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Meet the team, September 2011

Oxfam New Zealand's staff come from all over the world and share a wealth of experience and expertise. Meet a selection of our current colleagues and see what their jobs involve...

Kim Collins, Organisational Development Manager

Kim Collins, Organisational Development Manager.

Born in Canada to Australian parents and have pretty much traversed between the two different countries since then. I finally decided on NZ as it has a mix of both of those countries and has the added advantage of no bears, snakes, spiders or crocs. I have a business and IT background having managed one of the IT Teams at PricewaterhouseCoopers for five years and most recently spent almost four years with World Vision Australia doing a combination of Client Relationship Management and Operations Management

What is your role with Oxfam?

Oxfam are changing the structure of how they work. Instead of having numerous Oxfam affiliate offices such as Oxfam Australia and Oxfam New Zealand all working within one country (say Papua New Guinea) with different strategies, we are moving to a Single Management Structure.

This essentially means one Oxfam affiliate, in this example Oxfam New Zealand, will have overall responsibility for delivering one strategy for a certain country (Papua New Guinea). Other affiliates can still either run or fund programmes into that country but under direction from the designated Oxfam affiliate.

I am the Organisational Development Manager, so I support the teams and help them move towards that new structure both in our headquarters and ‘in country’.

What do you like about Oxfam?

Oxfam are my charity of choice, and have been for the past 12 years. I like them because I think they are honourable, and the work they do enables the communities we work with. We work to the strategy of a hand up is more sustainable than a hand out. It is like that old adage, teach a man to fish and he has food for life, give him a fish and he has food for a day.

What you hope to achieve here?

It is my dream that one day the countries we work in will be self sustaining and there won’t be the need for funding from NGOs.

Personally though, I am hoping that we can move to the new structure relatively seamlessly, that our staff will be happy and the communities we work see a more focussed and effective strategy thus enabling them to benefit even more from the programmes we work with them on.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in working for an NGO?

It is amazing, as mentioned I came from the corporate world and I always used to feel a bit empty and unfulfilled at the end of the day. I believe everyone wants to give; it is a natural desire to help the people around us and make a difference in the world. No matter how big or little, every little effort helps and this was my way helping but it also enabled me to have a job that I love and feel rewarded by. It can be pretty full on at times, particularly in times of disasters, however the camaraderie that is felt by pulling together helps you get through the tougher times.

Karen Watson, Direct Marketing Manager

Karen Watson, Direct Markeing
Manager.

I have a degree in English and psychology and before working at Oxfam I used to work for a market research company. My path to Oxfam began over six years ago when I became a dedicated supporter. I’d always wanted to work for Oxfam, so when a coordinator role opened up in the Direct Marketing team I was lucky enough to get it. I’m now the Direct Marketing Manager which involves looking after fundraising appeals, regular giving and our alternative gift catalogue called Oxfam Unwrapped.

What do you like best about working for Oxfam?

For me the best part of working for Oxfam is the people. You get to work with really passionate, motivated people and it’s really exciting.

What do you hope to achieve here?

Through our fundraising appeals and Oxfam Unwrapped I hope to inspire supporters to keep giving and keep being involved with our work, and in doing so help Oxfam reduce poverty in the pacific and beyond.

What inspires you most about your work?

I think the most inspiring thing is when our programme staff come back from visiting our country programmes and they tell you about the people they’ve meet and the work that they’ve seen and done. It really keeps me motivated.

You can read the latest programme stories here

Andy Thompson, Water Programme Manager

Andy Thompsom Water Programme Manager.

At Oxfam, I manage the water programme which includes water, sanitation and hygiene education. My research background in Community Health at the Auckland Medical School has helped me in my role. I also have project management experience within local government, which is useful as it helps me link our community work with local structures in the countries we work.

What do you like best about working for Oxfam?

I enjoy working at Oxfam as I think the work we do and the people who do it are really inspiring. The fact that we’re making a difference and that I am working alongside such fantastic people is very rewarding.

What do you hope to achieve here?

On a personal level I’d like to develop a really solid water, sanitation and hygiene education programme in the Pacific that makes a big difference in rural communities.

In terms of Oxfam as an organisation, I’d like us to be the leading NGO in New Zealand.

Final words

I believe that since a significant part of your life is work it is important to do something that you enjoy. I get a lot of satisfaction out of the work I do here which keeps me focused.

View the current job vacancies at Oxfam New Zealand

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