WE Care Programme Manager at Oxfam in Africa (OiA)

November 5, 2026

Job Details

Location: Flexible in Africa Region, subject to being able to establish a contract of employment directly or via hosting affiliate.

Contract Type: Fixed term.

Internal Job Grade: C1

Department and Team: Oxfam in Africa, Programme and Influencing Team

Salary: In line with Oxfam pay range.

Hours (FTE): Full Time (subject to location).

Flexible Working

We believe flexible working is key to building the Africa Platform 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, equity, inclusion, and representation within our organization. We believe in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, and paternity.

Oxfam in Africa (OiA)

Oxfam in Africa (OiA) embraces all the Oxfam stakeholders’ entities (countries, clusters, advocacy offices and affiliates) on the continent and seeks to enable and enhance impact through collaboration and integration. The Africa platform will contribute to deliver Oxfam’s impact and Influence in Africa. The plural and robust leadership team will represent the different Oxfam stakeholders in the continent. It will include the Oxfam in South Africa (OZA) Executive Director (as the only affiliate currently in the continent and the new ones will be included in due time), the Country Directors, SAF Cluster Director from the programmes in Africa who will be leading on specific themes / priorities within Oxfam in Africa and the Africa Platform Senior Leadership Team (SLT). There will be collaboration with the North Africa cluster specially on the influencing work but no direct management relationship.

Department Purpose

The Programmes and Influencing team will guarantee the humanitarian response support to countries and cluster. This team will be assessing and promoting linkages with strategic partners. They will lead on the rights resilience and nexus agendas, transformative partnerships, as well as programme quality, learning and accountability. The director and their team will ensure that the Africa Platform works closely with and contributes to Oxfam’s worldwide campaigns, ensuring that Oxfam empowers people across the continent to take action on inequality, climate and gender justice.

The thematic leads in the programmes and influencing team will lead in many of the areas like climate, gender, education and economic justice, the emerging digital world among others and will have competencies in these specific thematic areas linked to the global strategic goals and horizon themes. In addition, some roles will respond to the programmatic needs based on restricted income coming into the platform. Programme quality will also be a key area of support. Finally, the director and their team will foster strategic partnerships and alliances to deliver on mutual agenda to achieve influence and impact at scale.

Job Purpose

Oxfam is a global movement working with partners and communities to challenge inequality, poverty and injustice. Gender justice and women’s rights are central to Oxfam’s vision of a just and sustainable world. Oxfam advances feminist, locally led and transformative approaches to addressing structural inequalities, including the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work, barriers to women’s economic rights and participation, and discriminatory social norms.

The WE-Care programme contributes to this agenda by promoting the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work and by strengthening the voice, agency and influence of women and girls in decisions that affect their lives. The programme works through partnerships, evidence generation, social norms transformation, policy influencing, movement strengthening and engagement with relevant public institutions and other stakeholders.

WE-Care is implemented through a multi-country model, with programme engagement across Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, requiring coordinated planning, effective financial management, strong partnerships, donor accountability and shared learning. The Programme Manager will play a central role in sustaining programme quality, supporting strategic coherence across countries, managing current donor commitments and contributing to the development and sustainability of the future of WE-Care.

Role Reports To: Gender Justice Lead

Roles Reporting to This Post:

Programme country Support Officer
WE-Care Finance Coordinator

Budget Responsibility: WE Care Budget Holder

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Programme Leadership and Multi-Country Delivery

Provide overall operational leadership and accountability for the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring and delivery of WE-Care across participating countries.
Lead the development and consolidation of integrated programme workplans, budgets, implementation schedules and delivery milestones.
Ensure that country-level interventions contribute coherently to agreed programme outcomes, donor commitments and Oxfam’s strategic priorities.
Convene regular programme coordination and performance review meetings with country teams, partners and relevant Oxfam stakeholders.
Identify and address delivery bottlenecks, programme risks and operational challenges, escalating significant issues to the relevant authorities in a timely manner.
Ensure that programme implementation is adaptive and responsive to changes in political, social, economic and institutional contexts.
Promote coherence and complementarity between country interventions, regional initiatives and relevant confederation-level priorities.

Financial Management, Donor Compliance and Risk Oversight

Hold overall operational accountability for effective programme budget planning, monitoring, forecasting and expenditure management, in close collaboration with the WE-Care Finance Coordinator and relevant finance teams.
Ensure that expenditure is aligned with approved budgets, donor agreements, programme objectives and Oxfam financial policies.
Oversee the timely preparation and consolidation of financial information required for donor reporting, internal management and audits.
Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, donor conditions, procurement requirements, partnership agreements and relevant organisational procedures.
Maintain an up-to-date programme risk register covering financial, operational, partnership, safeguarding, reputational and contextual risks.
Support internal and external audits and ensure that agreed recommendations and management actions are implemented.
Ensure that any proposed budget revisions, reallocations or contractual changes follow established approval processes.

Donor Relationship Management and Reporting

Serve as the principal operational focal point for WE-Care donor coordination, working in close consultation with the Gender Justice Lead and relevant Oxfam donor relationship holders.
Coordinate engagement with the Hewlett Foundation and other relevant donors and stakeholders, including Oxfam affiliates, where applicable.
Lead the preparation, quality assurance and timely submission of donor narrative reports, working closely with country teams, partners, finance, MEAL and technical colleagues.
Ensure that donor reports communicate credible results, as per the donor requirements.
Maintain consistent, accurate and timely communication with donors on implementation progress, risks, changes and agreed follow-up actions.
Coordinate donor meetings, programme reviews, field visits and information requests.
Support the Gender Justice Lead in strategic donor engagement, relationship development and discussions on programme continuity or expansion.
Ensure that all formal donor commitments, contract amendments and strategic positions receive appropriate internal review and approval.

Programme Development, Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability

Ensure that programme implementation contributes to agreed influencing outcomes on unpaid care and domestic work, women’s economic justice and gender equality.
Work closely with the line manager, country teams, technical advisers and partners to strengthen the link between programme evidence and policy influencing.
Support the integration of WE-Care learning and evidence into relevant national, regional and global policy discussions.
Facilitate cross-country collaboration on care-related policy reforms, public investment in care, social protection, public services and gender-transformative social norms change.
Support meaningful engagement with women’s rights organisations, feminist movements, care advocates, policymakers and other relevant actors.
Ensure that programme influencing approaches recognise the leadership, knowledge and agency of women and locally led organisations.
Contribute technical and programme evidence to regional and confederation-level influencing initiatives as agreed with the line manager.
Represent WE-Care in relevant technical, programme and policy forums within delegated authority.

Feminist Influencing, Policy Engagement and Strategic Alignment

Hold overall operational accountability for effective programme budget planning, monitoring, forecasting and expenditure management, in close collaboration with the WE-Care Finance Coordinator and relevant finance teams.
Ensure that expenditure is aligned with approved budgets, donor agreements, programme objectives and Oxfam financial policies.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning and Knowledge Management

Ensure the effective implementation of a robust, feminist and participatory MEAL framework across the programme.
Work with MEAL colleagues and implementing partners to ensure appropriate indicators, baselines, targets, monitoring tools and data-quality systems are in place.
Oversee the regular collection, validation, analysis and use of programme data to assess progress towards outcomes and impact.
Ensure that evidence captures changes in unpaid care responsibilities, gender norms, women’s agency, institutional practices and policy outcomes, as appropriate to the approved results framework.
Promote ethical, inclusive and safe approaches to data collection, including informed consent, confidentiality and data protection.
Lead regular programme reflection, learning and adaptive management processes with country teams and partners.
Support the documentation of good practices, lessons learned, case studies, policy outcomes and programme innovations.
Facilitate cross-country peer learning, technical exchange and the dissemination of relevant knowledge products.
Coordinate programme evaluations, reviews and learning studies, ensuring findings inform decisions and future programme design.
Ensure programme evidence is accessible and useful for donor accountability, policy influencing, organisational learning and programme improvement.

Partnership Management and Locally Led Programming

Maintain effective and equitable working relationships with implementing partners, country teams and relevant stakeholders.
Promote feminist partnership principles, including mutual accountability, transparency, shared decision-making, respect for local knowledge and equitable power relations.
Support partners to develop and implement realistic workplans, budgets and reporting arrangements.
Facilitate appropriate partner capacity strengthening, peer learning and organisational development support.
Ensure timely follow-up on partner delivery commitments, emerging challenges and agreed corrective actions.
Work with country teams and partners to ensure compliance with partnership agreements and relevant organisational standards.
Support conflict-sensitive, inclusive and contextually appropriate approaches to programme implementation.
Promote meaningful participation and leadership of women, including women from marginalised and underrepresented groups, in programme processes and decision-making.

People Management, Functional Coordination and Team Leadership

Provide effective functional leadership and day-to-day coordination of designated WE-Care programme support personnel, including the Programme Support Officer and WE-Care Finance Coordinator.
Set clear work priorities, coordinate deliverables and monitor performance against agreed programme responsibilities.
Exercise formal line management responsibilities for designated staff where confirmed in the approved organisational structure.
Facilitate effective collaboration between programme, finance, MEAL, influencing, communications and technical functions.
Coordinate the engagement and management of programme consultants and service providers, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
Support recruitment, onboarding, induction and capacity development of programme personnel, as required.
Apply feminist leadership principles, including shared power, inclusion, care, transparency, constructive feedback and mutual accountability.
Foster a supportive working environment that promotes staff well-being, respectful collaboration and effective remote teamwork.
Identify capacity gaps and facilitate appropriate technical or management support for programme teams.

Safeguarding, Feminist Values, Accountability and Organisational Compliance

Ensure that safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, anti-fraud, anti-corruption and ethical conduct are integrated into programme management and partner engagement.
Promote feminist, inclusive and rights-based approaches across programme planning, implementation and management.
Ensure that programme teams and partners understand and apply relevant Oxfam safeguarding and accountability policies.
Support accessible and safe community feedback and complaints mechanisms, including appropriate referral and escalation procedures.
Ensure responsible data management, confidentiality and the protection of sensitive programme information.
Promote safe, respectful and equitable working relationships across countries, partners and Oxfam entities.
Model Oxfam’s values of accountability, empowerment and inclusiveness in everyday leadership and decision-making.

Person Specification

Most importantly, every individual at Oxfam International Secretariat 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):

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.
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 and Competencies

Essential

Essential Qualifications and Experience

Advanced university degree in development studies, gender studies, social sciences, public policy, international development or another relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
Substantial relevant experience managing complex, multi-country development programmes, preferably within international NGOs, feminist organisations or rights-based development institutions.
Demonstrated experience in programme planning, implementation, budgeting, financial monitoring, donor compliance and reporting.
Strong understanding of gender justice, women’s economic justice and feminist approaches to development.
Experience working on unpaid care and domestic work, care systems, gender-transformative programming or closely related women’s economic justice issues.
Proven experience coordinating programme development, donor proposals, results frameworks and multi-stakeholder planning processes.
Experience managing institutional or foundation-funded programmes and maintaining effective donor relationships.
Demonstrated ability to work with finance and MEAL colleagues to ensure programme quality, evidence generation and accountability.
Experience supporting locally led partnerships and collaborating with women’s rights organisations and civil society actors.
Strong understanding of advocacy, policy influencing and the relationship between programme evidence and systems change.
Experience coordinating geographically dispersed teams and providing effective functional or matrix management.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication, facilitation and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities, respond to operational challenges and deliver against tight deadlines.
Demonstrated commitment to feminist leadership, safeguarding, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Excellent written and spoken English and the ability to prepare high-quality donor reports and proposals.
Willingness and ability to travel to programme countries as required.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Willingness and ability to travel to programme countries as required.
Direct experience working on unpaid care and domestic work programmes in Africa.
Familiarity with the WE-Care programme, its theory of change and its approaches to influencing and social norms transformation.
Experience working with foundations and philanthropic donors.
Experience in multi-country programme transition, funding renewal and sustainability planning.
Knowledge of care policy, public financing for care, social protection and gender-responsive public services.
Experience applying feminist MEAL approaches, including participatory learning and qualitative outcome assessment.
Familiarity with Oxfam’s programme management, financial, safeguarding and partnership systems.
Experience facilitating cross-country learning, knowledge management and evidence-based influencing.
Working knowledge of French or another language relevant to Oxfam’s operations in Africa.

Oxfam Leadership Competencies

The most relevant Oxfam Leadership competences for this role:

Self-Awareness
Mutual accountability
Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity
Enabling
Listening

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.

Closing Date

16 November 2026

How to Apply

To apply for this position, visit the official application page:

https://oxfam.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/4357994?cid=3360&t=WE-Care-Programme-Manager