5. Humanitarian Response Coordination and Surge Support (10%)

• Support emergency response teams in designing and delivering food assistance, cash programming, livelihood recovery, market support, and resilience interventions.
• Participate in surge deployments or remote emergency coordination as required.
• Coordinate with internal teams, partners, humanitarian clusters, governments, and technical working groups.
• Strengthen coherence and effectiveness of regional humanitarian responses.
• Support rapid proposal development and emergency resource mobilisation.
• Ensure responses remain aligned with protection, safeguarding, gender, and localisation standards.

6. Business Development, Funding and Resource Mobilisation (5%)

• Provide technical leadership for concept notes, proposals, budgets, and donor engagement materials.
• Identify strategic funding opportunities linked to food security, resilience, and economic justice.
• Strengthen proposal competitiveness through strong technical design.
• Support donor confidence through clear articulation of Oxfam's FES value proposition.
• Collaborate with business development teams to strengthen sustainable funding pipelines.

7. Influencing, Advocacy, Policy and Knowledge Leadership (5%)

• Translate technical evidence into policy recommendations, advocacy priorities, and regional influencing agendas.
• Support regional and national advocacy on food systems, climate resilience, social protection, and economic justice.
• Represent Oxfam in technical and humanitarian coordination forums.
• Strengthen Oxfam's thought leadership on locally led humanitarian response, food security resilience, and nexus programming.
• Promote innovation and knowledge sharing across networks.

8. Safeguarding, Compliance and Risk Management (5%)

• Ensure all programming aligns with safeguarding, humanitarian standards, ethical conduct, and donor compliance.
• Integrate safeguarding, gender, and protection into all FES interventions.
• Identify and mitigate technical, operational, fiduciary, and programmatic risks.
• Promote safe, ethical, and accountable programme delivery.
• Strengthen compliance oversight within partner-led systems.
• Support responsible resource use and accountability.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Master's degree in Food Security, Agriculture, Humanitarian Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences or related field.
• 5 years of relevant experience in humanitarian response, food security, livelihoods, cash programming, and resilience programming.
• Proven experience in multi-country programming, emergency response, partner-led implementation, and technical programme leadership.
• Ability to operate in high-pressure environments and adapt to changing conditions.
• Proven experience working with national or regional partners supporting programme implementation including working across multi-country or multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong technical expertise and ability to integrate programme design with influencing and policy work.
• Strong communication, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build strong, credible relationships with internal and external individuals and organisations.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English, with strong influencing and persuasive skills.
• A high level of self-awareness, personal energy, stamina and flexibility.
• Proven experience as a team worker and demonstrably cooperative with members of other teams.
• Commitment to Oxfam's safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Desirable

• Portuguese language capability.
• Southern Africa regional experience.
• Experience with anticipatory action and climate adaptation.
• Knowledge of institutional donor systems.
• Commitment to Oxfam's overall aims and policies and experience of promoting gender equity and diversity and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam's work.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly, at times at short notice, locally and regionally.

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.

Languages

• Fluent in written and spoken English and ideally Portuguese.

SAFER RECRUITMENT

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 promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. 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. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the link:

https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/jobs/vacancy/food-and-economic-security-coordinator-int11699/24866/description/

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.

Closing Date: 6th August 2026