One person in three in the world lives in poverty. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty. Around the world, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. We save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. And we campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them. In all we do, Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.

As a confederation, our values are Accountability, Empowerment, and Inclusiveness.

Empowerment: Everyone, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can be a catalyst for change.

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior 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.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

Background of Oxfam:

Oxfam started working in Southern Africa in the 1980s. Since then, we have implemented both development and humanitarian programmes to support practical and innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty.

We work with local stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the root causes which keep people in poverty. Oxfam is currently collaborating with the Government, international and local CSOs, UN Agencies and other stakeholders.

Oxfam envisions Southern African countries to be free of extreme inequality and injustice; a society where citizens and particularly women across all age groups claim and exercise their rights and responsibilities and can influence decisions that affect their lives.

Our regional program aims to promote women’s rights, good governance and accountability, resilient livelihoods, as well as enhance preparedness, reduce vulnerability to disaster and ensure an effective response to humanitarian crises.

Job Summary:

The Business Development Coordinator-Trusts, Foundations, Social Enterprises & Innovative Partnerships provides strategic coordination, pipeline management, and partnership development leadership to strengthen Oxfam’s engagement with philanthropic donors, trusts, foundations, social enterprises, and innovative financing actors across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster.

The role is responsible for building and managing a diversified regional funding architecture that expands Oxfam’s access to unrestricted, lightly restricted, co-financing, and innovative partnership opportunities. It ensures that philanthropic and social enterprise partnerships are strategically aligned, values-driven, safeguarding compliant, and contribute to programme innovation, long-term financial sustainability, and transformational impact.

Working under the Business Development Lead, the role serves as a central coordination point across country teams, thematic programme leads, partnerships structures, Oxfam affiliates, and external actors to ensure coherence, competitiveness, and strategic positioning. It plays a critical role in reducing fragmentation, improving donor diversification, and advancing innovative business development models that strengthen Oxfam’s shift toward a more resilient, partner-led, and regionally integrated operating model.

The role also leads a regional network of focal points and supports country teams in strengthening capacity, ensuring that business development systems are robust, innovative, and responsive to evolving donor landscapes.

The role requires a high level of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and analytical capability, with the ability to operate with autonomy in a complex, multi-country, partner-led environment.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES

Essential

• Master’s degree in business administration, Economics, Development Studies, International. Relations, Agricultural Economics, Social Work or related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in Philanthropic fundraising, Trust and foundation engagement, social enterprise development, strategic partnerships, and business development.
• At least 2–3 years in a leadership or coordination, and or strategic management roles.
• Proven experience in social enterprise development, relationship management, and coordinating across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong relationship management, communication, and strategic thinking skills.
• Proven experience working with national or regional partners supporting programme implementation including working across multi-country or multi-stakeholder environment.
• 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

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.

Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English and ideally Portuguese.

• Provides strategic coordination, pipeline management, and partnership development leadership to strengthen Oxfam’s engagement with philanthropic donors, trusts, foundations, social enterprises, and innovative financing actors across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster.
• Builds and manages a diversified regional funding architecture that expands Oxfam’s access to unrestricted, lightly restricted, co-financing, and innovative partnership opportunities.
• Ensures that philanthropic and social enterprise partnerships are strategically aligned, values-driven, safeguarding compliant, and contribute to programme innovation, long-term financial sustainability, and transformational impact.
• Serves as a central coordination point across country teams, thematic programme leads, partnerships structures, Oxfam affiliates, and external actors to ensure coherence, competitiveness, and strategic positioning.
• Plays a critical role in reducing fragmentation, improving donor diversification, and advancing innovative business development models that strengthen Oxfam’s shift toward a more resilient, partner-led, and regionally integrated operating model.
• Leads a regional network of focal points and supports country teams in strengthening capacity, ensuring that business development systems are robust, innovative, and responsive to evolving donor landscapes.

• Strong relationship management skills
• Communication skills
• Strategic thinking skills
• Influencing and persuasive skills
• Ability to build strong, credible relationships with internal and external individuals and organisations
• Teamwork skills
• Cooperative with members of other teams
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly

• Master’s degree in business administration, Economics, Development Studies, International. Relations, Agricultural Economics, Social Work or related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in Philanthropic fundraising, Trust and foundation engagement, social enterprise development, strategic partnerships, and business development.
• At least 2–3 years in a leadership or coordination, and or strategic management roles.
• Proven experience in social enterprise development, relationship management, and coordinating across multiple stakeholders.
• Proven experience working with national or regional partners supporting programme implementation including working across multi-country or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English.
• A high level of self-awareness, personal energy, stamina and flexibility.
• Proven experience as a team worker.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies.
• 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. (Desirable)
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly, at times at short notice, locally and regionally. (Desirable)
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English and ideally Portuguese. (Desirable)