Investigator

Background

The International Rescue Committee is among the world’s leading humanitarian relief and development organizations. The IRC has been at the forefront of virtually every major humanitarian initiative to assist people uprooted by war, persecution, or civil disputes for the last 80 years. And, more than 80 years after Albert Einstein helped create the IRC, the number and intensity of humanitarian crises across the globe warrant a dose of Einstein-inspired innovation.

The IRC has grown because its teams have gone to the toughest places, done innovative research, developed in-depth knowledge, and forged vital relationships with local governments. At work today in over 40 countries and in 28 US cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Job Overview

The Investigator for the IRC regions of West Africa and the Great Lakes will assist the IRC Ethics and Compliance Unit (ECU) conduct investigations of allegations involving fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, beneficiary exploitation and abuse, and other misconduct. West Africa and the Great Lakes region include the following IRC Country Programs: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.

In this role, you will support IRC programs to ensure continued vigilance with regard to the risks associated with violations of IRC’s Code of Professional Conduct and Policies the law/regulations, and the further development of complaints mechanisms and investigation capacity. You will additionally collaborate with other IRC functional areas and programs to support our partners, sub-grantees, and other agencies in encouraging a work environment that minimizes the potential for misconduct.

Two commitments lie at the foundation of the IRC’s work: 1) our unceasing quest to serve the needs of our beneficiaries; and 2) our determination to meet the requirements of our donors as trusted stewards of their resources. This position will play a key role in meeting these challenges by furthering a critical mission of the ECU: to safeguard our employees, beneficiaries, staff, and resources from misconduct and abuse in complex and high-risk operating environments through investigating allegations of fraud, collusion, and corruption in the use of the grant funds.

The location will be remote working or from an IRC office, with primary responsibilities for investigations in the IRC regions of West Africa and the Great Lakes.

Do you have a strong work ethic and experience in international investigations? Are you passionate about IRC’s mission, making a positive impact and seeing an improvement in people’s work lives? Then join us!

Highlights of Your Key Responsibilities

• Undertake investigations of alleged fraud, corruption, waste, safeguarding, and any other type of misconduct, with objectivity, impartiality, and fairness throughout the investigative process and in accordance with generally recognized international investigative standards and IRC guidelines
• Assess cases of alleged misconduct for disclosures to donors in a timely manner
• Formulate investigation plans, review, and analyze all information to determine its relevance and reliability, conduct interviews of staff and other parties, record interviews, acquire and analyze potential documentary and electronic evidence, conduct investigative research, prepare draft investigation reports, and present investigative results in a clear written form in a timely manner
• Prepare well-written reports and ad hoc briefs pertaining to investigations in coordination with the Senior Investigator, Ethics and Compliance Unit management, and others as appropriate
• Prepare recommendations for corrective actions and improved controls and effectiveness or efficiency of IRC operations
• Ensure that investigative materials are stored and maintained per ECU’s investigations Team Manual
• Aid in the prioritization of investigative work in consultation with Ethics and Compliance Unit management
• Participate in developing and revising compliance-related best practices and lessons learned from investigative work
• Engage regularly with Country Program staff and middle management, including Country Directors, and other key collaborators, and demonstrate that support is provided to local investigation teams.
• Work with Compliance Coordinators or other local staff assigned to support investigations
• Deliver investigation training, remotely and in person, to Country Program staff supporting investigations

Reporting Lines and Working Relationships

• Reports to: Senior Investigator, Ethics and Compliance Unit
• Directly supervises: None
• Other Internal and/or external contacts (globally)
  • Internal Contacts: Headquarters; Crisis, Response, Recovery & Development (CRRD) and Resettlement, Asylum & Integration (RAI) senior leadership, SMT, middle management, and staff; and program and functional areas such as Human Resources, Supply Chain, etc.
  • External Contacts: International representatives, donors, implementing partners, vendors, service providers, volunteers, external auditors, etc.

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required in business, finance, accounting, law, international relations, criminal justice, or related field.

• Certification: Certificates, licenses or advanced degrees in law, accounting or computer forensics an advantage (CFE/CFF/CPA/CA/CCEP)

• Work Experience:**

• 5+ years of international investigations experience

• Experience in the nonprofit, NGO sectors or grant-supported organizations, regional and international organizations, or the inspector general function within a large government organization a plus

• Experience conducting fraud, collusion, corruption, vendor and supplier collusion, safeguarding and other types of investigations in challenging environments, and preferably in locations where the IRC operates

• Experience working with investigation teams in remote locations and insecure environments

• Experience examining forensic, financial and electronic evidence

• Extensive experience conducting interviews of witnesses and subjects in multicultural environments

• Experience in delivering trainings

• Experience with exposure to highly sensitive information, and ability to maintain confidentiality, including legal and financial information.

• Ability to remain respectful, empathetic, and diplomatic in the face of difficult and uncomfortable situations and conversations surrounding reviews and assessments.

• Proven ability to interact respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and communicate effectively across multiple levels in a complex global organization.

• Travel to insecure environments is required.

• Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

  • Ability to work effectively in French and English (both spoken and writing skills) is a requirement.
  • Fraud Investigation Principles and Techniques, including Procurement Fraud, Bribery, Collusion and Corruption
  • Sexual Exploitation and Abuse investigation and interviewing experience preferred
  • Excellent judgment and Honesty and Integrity in the highest degree
  • Interviewing skills and the ability to interview both witnesses and subjects
  • Experience with computer and accounting forensic specialists (having such expertise is a plus)
  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, including the preparation of clear and concise reports
  • Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work successfully with internal functional units and operations
  • Demonstrated experience and a successful track record working with minimal direct supervision
  • Data Analysis
  • MS Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Working Environment

• Position will either be remote working from home or in an IRC office environment
• Travel: Travel (up to 50%) to IRC offices, field sites, and possible insecure environments required (post Covid-19 travel restrictions)

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Equality, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Staff and Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.