Operational Risk and Control Specialist, Quality Management Unit (QMU), Division for Management Services (DMS), East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), Johannesburg, South Africa, P-3

Overview

The Operational Risk and Control Specialist provides guidance, technical support, and oversight to business units in the region, focusing on implementing partner management, internal control, and fraud risk management. The role identifies risks, flags control gaps, and implements mitigating measures.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide guidance, technical support, and oversight to business units on implementing partner risk management/HACT, including due diligence, capacity and risk assessment, monitoring, assurance, and IP fraud risk management.
• Offer consistent guidance on implementing IP risk and assurance policies, assisting BUs in selecting operational modalities and instruments for partnerships.
• Support BUs in implementing corporate risk-based IP assessment and assurance activities, facilitating escalation for exceptions.
• Engage at regional inter-agency fora on IP management and guide BUs on strategic UNCT collaboration.
• Advocate for and support BUs in the diligent allocation of resources for IP risk mitigation and assurance.
• Serve as the first port of call for technical support on IP assurance and risk management, ensuring BUs have updated knowledge.
• Support BUs in applying and complying with corporate policies and standards for IP management.
• Support the implementation of optimised corporate systems and tools, including dashboards and checklists.
• Act as the hub for knowledge management and learning in the region, collecting and promoting best practices.
• Address knowledge, capacity, and performance gaps across regions and prioritise based on risk.
• Identify capacity gaps at business units and IPs and arrange for appropriate training.
• Provide or arrange temporary backstopping to BUs in case of capacity constraints.
• Provide regional quality assurance over all HACT reports in the region.
• Facilitate development of appropriate IP due diligence tools for countries in the region.
• Monitor and follow up on regional CO compliance, timeliness, and completeness using available data, reports, and dashboards.
• Analyse regional CO compliance and performance and identify gaps for corrective action.
• Provide regional quality assurance over data and processes.
• Ensure compliance and performance of BUs for IP assurance and ensure targets are met.
• Monitor corrective action for IP management by BUs for gaps and ensure technical support is provided.
• Monitor for, identify, and address CO internal control weaknesses for IP risk management.
• Escalate high risks detected for IP issues to the Chief, QMU, and the Regional Director.
• Master processes, systems, and policies for internal controls and fraud risk management.
• Provide consistent guidance and solutions on the implementation of the ICF, SOD, system access/user roles, AML/CFT policies.
• Provide technical support, backstopping, and capacity building to BUs on ICF, Anti-Fraud, and AML training.
• Support BUs to implement segregation of duties in the corporate ERP and ensure access roles are assigned in line with the ICF and SOD guidance.
• Support CO’s fraud risk assessments in conjunction with ERM colleagues.
• Monitor regional CO compliance, timeliness, and completeness using available data, reports, and dashboards.
• Analyse and identify gaps and raise to the RO for CO corrective action on performance gaps in the application of the ICF.
• Ensure BUs take corrective actions.
• Ensure system user roles are aligned with ICF policies and guidance.
• Promptly escalate significant internal control weaknesses to the Chief, QMU, and the Regional Director.

Required Experience

A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in public administration, risk management, audit or other related areas, ideally in an international organisation. Previous experience in the UN and knowledge of UN internal control, risk management and implementing partner procedures is advantageous. Previous experience in field operations is advantageous.

Qualifications

Advanced university degree in any of the following disciplines: Public Administration, Business Administration, Risk Management, Audit, Management or other related field.

Other Details