Apr 16, 2018

Senior Investigator , Kenya

Employer: International Rescue Committee
Location: Kenya-Nairobi


Job Overview/Summary:

Reporting to the Senior Director of Investigations and the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, the Senior Investigator will assist the IRC Ethics and Compliance Unit to conduct investigations of allegations involving fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, beneficiary exploitation and abuse, and other misconduct. The position 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. The position will work with other IRC functional areas and programs to support our partners, sub-grantees and other agencies in fostering a work environment that minimizes the potential for abuse, exploitation and other forms of 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 Ethics and Compliance Unit - to safeguard our employees, beneficiaries, staff and resources from misconduct and abuse in challenging and high-risk operating environments through investigating allegations of fraud, collusion and corruption in the use of the grant funds. As the investigations will involve transactions, individuals and entities in the field, the position requires extensive travel.

Position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with responsibilities primarily for investigations in East and West Africa.

Major Responsibilities:
Undertake investigations of alleged fraud, waste, financial corruption, and any other type of misconduct, ensuring objectivity, impartiality and fairness throughout investigative processes in accordance with generally recognized international investigative standards and IRC guidelines;
Formulate investigation plans, review and analyze all information to determine its relevance and reliability, conduct interviews of staff and other involved parties, record interviews, obtain and analyze potential documentary and electronic evidence, conduct investigative research, prepare draft investigation reports, and present investigative results in a clear written form;
Prepare reports and ad hoc briefs pertaining to investigations in coordination with the Senior Director of Investigations and the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and others as appropriate;
Prepare recommendations for corrective action and improved controls and effectiveness or efficiency of IRC operations;
Support the preparation of work plans and the prioritization of investigative work in consultation with Ethics and Compliance Unit management. Monitor and assist the work of contracted specialists as appropriate;
Participate in developing and revising compliance-related best practices and lessons learned from investigative work.

Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Senior Director of Investigations

Position directly supervises: Investigators

Other Internal and/or external contacts

Internal: Headquarters departments, international and U.S. program operations

External: International representatives, partners, vendors, service providers and external auditors as needed

Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree required in business, accounting, criminal justice or related field.

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

Work Experience:
8-10+ years of international fraud investigations experience (including substantive experience in developing countries and insecure environments)
Experience in the nonprofit, NGO sectors or grant-supported organizations, or the inspector general function within a large government organization
Experience conducting fraud, collusion, corruption, and other types of investigations in challenging environments, and in the locations where the IRC operates;
Experience leading investigations of complex fraud, collusion and procurement fraud in government programs, NGO programs or the equivalent;
Experience working with investigation teams in remote locations and insecure environments;
Experience investigating vendor and supplier collusion;
Experience examining forensic evidence; electronic evidence and working with computer forensic and accounting forensic specialists;
Extensive experience conducting interviews of witnesses and subjects in multicultural environments

Travel to insecure environments required

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
Fraud Investigation Principles and Techniques, including Procurement Fraud, Bribery, Collusion and Corruption
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse investigation and interviewing experience preferred
Excellent judgment and discretion
Fluency in French or Arabic a significant plus
Extensive Interviewing skills and the ability to interview both witnesses and subjects
Experience with computer and accounting forensic specialists (having such expertise a plus)
Project Management
Communications – Written and Oral English
Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work successfully with internal functional units and operations
Excellent writing and report drafting skills
Data Analysis
MS Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and VISIO
Demonstrated experience and a successful track record working with minimal direct supervision

Working Environment:
Position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with responsibilities primarily for investigations in East and West Africa
Travel 50% or more to developing countries including insecure environments.