Policy & campaigns director

Policy and campaigns director (REF: INT4522)

Background

Oxfam's purpose is to work with others to overcome poverty and suffering around the world. In Rwanda we run an exciting country programme that supports smallholder farmers, particularly women farmers, to engage in more profitable activities in the horticulture sector through facilitating access to finance, supporting technological development and innovation, and building beneficial partnerships between farmers and the private sector. Oxfam also supports the participation of farmers in policy and planning processes at local levels that affect their livelihoods, as well as working to improve women's social and economic status within their communities.

Oxfam is looking for an exceptional policy, advocacy and campaigns professional who can head up an expanding area of work within the Oxfam country programme. This is a diverse role for a senior and high-energy individual who will manage a range of initiatives from overseeing behaviour change campaigns on gender-based violence, to directing our communications work with a strong focus on new/digital media, to carrying out more traditional lobbying and advocacy activities. The post-holder will lead the policy analysis on a range of issues from agricultural livelihoods, climate change adaptation, women's empowerment, disaster risk reduction and peacebuilding. They will be responsible for ensuring strong linkages and building a high-quality evidence base for the policy and campaigns work based on Oxfam's experience and that of its partners, and will need to work closely with the programme teams to document programme learning. They will commission research as appropriate to support Oxfam's objectives in this area.

What we Oxfam is looking for

The successful individual will bring significant experience of lobbying and advocacy work at a high level and of developing a wide range of relationships with stakeholders in order to achieve their objectives. The role requires exceptional analytical skills with the ability to produce research, communications, analysis and briefings on a range of issues. The postholder will have strong communications skills with evidence of having written high-quality materials in English for a range of audiences and a good working knowledge of media/PR. Experience of working in Rwanda on similar issues is highly desirable as is a working knowledge of Kinyarwanda and/or French. Since this post is a member of the country management team and is envisaged to manage other roles as the function grows, management ability and experience is highly desirable.