Executive Director

We strive for a world free from injustice, exclusion and violence, founded upon the fundamental equality of all people, where solidarity and humanity transcend borders, and with care for our fragile planet and future generations. We are convinced that this better world is possible. For although opposing forces are persistent, we also know that progress is driven by people, communities and movements that do not give up.

Those who refuse to accept the status quo. This conviction inspires our activism and our perseverance in the fight for equality and justice. We protect what is of value, empower people to improve their own lives, and work towards systemic changes that lead to a more equal, fair, green and secure future. In doing so, step by step, we are charting a course towards a better world.

Oxfam Novib stands at the heart of a world in which international solidarity, human rights, climate justice, and development cooperation are being debated more sharply than has long been the case. In the past few years, Oxfam Novib has grown into a strong voice in the national debate, in response to international crises in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, and Palestine. Campaigns and public actions such as Gaza, Not In My Name, and the Red Line protests have positioned Oxfam Novib as a social and moral actor in the Netherlands, while its advocacy on fair taxation, climate justice, and fair value chains — including cocoa — shows the breadth of its long‑standing work for systemic change.

In light of the upcoming departure of Executive Director Michiel Servaes, Oxfam Novib is looking for an Executive Director who can connect the 300 employees in the Netherlands and the 530 employees abroad to fight inequality and make change happen. After the investments that have been made in the organization's strategic course and internal culture, the organization is strong and stable, and the new Executive Director will build further on this basis.

Oxfam Novib is an organization with a strong constituency of Dutch supporters and 70 years of experience in international cooperation. We finance, co‑create and collaborate with partners, activists and humanitarians around the world – to improve people’s lives, and demand deep and systemic changes for a more equal, green, fair and safe future.

The world is changing rapidly around us and pressure on rights, the rule of law, social cohesion and civic space is increasing. Meanwhile, the gap between rich and poor is widening, the climate crisis is hitting hard, and our efforts to advance a progressive agenda are in danger of being overshown by a need to defend positions and values that for years we thought we could take for granted.

In a complex external environment with reduced financial stability, we aim to deepen and diversify our donor base and create programs that connect with civil society, movements and activists. In order to support our programs, partners and advocacy activities, our operational priorities are to increase financial sustainability, streamline quality operations and drive innovation and technical transformation. We have made significant progress on increasing the organization's efficiency and simplifying our processes, and we are also undertaking a major modernization of our internal systems to improve our work and leadership.

Oxfam Novib aspires to be the leading Dutch platform in the global fight for equality and justice. In the Netherlands we are building on the rich DNA of (Oxfam) Novib with new and urgent positioning. We speak out, we show up on the streets and in the media, and we stand firmly with other activists, defending their rights and freedoms. Since 2020, our approach has evolved from a more diplomatic towards a more activist attitude, aligning our campaigns and communications more closely with Dutch contexts and issues.

We, together with others, want to create systemic change and change the debate, policies or behaviors of Dutch political, economic or social actors. Our activism has many shapes and forms, from hidden…