Country Director - Occupied Palestinian Territory

About The Role

The Country Director (CD) will provide strong leadership of the OPT country office and ensure the delivery of Oxfam’s programme and influencing work within OPT, in line with the Oxfam OPT Country Strategy, Regional Strategy and Global Strategic Framework. The CD is expected to follow feminist principles in their leadership. The CD is expected to contribute and implement Oxfam’s Global Strategy, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in the Country. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses, long term development programme design and implementation, policy, advocacy and influencing. S/he will be directly responsible for the overall strategic planning, program development, and risk management, ensuring high level of program quality and grant management, overseeing program support operations (Finance, HR, Operations) to maintain organizational, donor and legal compliance, and represent Oxfam for country-level external relations and interagency coordination. S/he will also manage both the growth and contraction of the country programme based on changes to the country programme’s portfolio, ensuring a strategic, and principled, approach to change management.

It will be essential for the CD to work simultaneously at both strategic and operational levels and is expected to be present and active within the broader sector at country level, contributing to and providing leadership within the INGO and UN community in OPT. Representation will be a key part of the successful delivery of the CD role. The CD must also ensure that all Oxfam policies and procedures with respect to HR, safety and security, code of conduct, safeguarding, and other relevant policies and procedures are in place, implemented and adhered to. The CD will continually assess, identify and address gaps and weaknesses so as to improve overall country programme performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The Country Director will be responsible, with support from the Oxfam International SWANA regional platform, to implement the Oxfam 2030 Vision. This vision aims to create a stronger Oxfam that is globally coordinated network organization while staying relevant in every country in which we work. The Country Director has overall responsibility for the Oxfam program and reports to the OI Regional Director in the SWANA region, or her delegate.

Country Context and Oxfam Program in OPT

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) remains one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian, protection and political crises globally. Decades of Israeli unlawful occupation, restrictions on movement and access, recurrent cycles of conflict, and the siege in Gaza have severely constrained Palestinians' rights, livelihoods, economic opportunities, and access to essential services. These conditions have contributed to deepening poverty, aid dependency, forced displacement, and protection risks across Gaza, the West Bank including East Jerusalem. Israel’s genocide in Gaza with unprecedented levels of killing, destruction, forced displacement and deprivation continues to unfold. Across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinians are facing escalating settler violence, forced displacement, movement restrictions, settlement expansion, and growing threats to their rights and security. The humanitarian, political and protection environment remains highly volatile, with significant operational constraints and rapidly evolving risks. Leading Oxfam's work in this context requires strategic leadership, sound political judgement, and the ability to navigate a highly sensitive and fast-changing environment.

About Oxfam

At Oxfam we respond to emergencies and advocate for people in crisis, partnering with local organizations to deliver essentials and help rebuild communities. We work with activists and partners to fight poverty and injustice. We campaign for economic, gender, climate justice and accountable governance, striving for sustainable growth and transformation. We fight for a future that is equal, just and fair – one in which people have more equal opportunities and rights, and one in which we can all flourish, not just survive.

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