Climate Resilience Thematic Lead

Oxfam Novib

Cambodia 🇰🇭

Laos 🇱🇦

Myanmar (Burma) 🇲🇲

Thailand 🇹🇭

Vietnam 🇻🇳

  • Closing date: April 30, 2025, at 23:59 ICT.
  • Location: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • Contract: 1-year fixed term
  • One Oxfam Grade: C1 National
  • Salary and benefits: N/A

Department purpose:The Oxfam in Asia regional platform contributes to and implements Oxfam’s Global Objectives and Strategy and leads the implementation of Oxfam in Asia’s Strategic Framework, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in Asia. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses and the localization of humanitarian leadership, long-term development programming, and influencing work. Responsible and accountable for the strategic direction and effective management of the programming in Asia, effective management of financial and human resources in line with Oxfam policy, and providing high-level support and representation for advocacy, fundraising, and any other representational purposes in support of Oxfam’s work and interest while ensuring gender justice and feminist principles are adopted.

Team purpose: The Mekong Regional Water Governance Program (MRWGP) focuses on inclusive and equitable water governance, addressing climate change, water security, and social accountability. MRWGP oversees regional projects funded by DFAT and SDC, ensuring sustainable water governance across Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Myanmar.  The Mekong Inclusive Water Governance and Climate Resilience Program 3 (IP3) (2025-2029) integrates water governance and climate resilience for regional policy impact. The program aims for – More sustainable and resilient livelihoods of riparian communities in the Mekong Sub-region and prioritises three interconnected pillars. Pillar 1: Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Feminist Influencing; Pillar 2: Inclusive Water Resource Governance; Pillar 3. Climate Resilient Communities.

Job purpose: The Technical Lead for Climate Resilience will provide strategic and technical leadership on Climate Resilience across the IP3 Project, focusing on inclusive, evidence-based mitigation, community-driven adaptation initiatives, and disaster risk management. The role supports program design and implementation that centres on the knowledge, agency, and priorities of frontline communities. It will lead technical capacity strengthening, cross-country learning, and influencing priorities to shape just and effective climate responses. The postholder will work across country teams, partners, and regional networks and institutions to ensure climate resilience technical support adds value to accountable delivery that results in tangible improvements in the lives and resilience of affected communities.

DIMENSIONS of the Role

Strategic Leadership and Program Delivery: The role is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that shape programming and policy through effective climate resilience mainstreaming and standalone activities. Provides leadership in thematic areas—climate resilience, community-based Disaster Risk Management (DRM), hydro-meteorological data accessibility across the Mekong Sub-Region.

External Engagement and Representation: Significant external-facing responsibilities, including engaging with governments, regional partners, civil society, donors, and regional and global networks to influence narratives, policy, and practice on inclusive climate resilience practices. Builds and sustains relationships across government bodies, civil society, partners, and donors to further programmatic and influencing goals.

Technical Expertise and Advisory Support: The role serves as senior technical specialist on Climate Resilience – advising internal teams and leading matrixed teams and partners across multiple countries. Applies and shares in-depth technical knowledge (e.g. climate resilience, disaster risk management) and translates this into influencing materials and evidence-based advocacy.

Capacity Strengthening and Technical Support:  Provides targeted capacity development to Oxfam teams and partners across multiple countries, equipping them with tools, knowledge, and confidence to apply inclusive, rights-based approaches to climate resilience. Supports practical integration of Climate Resilience principles through mentoring, training, and co-design of context-relevant action plans.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership

  • Provide strategic and context-specific technical guidance on climate resilience, integrating gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) throughout all programmatic components.
  • Collaborate with the GEDSI, Water Resource Governance, Program Quality and Partnership Management leads to co-design and implement activities, events and plans aligned with Oxfam’s feminist principles and programmatic objectives.
  • Support the analysis and interpretation of hydro-meteorological and climate vulnerability data to inform program sub-strategies, community-based early warning systems, and inclusive adaptation planning.
  • Lead technical learning and ensure that innovations and good practices in climate resilience are shared across country teams and partners.

Capacity Strengthening and Learning

  • Strengthen the capacity of partners and Oxfam teams through tailored technical support, mentorship, and training on inclusive and feminist approaches to climate resilience and disaster risk management.
  • Facilitate cross-country learning exchanges, peer-to-peer platforms, and thematic workshops to deepen shared understanding and practice on climate justice.
  • Support partners in developing locally grounded methodologies and tools for intersectional climate resilience that promote community ownership and sustainability.
  • Provide coaching and backstopping to country teams on operationalizing Climate Resilience commitments in planning, implementation, MEAL, and influencing.

Influencing, Advocacy and Representation

  • Develop evidence-based regional influencing strategies focused on inclusive climate resilience, water governance, and community rights.
  • Represent Oxfam and the program in regional and international forums, dialogues, and policy spaces, building visibility and momentum for feminist climate justice agendas.
  • Coordinate and commission policy briefs and advocacy materials informed by community experiences and partner knowledge, targeting key government and multilateral actors.
  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with civil society, research institutions, donors, and regional bodies to advance collective influencing priorities.

People and Partnership Coordination

  • Coordinate with regional partners, consultants, and Oxfam technical leads to ensure coherent and accountable implementation of technical components of the project.
  • Promote collaborative ways of working across country teams, ensuring alignment with shared learning goals and strategic coherence.
  • Contribute to internal planning, coordination, and reporting processes, ensuring that lessons inform project reviews, donor reporting, and scale-up strategies.

Job Requirements

ESSENTIAL

  • Self-Awareness
  • Influencing
  • Relationship building

Qualifications: Advanced degree in climate studies, social sciences, international development, or a related field.

Proven Technical Expertise in Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Management: (8+ years progressive experience) providing technical leadership in climate resilience, including community-based adaptation, disaster risk management, and hydro-meteorological data interpretation in multi-country or regional contexts.

Strong understanding of inclusive, rights-based approaches: and practical experience integrating GEDSI considerations into climate and natural resource governance initiatives.

Strategic Leadership and Program Delivery Experience: Experience in developing and implementing strategies that shape multi-country programs and policy, with a track record of influencing climate resilience and water governance agendas.

Strong External Engagement, Influencing, and Advocacy Skills: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of actors—governments, civil society, donors, and multilateral institutions—to advance policy influence and program impact.

Capacity Strengthening and Partnership Facilitation: Experience in delivering tailored capacity development to civil society partners and internal teams, including training, mentoring, and technical accompaniment.  Ability to facilitate learning exchanges and co-create context-specific tools and strategies that strengthen locally led and feminist approaches to climate resilience.

Fluency in a Mekong language and a high level of competency in written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and adapt messaging for diverse audiences, including partners, policymakers, and communities.

How to apply

Please upload an up-to-date CV and a cover letter, clearly explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile through the website:

https://performancemanager.successfactors.eu/sf/jobreq?jobId=13962&company=OxfamNovibP

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted- usually within 2 weeks of the closing date.

About us

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 20 organizations (affiliates) plus the Oxfam International Secretariat, working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

All our work is led by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.

Our commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to 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.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam International Secretariat also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, if a job applicant has been employed by another member of the scheme, we will request information from that organization about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

IHE Delft - MSc in Water and Sustainable Development