- 2 year max term contract with potential for permanency
- Hours per week: 35 hours
- Location: Melbourne
- Applications close date: 14 July 2026
About Us
At Oxfam Australia, we believe all lives are equal and no-one should live in poverty. We are a member of Oxfam International, a global confederation working with partners and local communities in 76 countries.
Would you like to join this global movement of people working together to eliminate the inequalities that keep people in poverty?
We are currently seeking a Business Development Manager to join our team.
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Quality and Impact, the Business Development Manager is a critical cross-agency fundraising and relationship management role, leveraging greater impact through strategic donor partnerships. The role has key accountability for Oxfam Australia’s business development and institutional funding relationships, with a prime focus on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Manager supports development and coordination of strategic relationships with DFAT and other institutional donors, in collaboration with internal stakeholders to ensure the agency is able to maximise and leverage business development relationships and opportunities for the benefit of the Oxfam Confederation. This role strategically advances Oxfam’s strategic priorities and progresses commitments to feminist, locally-led and decolonised approaches. The Business Development (BD) Manager will provide technical advice, business intelligence and trend analysis as well as convene spaces to strategize and forward plan to facilitate successful business development outcomes and support funding for Oxfam’s work globally. The Manager identifies, scopes and leads on the coordination of funding submissions to institutional donors; engages in and supports development of partnerships and opportunities for priority programs; and provides guidance on strategic directions related to the agency’s key institutional income streams.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead on the development and delivery of a donor and institutional funding strategy and institutional income plan, and associated BD action plan for the agency and spearhead/coordinate the implementation of the plan, including reporting to senior management on implementation.
- Actively identify, develop, grow, and pursue prioritised funding opportunities; manage and monitor the pipeline and lead on income planning and forecasting for defined geographical and sectoral areas.
- Lead (or support as assigned) on the conceptualisation, development and design (including bid writing) of high value, complex multi-stakeholder programming in liaison with country, regional or affiliate staff and other external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with Oxfam Australia’s strengths and priorities in line with feminist decolonial and locally-led principles and with Oxfam Australia’s Partnership Approach.
- Lead on agency wide coordination and development of relations with relevant staff in DFAT, Australian Government Departments and other key institutional donors, collaborating with relevant program leads to represent Oxfam’s program effectively.
- Provide strategic advice, analysis and reporting to senior management on donor relationships, institutional income strategies, opportunities and risks in order to optimise Oxfam’s donor relationships, secure opportunities and ensure alignment to organisational and global institutional funding priorities.
- Ensure effective management of BD staff and consultants; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed.
For any enquiries relating to this role, please contact Josephine Hutton [email protected]
Desired Skills and Experience
- A successful track record in leading business development initiatives and leveraging strategic funding relationships with DFAT and other institutional donors, trusts and foundations.
- Experience and understanding of different approaches to program planning, design, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation in long term development, humanitarian or advocacy work.
- Experience in leading institutional and individual capacity development initiatives, and in development and implementation of organisational policies, systems and processes.
- A successful track record in the hands-on leadership and management of large funding bids for a variety of donors, trusts and foundations (experience with DFAT, other Oxfam affiliates, and bilateral/multilateral donors is highly regarded).
- Experience in the development and delivery of funding strategies including: key trends in official development assistance, policy and practice; funding mechanisms; design innovation in the sector; relationship identification and stewardship and identification of organisational resourcing and interdependencies required for success.
A little about you
- A successful track record in leading business development initiatives and leveraging strategic funding relationships with DFAT and other institutional donors, trusts and foundations
- A successful track record in the hands-on leadership and management of large funding bids for a variety of donors, trusts and foundations (experience with DFAT, other Oxfam affiliates, and bilateral/multilateral donors is highly regarded).
- Experience in leading institutional and individual capacity development initiatives, and in development and implementation of organisational policies, systems and processes
- Demonstrated experience in integrating of feminist, locally-led and decolonised approaches and GEDSI and safe program approaches in BD processes and submissions
- Excellent relationship management and negotiation skills with proven ability to navigate sensitive and complex cultural social issues and contexts
How to Apply
Complete the online application form, then, as three separate documents, upload:
- A cover letter that tells us why you want to join Oxfam Australia, and how your professional history and lived experience make you the right candidate.
- Your CV.
- Your response to the key selection criteria outlined in the advertisement.
Here is the link to the Position Description
What we can offer you
- Superior leave benefits and access to a generous not-for-profit salary packaging program (up to $18,450 of your salary tax-free).
- The opportunity to use your talents and expertise to make a positive impact around the world.
- We value flexibility and seek to support our people in ways that meet their work/life commitments and support their wellbeing.
- Cultural leave
- Superannuation matching
Diversity, equity and inclusion are core to who we are. We actively seek to create a workplace that reflects the communities we are a part of, where everyone feels safe, respected and able to thrive.
We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
We’re committed to making our recruitment process inclusive – please let us know if you need adjustments at any stage.
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Our culture is shaped by our values, which reinforce what we care about and how we do things, not just what we do. Our core values of Equality, Empowerment, Solidarity, Inclusiveness, Accountability and Courage drive everything we do at Oxfam.
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Therefore, our people are required to comply with the One Oxfam Child Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policies and sign the Oxfam Australia Child Safeguarding and One Oxfam Employee Codes of Conduct.
Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We care deeply about creating a safe and inclusive workplace where our people feel valued, respected and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and encourage applicants with personal experience of the forms of injustice we seek to address to apply for opportunities at Oxfam Australia.
Australian work rights
Applicants will be required to show proof of their right to work in Australia the subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which include Police Checks and Misconduct Disclosure Scheme outcomes, before commencement. Pre-employment checks are not used by Oxfam Australia to prevent any applicant from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits.
Oxfam Australia will not recruit international candidates who do not hold visas permitting them to work in Australia. Oxfam Australia does not provide visa sponsorship.
Additional information
For ongoing roles and fixed term roles, candidates will be required to have Australian work rights for the duration of their employment with Oxfam Australia.
At Oxfam Australia, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture where everyone’s rights are recognised and respected. Guided by feminist principles and core values, we embrace different perspectives and work to eliminate systemic inequities that perpetuate discrimination. We centre and amplify the voices of people with lived experience and work in solidarity to build a future where no one is left behind.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is reflected in our actions, Oxfam Australia:
- Supports employee-led committees
- Promotes consultative ways of working and decision making
- Maintains a comprehensive enterprise agreement that prioritises employee well-being, as demonstrated through multiple leave types
- Provides ongoing awareness and training on unconscious bias, inclusion, and respectful workplace practices, ensuring alignment with Oxfam’s values
- Ensures a fair and accessible recruitment process
Apply now