Location: Remote, anchored to either our Boston, MA, or Washington, DC, office. The Vice President works remotely day-to-day but is expected to maintain a regular, established presence at one of these offices and to come in as needed, with the specific rhythm set in coordination with the CEO.Candidates must reside within commuting distance of Boston or DC. Candidates based in the New York area who can readily travel to either office by train are also encouraged to apply.Employment type: Full-time, exemptDepartment: Executive OfficeCompensation: USD 235,000 to USD 250,000 per yearReports to: President and CEO; dotted-line relationship to the Executive Vice President – Sr. Advisor to the President and CEODirect reports: CFO, Senior Director, Technology & Information Management (TIM), Head of People, Culture and Human Resources (PCHR)Key collaborations: Oxfam America’s Senior Leadership Team; leaders across Finance, TIM, PCHR, and other operational functions; Oxfam International and affiliate teams; the Board and relevant Board committees; and external advisors, auditors, vendors, and consultants.Job DescriptionPurpose of the positionThe 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 (including grants management), risk management, compliance, and shared services are integrated, effective, agile, and aligned with organizational priorities and values. The VP leads and integrates the division’s functions and senior leaders as a single high-performing team for harmonized operational support, with a clear understanding of how interconnected and interdependent these functions are.The VP represents Oxfam America with operational leaders across the Oxfam confederation to support and influence the ongoing priority of harmonizing and streamlining shared systems. The VP builds alignment and advances improvement and accountability through influence, negotiation, strong relationships, diplomacy, and sound judgment.Why this roleYou will lead a team of experienced senior functional leaders, each with deep specialist expertise, and report directly to the President and CEO. Your work is to set shared priorities, streamline, harmonize, and integrate Finance, Technology, People, Culture and Human Resources, and the other support functions, and strengthen the quality of service that staff and leaders experience from the support functions. The result is a more effective, resilient organization with high-functioning, smooth, and effective operational support for staff.What success looks likeOxfam America divisions and teams are supported by a coherent, streamlined operating model with clear accountabilities and strong cross-functional service.Finance, TIM, PCHR, Risk, and other support functions operate as an integrated and responsive operational backbone.Core systems and processes are continuously modernized, documented, secure, cost-effective, and automated where appropriate.Operational risks have clear oversight, 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, timely, transparent, enabling, and aligned with Oxfam America’s mission and values.Primary responsibilities1. Operational Efficiency and EffectivenessProvide executive leadership for internal operations and shared services, ensuring functions are integrated, responsive, cost-effective, adaptive, adequately resourced, as lean as appropriate, and aligned with organizational priorities. The VP sets direction and integrates the work of senior functional leaders, who retain day-to-day responsibility for their specialist areas.Establish, manage and guide clear operating rhythms, decision pathways, 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 AI, data, and technology, identifying and delivering incremental improvements within constrained systems rather than only maintaining them.Ensure business continuity and operational resilience, including effective management of significant organizational, systems, facilities, and confederation-related transitions.2. People, Culture and Human ResourcesOversee the continued development and institutionalization of PCHR in the division following its transition period, ensuring an adaptive, supportive 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.In partnership with the Executive Vice President, support constructive and transparent labor-management relations and effective union engagement.3. Technology and Information ManagementProvide 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 FinanceProvide executive-level operational oversight of Finance, financial systems, and grants management, partnering with the CFO and President and CEO to support strong stewardship, planning, controls, reporting, and decision-making. The CFO leads Finance day to day, including technical finance, accounting, and fiduciary reporting; the VP provides executive oversight and ensures the department’s intra- and cross-division integration and harmonization.Ensure finance operations and systems are efficient, appropriately structured, supported, and fit for purpose.Oversee the strengthening and streamlining of cross-functional processes and practices involving grants management, payroll, procurement, contracting, and vendors, for effective, high-quality 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 ResilienceOversee regular review, monitoring and updating of Oxfam America’s operational risk management framework, ensuring material operational, legal, financial, people, technology, security, and reputational risks are refreshed, tracked in the risk register, 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. Facilities and Shared ServicesOversee 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 GovernancePartner 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. Within the confederation, use technical expertise, diplomacy, and credibility to influence system-wide improvements.Build strong cross-division collaboration, and provide clear reporting and recommendations to executive and Board leadership on operations, finance, technology, people, and risk matters within the role’s remit.Lead, coach, develop, and hold the CFO, Senior Director of TIM, and Head of HR accountable for results, while building the leadership capacity, 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.Expectations for the positionExecutive 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, anti-racism, feminist and decolonial 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.
