Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Department
The Ethics and Compliance Department (ECD) supports and monitors ethical compliance across Mercy Corpsโ various affiliates and global operations. This team interacts with and supports all functional areas of Mercy Corps, including executive and senior management, programs, social ventures, policy & advocacy, resource development, safeguarding, finance, and human resources, as well as the various functional areas that report into these departments.
The Position
Under the CECO, the Director of Fraud and Corruption Prevention will oversee the development and implementation of the Mercy Corps anti-fraud and corruption prevention program. They will provide strategy, guidance, and advice on risk mitigation and enhancing internal controls, working with country offices and functional leads. Furthermore, they will facilitate the follow up from internal audits and investigations, ensuring that management actions in response to corrective actions have been effectively implemented. They will also provide anti-fraud and corruption training for investigators and other team members.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Deliver quality results even under difficult or changing conditions.
- See ideas through to completion with determination, acting decisively to course correct initiatives that arenโt working.
- Ensure the capture of lessons learned from investigations for the agency to consider when revising policies, procedures, and training and developing fraud and corruption prevention efforts.
- Identify and track data on investigations over time to inform learning, adaptation and improvement of Mercy Corpsโ fraud and corruption prevention and response.
POLICIES AND TRAINING
- Maintain an expert knowledge of Mercy Corpsโ internal policies and procedures, as well as donor rules and regulations.
- Regular review and updates of relevant anti-fraud/anti-corruption policies and protocols.
- Develop and deliver, in collaboration with others, anti-fraud and anti-corruption training for Mercy Corps team members and implementing partners.
- Evaluate training needs and implement training programs as needed.
- Participating in the development of internal policies, investigative training, guidelines, templates, and tools to strengthen investigation capacity building and staff development.
INTERNAL CONTROLS AND REMEDIATION
- Helping the CECO and other team members in the ECD, in collaboration with other functions, determine appropriate recommendations in response to investigation findings, including internal control improvement opportunities identified through root cause analysis.
- Advise and support regional and country teams and relevant HQ and global teams in the development of effective corrective and after-action plans in response to ECD investigation findings, internal audit reports, and other relevant sources including external audits and investigations.
- Identify local and global opportunities to increase efficiencies and improve systems related to compliance and control processes, and partner with appropriate stakeholders to develop and implement enhancements.
- Develop processes and systems for the tracking of findings relating to internal system failures/weaknesses/gaps and recommendations for remediation identified in investigations and internal audits.
- Work with other HQ departments to ensure that corrective and remedial actions in response to investigations and audits are incorporated into planning as appropriate. Coordinate with appropriate departments where it is identified that global policies and procedures need implementation or revision.
- Carry out analyses of trends in investigative and audit findings and how common findings have been resolved in different countries.
- Present to the Joint Audit and Risk Committee the results and lessons learned from follow up of investigative corrective actions and internal audit action plans.
RISK ASSESSMENTS
- Develop processes and protocols for conducting anti-fraud/corruption risk assessments to identify control gaps and recommendations for remediation.
- Based upon results from investigations, internal/external audits, and other sources, make recommendations for the performance of compliance risk assessments each year.
- Support compliance risk assessments, including: development of methodology and focus, identification of the review team, implementation of review process, preparation of report of findings, and formulation of remediation plan.
COORDINATION WITH COUNTRY OFFICES AND OTHER UNITS
- Work with Ethics and Assurance Managers and Integrity Focal Points to develop training and discussion content on fraud and corruption indicators, internal controls issues, audit findings, and related areas.
- Provide advice and guidance to Ethics and Assurance Managers, Integrity Focal Points, and other in-country team members on the development of their work plans and initiatives to strengthen the local control environment, in coordination with country leadership.
- Coordinate follow up of investigative and audit findings and recommendations to ensure that corrective actions are implemented.
- Assist country teams on orientation of new Senior Management Team/Ethics and Assurance Managers/Internal Control Specialists and Internal Audit and Investigation staff members on the results of previous investigations and internal audits and the status of action plans.
- Discuss findings and recommendations from investigations with senior management, Board of Directors, Joint Audit & Risk Committee and other staff as required.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT
- Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
- Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
- Demonstrates an awareness of their personal strengths and development needs; builds a culture of feedback and learning.
INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION
- Maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including country teams, other headquarters functions, donors and regulators. Build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside Mercy Corps at all levels.
- Remain up-to-date on relevant trends, training, and activities in global compliance and fraud and corruption investigations within the humanitarian and development sector.
- Represent Mercy Corps in the Ethics community.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Works Directly With: Investigations Case Managers for Safeguarding, Fraud and Corruption, and Global Human Resources; Senior Ethics Specialists; Ethics and Assurance Managers; Integrity Focal Points; Investigators for Safeguarding, Fraud and Corruption, and Global Human Resources; Safeguarding Director; Internal Audit Staff; Finance and Compliance Units, Country Teams; People Team stakeholders; other HQ units (including MCE and MCNL) and Safeguarding field partners, such as Safeguarding Managers and Focal Points.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
- A minimum of 8 years of experience as a trained and practiced fraud and corruption investigator, lawyer, or audit professional.
- Experience drafting and implementing anti-corruption compliance policy and programs and training is strongly preferred.
- Experience designing and implementing prevention measures, such as internal controls and operational compliance guidelines, is strongly preferred.
- Relevant โhands-onโ experience with INGOs, federally funded grants, US Government and European Union donor regulations is preferable.
- Functional understanding of U.K. Bribery Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is preferred.
- Experience working with culturally diverse international teams and partners, living overseas, or spending a significant amount of time in foreign countries is greatly beneficial.
- Ability to navigate difficult circumstances with a calm demeanor and in a methodical, reasoned manner.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, effective organizational and interpersonal skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of system documentation.
- Strong analytical and database management skills preferred.
Success Factors
The successful Director of Fraud and Corruption Prevention will have deep knowledge of the INGO environment and best practices in preventing fraud and corruption. They will have very strong project management skills and will be adept at communicating with and motivating a diverse array of stakeholders. They will also have excellent writing skills.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The ideal candidate will be able to travel to either U.S. HQ in Portland or Washington, D.C., as necessary. Mercy Corps does not procure housing for the candidate and will be the responsibility of the candidate. The candidate must be flexible to meet the international meeting times of the team, with early mornings and late evenings possible. This position requires travel up to 20% of the time.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the worldโs most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.
Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.
Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees
Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.
This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.
For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.