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:

Climate and Economic Justice Programme Manager provides strategic, technical, and people leadership for Oxfam’s climate justice, economic justice, livelihoods, resilience, and inequality programming across the Southern Africa (SAF) Cluster.Recruitment software

The role is responsible for ensuring that Oxfam’s climate and economic justice portfolio addresses the structural drivers of poverty, vulnerability, and inequality through high-quality, partner-led, evidence-based programming that aligns with Oxfam’s global frameworks and the SAF Strategy (2026–2030).

It ensures that programmes are strategically designed, effectively implemented, and positioned to contribute to systems change at local, national, and regional levels.

Working under the Programme and Influencing Lead, the role strengthens thematic coherence across the Cluster while contributing to broader nexus programming by ensuring strong integration with gender justice, humanitarian action, governance, and policy priorities. It serves as the principal thematic leader for climate and economic justice, linking programme delivery, evidence generation, partnership strengthening, and policy influence.

The role also directly manages and develops a distributed multi-country Climate and Economic Justice team, ensuring technical excellence, coordinated implementation, staff development, and strong strategic alignment across all programme areas.

Through strategic leadership, programme quality oversight, and strong external positioning, this role enhances Oxfam’s regional leadership on inequality, climate adaptation, just economies, and inclusive development pathways across Southern Africa.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES:

Essential

• Master’s degree in development studies, Economics, Environmental Studies, Social Sciences or equivalent qualification. A bachelor’s degree combined with relevant postgraduate or professional qualifications and significant experience of at least 10 years may be considered.
• Minimum of 6 years progressive responsibility in Climate justice, Economic Justice, livelihoods, and inequality programming.
• At least 3 years in a team leadership or management role.
• Strong technical expertise and ability to integrate programme design with influencing and policy work.
• Proven experience in managing teams, multi-country programming, strategic programme design, and policy engagement.
• 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 humanitarian-development nexus
• Knowledge of regional policy systems and governance structures
• 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.

• Master’s degree in development studies, Economics, Environmental Studies, Social Sciences or equivalent qualification. A bachelor’s degree combined with relevant postgraduate or professional qualifications and significant experience of at least 10 years may be considered.
• Minimum of 6 years progressive responsibility in Climate justice, Economic Justice, livelihoods, and inequality programming.
• At least 3 years in a team leadership or management role.
• Strong technical expertise and ability to integrate programme design with influencing and policy work.
• Proven experience in managing teams, multi-country programming, strategic programme design, and policy engagement.
• 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.
• Southern Africa regional experience
• Experience with humanitarian-development nexus
• Knowledge of regional policy systems and governance structures
• 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.