Chief Risk Officer Oxfam GB

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

The opportunity:

Oxfam GB is seeking a highly skilled and values-driven Chief Risk Officer (CRO) to join our Strategic Leadership Team and play a critical role in safeguarding and strengthening Oxfam's global impact.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will lead our approach to risk, governance, integrity, and assurance, ensuring we meet the highest standards of accountability, ethical conduct, and operational safety. Working across UK and international operations, you will drive a culture grounded in feminist principles, decolonial practice, inclusion, and organisational learning.

This is a pivotal leadership role for a strategic, trusted leader able to build resilience, oversee rigorous compliance and assurance systems, and champion integrity across a diverse, global organisation.

What you will be doing:

• Partner with the CEO, Strategic Leadership Team, and Oxfam GB Trustees to shape strategic direction and provide expert risk and assurance advice.
• Lead safeguarding, integrity, ethics, anti-corruption, and risk & assurance functions across Oxfam GB.
• Drive a holistic approach to risk management and internal audit across UK retail, UK offices, and international operations.
• Provide assurance to senior leadership and trustees on governance, compliance, internal controls, and organisational resilience.
• Strengthen decision making processes rooted in ethical, feminist, and human rights principles.
• Oversee investigations into misconduct, fraud, and safeguarding concerns, ensuring accountability and fairness.
• Promote a robust speak up culture and ensure effective whistleblowing processes.
• Lead Oxfam GB's approach to reputational risk, working closely with senior leaders and communications teams.
• Represent Oxfam GB in the Oxfam Confederation and global risk networks, championing shared learning and alignment.
• Build organisational capability in risk management, embedding decolonial and anti racist principles in practice.
• Inspire and develop diverse teams to deliver excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

About you:

We're looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader with experience of delivering complex transformation in large, purpose driven organisations.

You'll bring:

• A strong track record leading risk, compliance, assurance, or governance functions.
• Experience advising Boards and senior leadership on complex ethical and operational issues.
• Expertise in managing investigations (fraud, safeguarding, or misconduct) and internal audit processes.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in high pressure environments and respond quickly to emerging risks.
• Strong analytical thinking, with the ability to turn complexity into clarity and action.
• Outstanding communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working across global or multi country environments.
• Commitment to feminist leadership, decolonial approaches, anti racism, and Oxfam's values of Inclusion, Accountability, and Empowerment.

Desirable:

• Professional qualification in law, audit, compliance, or risk.
• Senior leadership experience in the international NGO sector or similarly complex organisation.
• Experience working within donor funded or highly regulated environments.

How to apply:

We are partnering with Strategic Dimensions for this recruitment. As part of your online application, please email your up to date CV to our recruitment partner, Natalie Hannabuss, at Strategic Dimensions:

We want to ensure that you are comfortable and can demonstrate you full potential for this role, across all stages of the recruitment process. If you would like to talk to us about the role or feel there are adjustments that would help you succeed in the process, we would encourage you to get in touch for an informal chat.

All offers of employment are subject to the successful completion of a 5 year history reference check and appropriate screening, including DBS and Right To Work checks.

Closing date for applications is 21 November 2025.

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits.

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in house courses, e learning modules, on the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more.

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

Flexfam:

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we're open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.