Vice President of Operations and Risk Management

Oxfam America•Boston, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of 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 integrates these functions and their senior leaders to ensure operational systems, infrastructure, people processes, financial stewardship, grants management, risk management, compliance, and shared services are effective, agile, and aligned with organizational priorities and values. The VP sets shared priorities and strengthens coordination, accountability, and service across the division while senior functional leaders retain day-to-day responsibility for their specialist areas. The role leads operational improvement and modernization, supports organizational resilience, and represents Oxfam America in operational work across the Oxfam confederation. It also partners with the President and CEO, executive leadership, the Board, Oxfam International and affiliate teams, and external advisors and service providers. The position is full-time and exempt. It is remote day-to-day, anchored to either the Boston, Massachusetts, or Washington, DC, office. The VP must maintain a regular established presence at one of those offices and attend as needed, with the schedule coordinated with the CEO. Candidates must live within commuting distance of Boston or DC; candidates in the New York area who can readily travel to either office are also encouraged to apply. The role reports to the President and CEO, with a dotted-line relationship to the Executive Vice President – Senior Advisor to the President and CEO. Direct reports are the CFO, Senior Director of Technology & Information Management, and Head of People, Culture and Human Resources. Compensation is USD 235,000 to USD 250,000 per year.

Requirements

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial senior or executive leadership responsibility for complex organizational operations, enterprise-wide systems, and experienced functional leaders; equivalent combinations of experience will be considered.
Demonstrated executive leadership of multiple operational support functions, with depth in one or more relevant disciplines and the judgment to lead senior specialists across finance, people operations, technology, facilities, and risk.
A track record of integrating functions, setting shared priorities, and holding leaders accountable for results.
Demonstrated record of improving enterprise-wide operating models, structures, and cross-functional processes, and overseeing cost-effective organizational change in support of mission and strategy.
Experience establishing or overseeing risk, control, compliance, and business-continuity practices, working effectively with functional experts and external advisors.
Strong financial fluency, including working knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial controls, reporting, audits, and grants or restricted funding, sufficient to partner with and provide strategic support and oversight of a CFO.
Demonstrated success 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, build strong cross-division relationships, lead through ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and combine strategic thinking with operational depth.
Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.
Executive presence and credibility, including the judgment to instill confidence among the President and CEO, executive team, Board, and confederation peers, and the willingness to challenge proposals constructively.
Candidates must reside within commuting distance of Boston, MA, or Washington, DC; candidates based in the New York area who can readily travel by train to either office are also encouraged to apply.
All offers are contingent on satisfactory references and appropriate pre-employment checks in line with Oxfam America’s Safeguarding Policy.

Nice To Haves

Nonprofit, international, or similarly mission-driven experience.
Deep specialist expertise in one or more of the division’s functions: finance, human resources/people operations, technology, or risk management.
Experience in an international NGO, federated or confederated organization, or an 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.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership for internal operations and shared services, integrating functions to deliver responsive, cost-effective, adaptive, appropriately resourced support aligned with organizational priorities.
Set direction for senior functional leaders and establish operating rhythms, decision pathways, service expectations, controls, and cross-functional processes.
Drive continuous improvement through process simplification, automation, shared services, strategic outsourcing, and effective use of AI, data, and technology.
Ensure business continuity and operational resilience, including management of significant organizational, systems, facilities, and confederation-related transitions.
Oversee the development and institutionalization of PCHR, including clear roles, capabilities, accountabilities, and service expectations.
Ensure consistent, transparent, and 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 application of relevant staff feedback and organizational assessment findings.
Partner with executive and Board leadership on organizational health, leadership effectiveness, talent mapping, succession planning, and workplace culture.
Support constructive, transparent labor-management relations and effective union engagement in partnership with the Executive Vice President.
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, emphasizing usability, automation, data quality, scalability, and confederation-wide harmonization.
Ensure technology investments align 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.
Provide executive-level operational oversight of Finance, financial systems, and grants management in partnership with the CFO and President and CEO; ensure effective stewardship, planning, controls, reporting, and decision-making.
Ensure finance operations and systems are efficient, appropriately structured, supported, and fit for purpose, while supporting the CFO’s day-to-day technical finance, accounting, and fiduciary reporting responsibilities through executive oversight and integration.
Strengthen and streamline cross-functional grants management, payroll, procurement, contracting, and vendor processes and services.
Use financial and operational data to identify risks, cost drivers, performance gaps, and opportunities to improve efficiency and resource allocation.
Represent Oxfam America in relevant confederation operational forums in coordination with the President and CEO and CFO.
Oversee regular review and updating of the operational risk management framework; ensure material risks are tracked, assessed, mitigated, and escalated appropriately.
Oversee key compliance and control areas, including sanctions and anti-terrorism financing, 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 on risk reporting, governance, and accountability; promote responsible action and innovation with appropriate safeguards.
Oversee facilities and workplace operations for safe, streamlined, cost-effective support of Oxfam America’s hybrid operating model, and develop shared administrative services where they improve consistency, staff experience, and efficiency.
Manage vendors and outsourced services through clear performance expectations, appropriate controls, and disciplined contract management.
Partner with the President and CEO, Executive Vice President, and Senior Leadership Team on enterprise-wide priorities, planning, and execution; build alignment across organizational boundaries and translate strategy into implementation.
Influence system-wide improvements within the Oxfam confederation through technical expertise, diplomacy, and credibility.
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 leadership capacity, collaboration, and team performance across the division.
Represent Oxfam America with Oxfam International and affiliate counterparts, external partners, advisors, auditors, and vendors.
Lead with integrity, political acumen, accountability, emotional intelligence, stewardship, and sound judgment; foster cross-functional collaboration, shared accountability, transparency, and teamwork.
Maintain current knowledge of operating models, technologies, risk and compliance practices, and digital tools; champion simplification, automation, integration, and optimization.
Integrate commitments to gender justice, anti-racism, feminist and decolonial principles, inclusion, and safeguarding into operational leadership and decision-making.