Vice President of Operations and Risk Management

About the job

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The Vice President, Operations and Risk Management (VP O&RM) provides strategic and operational leadership for Oxfam America’s Operations and Risk Management division, including Finance, Technology and Information Management (TIM), and People, Culture and Human Resources (PCHR). As a member of the executive leadership team, the VP ensures that Oxfam America’s operational systems, infrastructure, people processes, financial stewardship, risk management, compliance, grants management, and shared services are integrated, effective, agile, and aligned with organizational priorities and values.

The VP also represents Oxfam America with operational leaders across the Oxfam confederation, advancing systems harmonization, process improvement, alignment, and accountability in support of Oxfam’s global goals.

COORDINTES WITH
Oxfam America’s Senior Leadership Team; leaders across Finance, TIM, PCHR, Grants Management, and other operational functions; Oxfam International and affiliate teams; the Board and relevant Board committees; and external advisors, auditors, vendors, and consultants.

• WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
• Oxfam America has a coherent, streamlined operating model with clear accountabilities and strong cross-functional service.
• Finance, TIM, PCHR, risk, grants management, and other support functions operate as an integrated and responsive operational backbone.
• Core systems and processes are modernized, documented, secure, cost-conscious, and automated where appropriate.
• Operational risks have clear ownership, effective governance, and timely escalation.
• Shared services and operational functions are regularly reviewed and improved for effectiveness, efficiency, and organizational coherence.
• Leadership practices, talent mapping, and succession planning are strengthened and embedded as sustainable organizational practices.
• Leaders and staff experience internal operations as responsive, transparent, enabling, and aligned with Oxfam America’s mission and values.
• PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
• 1. Operations and Organizational Effectiveness
• Provide executive leadership for internal operations and shared services, ensuring functions are integrated, responsive, cost-effective, adaptive, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Establish clear operating rhythms, decision rights, service expectations, controls, and cross-functional processes that enable consistent execution.
• Drive continuous improvement through process simplification, automation, shared services, strategic outsourcing, and effective use of data and technology.
• Ensure business continuity and operational resilience, including effective management of significant organizational, systems, facilities, and confederation-related transitions.
• 2. People, Culture and Human Resources
• Oversee the continued development and institutionalization of PCHR following its transition period, ensuring a fit-for-purpose operating model with clear roles, capabilities, accountabilities, and service expectations.
• Ensure consistent, transparent, and well-documented employee lifecycle practices, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, professional development, retention, promotion, and offboarding.
• Oversee modernization of people policies, systems, and processes, including the Employee Handbook and implementation of relevant learnings from staff feedback and organizational assessments.
• Partner with the President and CEO, Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff, Senior Leadership Team, and Board leadership on organizational health, leadership effectiveness, talent mapping, succession planning, and workplace culture.
• Support the advancement of Oxfam America’s anti-racist, feminist, decolonial, safeguarding, and leadership-learning priorities through organizational systems, policies, and leadership practices.
• In partnership with the Executive Vice President, support constructive and transparent labor-management relations and effective union engagement.
• 3. Technology and Information Management
• Provide executive oversight of technology strategy, infrastructure, service delivery, data governance, cybersecurity, digital risk, and vendor and outsourcing models.
• Advance modernization and integration of operational platforms and business systems, with emphasis on usability, automation, data quality, scalability, and confederation-wide harmonization.
• Ensure technology investments are aligned with organizational strategy, risk, cost, staff experience, and measurable business value.
• Strengthen cybersecurity governance, information security, incident preparedness, and coordination with Oxfam International and affiliates.
• 4. Financial Stewardship and Operational Finance
• Provide executive-level operational oversight of Finance and financial systems, partnering with the CFO and President and CEO to support strong stewardship, planning, controls, reporting, and decision-making.
• Ensure finance operations and systems are efficient, appropriately structured, and fit for purpose.
• Strengthen cross-functional processes involving grants management, payroll, procurement, contracting, vendors, and shared services.
• Use financial and operational data to identify risks, cost drivers, performance gaps, and opportunities for improved efficiency and resource allocation.
• •Represent Oxfam America, in coordination with the President and CEO and CFO, in relevant confederation operational forums.
• 5. Operational Risk, Compliance and Resilience
• Lead Oxfam America’s operational risk management framework, ensuring material operational, legal, financial, people, technology, security, and reputational risks are identified, assessed, mitigated, and appropriately escalated.
• Oversee key compliance and control areas, including sanctions and anti-terrorism financing requirements, cybersecurity and digital risk, insurance, legal risk, internal controls, and other organizational compliance obligations.
• Partner with executive leadership, the Board, Audit Committee, external advisors, and internal leaders to maintain effective risk reporting, governance, and accountability.
• Promote an approach to risk management that enables responsible action and innovation while maintaining appropriate safeguards and controls.
• 6. Grants Management, Facilities and Shared Services
• Strengthen and professionalize grants management through clear roles, standards, controls, service levels, and integration with Finance, Resource Development, and program priorities.
• Oversee facilities and workplace operations to ensure safe, streamlined, cost-effective support for Oxfam America’s hybrid operating model.
• Develop shared administrative services where they improve consistency, staff experience, and organizational efficiency.
• Ensure vendors and outsourced services are managed through clear performance expectations, appropriate controls, and disciplined contract management.
• 7. Executive Leadership and Governance
• Partner with the President and CEO, Executive Vice President, and Senior Leadership Team on enterprise-wide priorities, planning, and execution.
• Lead through influence across organizational boundaries, building alignment and translating strategic direction into effective implementation.
• Provide clear reporting and recommendations to executive and Board leadership on operations, finance, technology, people, and risk matters within the role’s remit.
• Build the leadership capacity, accountability, collaboration, and performance of teams across the Operations and Risk Management division.
• Represent Oxfam America with Oxfam International and affiliate counterparts, as well as external partners, advisors, auditors, and vendors.
• POSITION EXPECTATIONS
• Executive Leadership and Judgment: Lead with integrity, political acumen, accountability, emotional intelligence, stewardship, and sound judgment.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build strong relationships across technical and non-technical functions and foster shared accountability, transparency, and effective teamwork.
• Continuous Learning and Innovation: Maintain current knowledge of evolving operating models, technologies, risk and compliance practices, and digital tools; champion simplification, automation, integration, and optimization.
• Equity and Inclusion: Integrate Oxfam’s commitments to gender justice, racial equity, feminist principles, and inclusive practices into operational leadership and decision-making.
• Safeguarding: Uphold Oxfam’s safeguarding standards and promote systems and management practices that support a safe, respectful, accountable, and inclusive workplace.

• EDUCATION
• 10–15+ years of progressively senior leadership experience with significant responsibility for complex organizational operations and enterprise-wide systems; nonprofit, international, or similarly mission-driven experience strongly valued.
• EXPERIENCE AND CORE COMPETENCIES
• Demonstrated executive leadership across multiple operational functions, including Human Resources, Finance, Technology, Facilities, and Risk Management.
• Track record of leading operating-model redesign, process improvement, systems modernization, automation, outsourcing or vendor strategy, and organizational change in resource-conscious environments.
• Significant experience with enterprise risk management, compliance, internal controls, cybersecurity and digital risk, business continuity, and governance.
• Financial fluency, including experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial controls, reporting, audits, grants or restricted funding, and enterprise financial systems.
• Experience managing senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams and establishing accountability and service standards across diverse functions.
• Experience partnering with Presidents/CEOs, executive teams, and Boards and communicating complex operational, financial, technology, people, and risk matters clearly.
• Ability to operate independently, lead through ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and combine strategic thinking with operational depth.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated values-driven leadership and substantive experience overseeing people, finance, technology, and risk functions, including relevant experience in employee relations, talent, organizational development, labor relations, HR systems, or people operations.

• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience in an international NGO, federated or confederated organization, or organization operating across multiple legal, financial, and regulatory contexts.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning transformation, cloud migration, cybersecurity and data governance, AI-enabled process improvement, and technology outsourcing.
• Experience with grants management, sanctions/OFAC or anti-terrorism financing controls, safeguarding, or comparable risk frameworks relevant to international nonprofits.

Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive.