Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

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

The Programme and Influencing Lead provides senior strategic leadership, systems integration, and direct people management for Oxfam’s full Programme and Influencing architecture across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster.

The role is responsible for translating Oxfam’s 2026–2030 SAF Strategy into a coherent, regionally integrated programme and influencing ecosystem that aligns thematic programming, research, evidence generation, policy engagement, advocacy, communications, and SADC-level regional engagement into one unified system. It ensures that Oxfam’s work across Climate & Economic Justice, Gender Justice, and Humanitarian Action is strategically coherent, mutually reinforcing, partner-led, and designed to address the structural drivers of inequality through systems change.

Responsibilities or duties

Programme & Influencing Leadership (16%)

• Provides leadership of programme and influencing work across the SAF Cluster.
• Translate the SAF Strategy (2026–2030) into a coherent regional programme and influencing architecture
• Ensure all thematic portfolios are aligned to systems change and regional priorities
• Guide strategic prioritisation of programme investments across the Cluster
• Support the SADC CSO Liaison Office Oversight Group and Cluster Director in positioning Oxfam as a regional leader in influencing and systems change within the region

Integration of Programme, Evidence & Influencing (16%)

• Leads the integration of programme delivery, PQK systems, advocacy, and regional policy engagement into a single system.
• Establish and oversee structured feedback loops between:
  • Programme Managers (delivery)
  • PQK (evidence & learning)
  • Advocacy & Communications (narratives & campaigns)
  • SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead (regional policy interface)

Thematic Coherence & Nexus Programming Leadership (14%)

• Ensures alignment and integration across thematic areas, with full ownership of nexus programming.
• Lead coordination across:
  • Gender Justice Manager
  • Climate & Economic Justice Manager
  • Humanitarian Action Manager
• Ensure programmes are mutually reinforcing and not siloed
• Operationalise humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus approaches

Regional Influencing Architecture & SADC Engagement (12%)

• Support the Cluster Director and the SADC Oversight Group in providing strategic oversight of Oxfam’s regional influencing ecosystem, working in close partnership with the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead.
• Supporting defining of regional influencing priorities and strategies
• Ensure alignment between programme evidence, advocacy strategies, and SADC-level policy engagement and civil society processes
• Work closely with the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead to:
  • Translate programme evidence into policy positions and advocacy asks
  • Strengthen engagement with SADC Parliamentary Forum, Regional civil society platforms, and Policy and governance structures

Partnership-Led Programming & Localisation (10%)

• Drives the transition to transformative, partner-led programme delivery.
• Ensure programmes are delivered through strong and equitable partnerships
• Align Programme Managers and Coordinators around partner accompaniment approaches
• Strengthen integration between partner delivery, evidence generation, and influencing engagement (including regional platforms)

Programme Quality, Learning & Knowledge Integration (8%)

• In close collaboration with the PQK Lead ensure programme systems support adaptive programming and influencing impact.
• Supporting the operationalisation and functionality of Programme Quality & Knowledge (PQK) systems and PEEP platform
• Harmonisation of standards across programme design, MEAL, and knowledge management

Leadership & Management of Programme & Influencing Functions (12%)

• Leads a multi-disciplinary, multi-country team across programme and influencing functions.
• Line manage Programme Managers, and the Advocacy & Communications Manager
• Provide strategic alignment (not line management) to the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead

Alignment with Business Development & Resource Mobilisation (6%)

• Ensures programme priorities are aligned with funding strategy and pipeline development.
• Work closely with the Business Development Lead to align programme priorities with funding opportunities, and strengthen the fundability of programme designs
• Support development of multi-country and cross-thematic funding proposals

Risk Management, Safeguarding & Compliance Oversight (4%)

• Ensures programme delivery meets required risk, safeguarding, and compliance standards.
• Oversee identification and mitigation of programme and partner risks
• Ensure safeguarding and safe programming standards are embedded

Cluster Leadership & System Integration (2%)

• Acts as a core member of the Cluster Leadership Team (CLT).
• Contribute to overall Cluster strategy and decision-making

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

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:

• Master’s degree in international relations, Development Studies, Human Rights and Governance, or equivalent qualification. A Bachelor’s degree combined with relevant post graduate or professional qualifications may also be considered.
• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across a number of locations and Partnership-led programming within a regional context.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive senior leadership experience in Programme leadership, Policy, Influencing, Multi-country systems, and Strategic transformation
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and geographical areas.
• Demonstrated feminist and gender justice leadership.

Desirable

• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.
• Experience in Southern Africa region
• Knowledge of SADC and regional policy processes
• Experience in feminist and decolonial approaches

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits.

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more.

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

• Provides leadership of programme and influencing work across the SAF Cluster.
• Translate the SAF Strategy (2026–2030) into a coherent regional programme and influencing architecture
• Ensure all thematic portfolios are aligned to systems change and regional priorities
• Guide strategic prioritisation of programme investments across the Cluster
• Support the SADC CSO Liaison Office Oversight Group and Cluster Director in positioning Oxfam as a regional leader in influencing and systems change within the region
• Leads the integration of programme delivery, PQK systems, advocacy, and regional policy engagement into a single system.
• Establish and oversee structured feedback loops between: Programme Managers (delivery), PQK (evidence & learning), Advocacy & Communications (narratives & campaigns), SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead (regional policy interface)
• Ensures alignment and integration across thematic areas, with full ownership of nexus programming.
• Lead coordination across: Gender Justice Manager, Climate & Economic Justice Manager, Humanitarian Action Manager
• Ensure programmes are mutually reinforcing and not siloed
• Operationalise humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus approaches
• Support the Cluster Director and the SADC Oversight Group in providing strategic oversight of Oxfam’s regional influencing ecosystem, working in close partnership with the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead.
• Supporting defining of regional influencing priorities and strategies
• Ensure alignment between programme evidence, advocacy strategies, and SADC-level policy engagement and civil society processes
• Work closely with the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead to: Translate programme evidence into policy positions and advocacy asks, Strengthen engagement with SADC Parliamentary Forum, Regional civil society platforms, and Policy and governance structures
• Drives the transition to transformative, partner-led programme delivery.
• Ensure programmes are delivered through strong and equitable partnerships
• Align Programme Managers and Coordinators around partner accompaniment approaches
• Strengthen integration between partner delivery, evidence generation, and influencing engagement (including regional platforms)
• In close collaboration with the PQK Lead ensure programme systems support adaptive programming and influencing impact.
• Supporting the operationalisation and functionality of Programme Quality & Knowledge (PQK) systems and PEEP platform
• Harmonisation of standards across programme design, MEAL, and knowledge management
• Leads a multi-disciplinary, multi-country team across programme and influencing functions.
• Line manage Programme Managers, and the Advocacy & Communications Manager
• Provide strategic alignment (not line management) to the SADC Civil Society Liaison Lead
• Ensures programme priorities are aligned with funding strategy and pipeline development.
• Work closely with the Business Development Lead to align programme priorities with funding opportunities, and strengthen the fundability of programme designs
• Support development of multi-country and cross-thematic funding proposals
• Ensures programme delivery meets required risk, safeguarding, and compliance standards.
• Oversee identification and mitigation of programme and partner risks
• Ensure safeguarding and safe programming standards are embedded
• Acts as a core member of the Cluster Leadership Team (CLT).
• Contribute to overall Cluster strategy and decision-making

• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across a number of locations and Partnership-led programming within a regional context.
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and geographical areas.
• Demonstrated feminist and gender justice leadership.
• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.
• Knowledge of SADC and regional policy processes
• Experience in feminist and decolonial approaches

• Master’s degree in international relations, Development Studies, Human Rights and Governance, or equivalent qualification. A Bachelor’s degree combined with relevant post graduate or professional qualifications may also be considered.