What are we looking for?
We offer a wide range of HSP roles and each calls for a specific set of skills and experience. You can find out more details on specific role requirements by taking a look at what being an HSP involves but broadly speaking, you'll need a background in humanitarian work.
There are also other qualities common to all our HSPs regardless of which area they work in. For instance, because HSP deployments usually last three to six months and can be based anywhere in the world, you need to be prepared to travel at short notice and work under great pressure, at times in difficult circumstances - with very basic facilities and occasionally team accommodation.
These are unaccompanied posts, so you should expect to go for long periods without seeing your friends or relatives. And because you'll be working in a variety of different cultural contexts, the ability to adapt to your environment and work with a wide range of people is essential. You'll need a mature approach and a great deal of self awareness.
We believe that with the right support and opportunity, people can take control and solve their own problems. If you share that belief and you have the strength of character to meet the challenges involved, these roles offer scope for immense personal fulfilment - and unbeatable opportunities to develop your career.
Whilst these are undoubtedly some of the most demanding roles in Oxfam's humanitarian department, requiring resilient and experienced professionals, they are also some of the most satisfying and most directly involved in delivering Oxfam's work.
The importance of gender and diversity
Oxfam is concerned about gender inequality because the majority of the 1.3 billion people who live in extreme poverty (on less than one dollar a day) are women and girls. Fundamental injustices mean that these people generally have minimal control over their lives and are disproportionately targets of violence, abuse and deprivation.
Our programme work involves a great deal of community input and participation to establish the needs and wants of many different groups. And getting staffing right is a crucial step towards meeting our programme needs and values with regards to gender and diversity.
As part of our commitment to gender equality, Oxfam has developed some non-negotiables which relate to certain areas of our work. For example, women will be actively involved in the design and targeting of humanitarian programme activities, such as determining the type and amount of food to be distributed. Issues of dignity for women and girls in particular will be included in all humanitarian assessments, and culturally appropriate strategies to enhance dignity (clothing needs, menstrual protection, bathing facilities and so on) will be implemented as soon as is practically possible.
We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and ensure that our recruitment processes do not discriminate. As an organisation working globally, we understand the critical importance of a diverse workforce in delivering high-quality programmes internationally. Also, in order to integrate gender and diversity successfully into our programme work, we are working to assess gender and diversity knowledge during the recruitment process to help us recruit staff with understanding and sensitivity in these areas.
