Influencing Lead

Influencing LEad

JOB DETAILS

LOCATION: Beirut

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed term

JOB FAMILY: Programmes

ONE OXFAM GRADE:  C      ZONE: 1

DEPARTMENT:

GLOBAL PROGRAMMES                                                                         

TEAM:  Influencing Team

SALARY:  As per scale

HOURS: 40 FTE

FLEXIBLE WORKING

‘We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.

TEAM PURPOSE: To campaign with others to improve the lives of populations in Lebanon affected by the impact of the Syria crisis – addressing systemic issues that shape inequality and access to services in Lebanon as well as promoting quality of asylum through an effective Oxfam ‘one programme’ approach.

JOB PURPOSE: In collaboration with Lebanon staff and partners, lead, coordinate and manage all of Oxfam’s global and national policy, media, campaign and advocacy work related to Lebanon

JOB REPORTS TO

Country Director

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS JOB

Policy & Research Advisor; Senior Media & Comms Officer

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY

N/A

GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE

National

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Country program teams; Influencing team; Monitoring, evaluation and learning team; fundraising team and finance team, Oxfam affiliates and wider confederation, civil society networks in country, the Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum (LHIF), UN agencies.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management)

Influencing Responsibilities (policy, advocacy, research, campaigning)

• Responsible for the actualisation of the influencing strategy for Lebanon taking account to the evolutions in the field, the region and at international level.
• Contribute to the development of a new Oxfam Country Strategy.
• Update Oxfam in Lebanon’s influencing strategy as needed and develop a new strategy that is in line with the new Oxfam Country Strategy.

• Lead humanitarian and development advocacy, through clear action plans and engagement strategies based on regular context and power analysis and identifying advocacy opportunities; Manage risks associated with any advocacy activities.
• In line with Lebanon’s influencing strategy and country strategy, develop Oxfam policies and positions in relation to Lebanon; draft policy documents for lobbyists, advocacy and media officers, and the wider Oxfam confederation; support research development as relevant, and support the Country Director and others as relevant with policy advice.
• Proactive participation in Oxfam campaign decision-making fora, working closely with the Syria Crisis Campaign Manager and other policy and media colleagues to ensure consistent and informed messages and strategies at local, national, regional, and global levels in relation to the Syria Crisis.
• Organize meetings, conferences, or roundtables when necessary.
• Coordinate with the wider Oxfam confederation, including the Oxfam International Gender Rights & Justice Campaign, the Inequality Campaign, and the Humanitarian Policy & Advocacy department, feeding in Lebanon information to global advocacy as needed; Support the Country Director and others in building consensus among Oxfam affiliates on policies, and coordinating internal sign-off process on all Lebanon policy issues.
• Working with the Country Director, lobby and maintain contact with diplomatic representatives and other relevant bodies based in Lebanon. Share information from such meetings with Oxfam lobbyists addressing Syria Crisis and Lebanon globally. Maintain close relations and coordinate advocacy with other national, international NGOs, UN agencies in Lebanon.
• Develop and maintain a network of civil society, diplomatic, and other relevant contacts within the country and internationally, and represent Oxfam publicly in meetings and at events; To degree possible, advise, liaise with and/or facilitate advice to a diverse network of Oxfam partner organisations in their advocacy efforts and contribute to strengthening the link between Oxfam advocacy and the programs of partners.
• Work with programme managers to develop policy analysis for policy and practice changes within programme, develop effective advocacy strategies for programme, ensure policy staff are supported and guided to deliver on programme policy components whilst ensuring it fits within Oxfam’s national influencing policy, and ensure adequate input into national influencing components of project proposal design, budgets and reporting to donors. Support the development of knowledge products including identifying and designing research programme learning, methodological guidance and communications products to inform programme and policy direction and build a sound evidence base to inform Oxfam’s development and humanitarian programming, lobbying, advocacy and influencing actions and resource mobilisation.
• Strengthen internal knowledge of and staff capacity of range of campaign and advocacy tools that can be applied in programme activities.
• Contingency planning & emergency response: Working with the Humanitarian Programme team, Media and Advocacy office, and other relevant staff, contribute to Oxfam’s contingency planning from policy and advocacy perspective.
• One program: Contribute and periodically review influencing issues coming from the Oxfam projects making up the country program.
• Annual planning process: Contribute to Oxfam’s internal annual and/or quarterly planning and reporting as part of the Country Management Team.
• Staff management: To manage the staff working in the Research, Policy and Influencing unit, on a day to day to basis, and to perform all HR tasks, such work meetings and performance management.
• Staff Resourcing: Work closely with relevant programme, policy and support staff to ensure the research, policy, and influencing unit is adequately resourced.

Media and Communications

• Explore the use of digital technology in our potential campaigning to scale up programme ambitions in this area Ensure that all public engagements are carried out in a consistent manner, protecting and promoting the brand and identity of Oxfam in all spheres - public messaging, communications materials, publications, media engagement, lobbying actions and public actions undertaken by Oxfam in Lebanon.
• Identify and establish opportunities for engagement with and influencing of the public, media, press and senior public servants to further Oxfam’s influence agenda.
• Liaise with Oxfam confederation members to shape and lead media engagement such as delivering stories from Jordan program for use in confederation members’ domestic market and accompanying journalists visiting the Lebanon country program.
• Lead in the elaboration of the communications strategy for Lebanon, in coordination with the Senior Media & communications officer.
• Represent Oxfam and communicate its views to a wide range of media and external stakeholders.
• Provide capacity building support to staff and partners on media and communications ensuring adherence to the communications guidelines and policies.

CORE DIMENSIONS

• Positively impacts on public image of Oxfam and public policy.
• Representation of Oxfam at coordination meetings and with external contacts in governments, UN and with civil society.
• Analysis and interpretation of complex but clearly defined problems. The types of information requiring analysis and interpretation are: Media reports; programme reports; reports from other organisations, UN Agencies, Government, and analysis of political decisions.
• Reflects good technical understanding and strong leadership.
• Produces, assimilates, analyses, and uses programme information from varied and diverse sources to provide in-depth analysis in the specific programme unit or policy area.
• Understands the consequences and impacts of decisions/judgements both internally and externally.
• Shows a desire to understand programmes and communicates with staff within the appropriate programme teams.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:

• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):

1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity."

2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES

ESSENTIAL

• Self-Awareness
• Influencing
• Relationship building

In addition:

• At least 7 years of experience in policy, advocacy, media or campaign work at local, national and international levels.
• Education in social sciences to degree level, or equivalent essential. Post-graduate and other training qualifications an advantage.
• Knowledge of and working experience in Lebanon and the region is an asset.
• Strong written and spoken English Arabic language is an asset.
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills, ability to think innovatively and strategically
• Experience of working in a humanitarian and protracted response context
• Experience developing and managing delivery of strategies, and line managing staff across multiple, remote teams
• Proven evidence of leadership skills including the ability to challenge, motivate and develop direct reports and teams.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills. Ability to write substantial pieces of analysis. 
• Flexibility, stamina and ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines, to work unsociable hours as necessary.
• Awareness and understanding of the media and how to brief them.

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.