The Global Day Of Action saw many thousands of people marching for climate justice in cities and towns across the world (credit: Andy Aitchison/Oxfam)

The primary role of the Chair is one of long-term stewardship. The Chair will provide the kind of leadership that ensures Oxfam GB evolves, flourishes, and has on-going impact within the Confederation and across the globe. Working closely with the Board of Trustees and establishing a close and constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive, the Chair will make sure a strong, clear, actionable strategy is in place and, through a mix of support and challenge, is being delivered. The Chair has a legal obligation to act in accordance with charity law and in the best interests of the charity. The Chair acts as an advocate, ambassador and promoter of Oxfam GB and its work within a community of people seeking to create a kinder and radically better world.

Style

• Credible and values-anchored — brings the personal authority to represent Oxfam, and the discipline to let mission and values drive decisions, not personalities.
• Low ego, high standards — creates an environment where challenge is welcomed, people speak plainly, and decisions land clearly.
• Inclusive and partner-centred — listens well, draws out quieter voices, and is alert to power dynamics; treats partners’ expertise as central, not peripheral.
• Steady under scrutiny — calm and constructive in difficult moments; able to hold nuance without defensiveness, and to rebuild confidence through actions.
• Strategic, not abstract — keeps the Board focused on what matters most and what will move impact, safety, and trust.
• Diplomatic and internationally minded — comfortable working across cultures and constituencies, and able to convene across difference when stakes are high.

Skills

• Outstanding chairing — runs high-quality meetings; synthesises complex input; builds alignment without forcing false consensus; ensures follow-through.
• Board building and stewardship — strengthens the Board as a team: right mix of skills, strong induction, clear expectations, and full contribution from every trustee.
• CEO partnership — supports and challenges the Chief Executive with clarity; sets objectives; leads appraisal; creates a relationship that is honest, forward-looking, and enabling.
• Safeguarding and assurance mindset — treats safeguarding and people safety as mission-critical; tests whether systems work in practice; expects learning and improvement.
• Strategic navigation in constrained conditions — helps make hard choices when needs rise and resources tighten; protects long-term intent while sharpening delivery.
• Stakeholder leadership — credible with governments, donors, regulators, peers, volunteers, and global partners; able to build coalitions and reduce unhelpful polarisation.
• Public voice and media judgement — confident representing Oxfam when needed; knows when to speak, when to listen, and when to let others lead.

Experience

• Senior leadership at scale — significant executive and/or non-executive leadership in a complex organisation with high public visibility and multiple stakeholders.
• Chair or equivalent governance leadership — experience leading boards or committees where decisions carried real reputational, financial, and people risk.
• Operating internationally or cross-culturally — experience working across geographies and cultures, with sensitivity to inequality and power imbalances.
• Leading through challenge — track record of navigating scrutiny, volatility, and organisational change while keeping purpose, standards, and people intact.
• Demonstrable commitment to Oxfam’s agenda — credible engagement with issues of poverty, humanitarian response, inequality, gender justice, or social marginalisation (UK and/or global).
• Commitment to feminist, anti-racist leadership and power-shift — evidence of contributing to culture change, inclusion, and more equitable decision-making, not just endorsing it.