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 Security Advisor provides senior specialist leadership on security risk management, organisational resilience, duty of care, and operational safety across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster, ensuring that security considerations are systematically embedded into programme planning, operational systems, leadership decision-making, humanitarian preparedness, and partner-led delivery models.

The role is responsible for developing and maintaining a coherent regional security architecture that safeguards Oxfam staff, partners, assets, programmes, and reputation across complex, volatile, and high-risk operating environments. It ensures that security management is not treated solely as a reactive or compliance function, but as a strategic enabler of safe, effective, and resilient programme delivery within Oxfam's regional operating model.

Operating under the Cluster Director, the role serves as the principal security adviser to Cluster leadership, programme teams, operations systems, and partner structures, ensuring that risk analysis, crisis preparedness, staff safety, and duty-of-care obligations are integrated into all organisational functions. It also plays a critical role in strengthening business continuity, emergency preparedness, safeguarding alignment, and localisation by ensuring that staff and partners are equipped to manage security challenges responsibly and sustainably.

As a member of the Cluster Leadership Team, contribute to the collective strategic leadership, governance, and management of the SAF Cluster, sharing responsibility for organisational performance, risk management, and delivery of the Cluster Strategy.

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. Security Risk Management & Analysis (20%)

• Conduct and maintain security risk assessments across countries and programme areas.
• Monitor and analyse evolving security trends including conflict dynamics, political risks, civil unrest, environmental threats, organised violence, and access constraints and provide timely advice to SAF partners, operational teams and leadership.
• Develop context-specific risk mitigation strategies.
• Strengthen scenario planning and strategic foresight.
• Ensure leadership decisions are informed by robust security analysis.
• Promote security as a strategic organisational function.

2. Security Frameworks, Policies & Protocols (15%)

• Develop, update, harmonise and maintain security policies, SOPs, crisis protocols, travel systems, access frameworks and security governance tools.
• Ensure alignment with Oxfam global security policies and duty-of-care frameworks, humanitarian principles, and safeguarding systems.
• Support implementation and compliance across all operational hubs.
• Standardise security systems while adapting to local realities.
• Strengthen organisational security maturity and resilience.
• Promote operational consistency across a decentralised regional model.

3. Duty of Care & Staff Safety (15%)

• Advise on staff safety, field travel, access protocols, safe accommodation, and incident prevention.
• Support development of safe working practices across all contexts.
• Work with People, Culture and Organisational Development Lead to integrate security into wellbeing systems, staff care, and crisis support.
• Strengthen business continuity and safe operating environments.
• Ensure security systems support staff resilience, morale, and retention.
• Promote feminist and inclusive security practices.

4. Incident Management & Crisis Response (15%)

• Provide guidance during security incidents, critical events, emergencies, evacuations, and access disruption.
• Lead or support incident report coordination, escalation protocols, crisis management structures, and after-action reviews.
• Ensure incidents are documented, analysed, reported, and used for institutional learning.
• Strengthen business continuity systems and contingency planning.
• Promote organisational preparedness for disruption.

5. Security Capacity Building, Awareness & Organisational Culture (10%)

• Design and deliver security training, HEAT-related preparedness, briefings, incident simulations, and risk awareness systems.
• Build security competence across staff, leadership, partners, and field teams.
• Promote a culture of preparedness, accountability, safe decision-making, and risk awareness.
• Strengthen organisational confidence in high-risk contexts.
• Ensure security awareness is embedded institutionally.

6. Security Integration into Programme Design, Delivery & Humanitarian Systems (10%)

• Advise programme teams on risk-sensitive design, safe implementation, access strategies, and context adaptation.
• Strengthen integration of security considerations into programme planning, humanitarian response, partner-led systems, and operational decision-making.
• Ensure programme continuity in volatile contexts.
• Support ethical programming in fragile environments.
• Strengthen nexus between programme effectiveness and security.

7. Partner Security Support, Localisation & Responsible Risk Sharing (10%)

• Support partners in security assessments, risk management, incident response, and security systems design.
• Strengthen partner organisational resilience and preparedness.
• Promote responsible localisation by ensuring shared risk understanding, ethical risk transfer, and partner safety.
• Build partner capability without externalising disproportionate security burdens.
• Ensure equitable security standards across partnerships.

8. Coordination, External Engagement & Security Network Management (5%)

• Liaise with Oxfam global security teams, regional security networks, governments, security actors, and humanitarian coordination systems.
• Build credible external security relationships.
• Support strategic coordination across countries and affiliates.
• Strengthen information sharing and intelligence systems.
• Enhance Oxfam's institutional resilience through external engagement.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Master's degree in Security Management, International Relations, Risk Management, Humanitarian Security or related field. A Bachelor's degree combined with relevant postgraduate or professional qualifications and significant experience of at least 10 years may be considered.
• At least 6 years' experience of progressive senior experience in security risk management, humanitarian security, crisis response, and multi-country operational security.
• Strong understanding of risk assessment, incident management, and duty-of-care frameworks.
• Proven ability to provide strategic security advisory, risk analysis, incident management and duty of care systems.
• Strong communication, leadership and systems capability.
• 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. Ability to work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner, adjusting to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through.
• 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

• Partner security systems strengthening experience.
• Professional training or certification in security management, crisis management, or humanitarian security (e.g. HEAT training or equivalent).
• 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.

Languages

• Fluent in written and spoken English and ideally Portuguese.

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.

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/security-advisor-int11689/24855/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