Senior Manager, Risk and Compliance

Location: This role is fully remote but must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

About this role

The Senior Manager of Risk and Compliance is responsible for implementing GD's risk and compliance work encompassing organizational policies, internal controls, audit, learning, and whistleblowing. This position will oversee the risk and compliance unit within the global Compliance team. Reporting directly to the Director of Compliance and Grants Management, this position will manage the development of policies, risk assessment, internal controls and associated audits, learning and whistleblowing platforms, and operational systems improvement activities. This role will collaborate closely with GD country programs and global shared services staff. Additionally, the Senior Manager of Risk and Compliance will oversee the work of a Manager and other staff within the risk and compliance unit.

Reports to: Director Compliance and Grants Management

Level: SM

Travel Requirement: Must be able to travel ~3-5 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or audit/field visits.

What you’ll do:

Organizational Policies and Procedures

• Facilitate routine reviews and updates of organizational policies and procedures to ensure they remain current, relevant, and in alignment with evolving regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices.
• Incorporate feedback from both internal and external stakeholders into the policies and procedures to ensure they effectively support GD’s objectives.
• Implement robust compliance oversight within the Guru knowledge management platform by regularly monitoring content integrity to uphold organizational standards.
• Proactively identify areas for enhancement or updates within the Guru platform to optimize its usability in facilitating organizational compliance efforts.
• Provide comprehensive guidance and support to staff members in effectively navigating organizational policies and procedures, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and adherence to compliance standards.
• Support the finance team on strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing activities by implementing and overseeing related policies, procedures, and controls.
• Maintain an effective sanctions check process to adhere to GD’s policies and donor requirements, including screening of vendors and other parties against sanctions lists.
• Facilitate cross-site learning, create user-friendly resources, offer creative solutions to operational challenges, and promote best practices in compliance management.

Internal Controls Review and Audit

• Coordinate with the Compliance team and other departments to conduct risk assessments and develop a comprehensive work plan for internal controls review. 
• Collaborate with leadership across GD countries to conduct internal controls audit through roadshows and other methods. 
• Utilize relevant risk-based audit techniques to assess internal controls effectiveness across operational, financial, and compliance functions. 
• Supervise staff and ensure the timely completion of roadshows and audits, focusing on collaborative verification and assessment of internal controls. 
• Identify compliance gaps in policies, procedures, regulations, and donor requirements, and offer actionable recommendations for internal control improvements and policy/procedure modifications.
• Collaborate with external auditors as needed to conduct special purpose audits, ensuring thorough examination and compliance with relevant requirements.
• Follow up with action owners to ensure timely implementation of improvements as per agreed timelines. Offer technical assistance and share solutions to enhance operating systems and internal controls.

Learning Management and Whistleblowing Platforms

• Manage GD’s learning management and whistleblowing platforms, ensuring they align with compliance objectives aimed at promoting integrity and ethical behavior.
• Collaborate extensively to understand evolving wrongdoing reporting needs and work with service providers to implement suitable learning and ethical reporting solutions.
• Assist in developing training materials that effectively utilize the learning management platform, with a particular focus on compliance initiatives.
• Strengthen procedures and protocols for enhancing reporting of whistleblowing concerns in accordance with GD’s policies and donor requirements.
• Provide training, awareness, and support to staff to optimize their use of the learning and whistleblowing platforms, fostering awareness and adoption across all GD countries.
• Foster open communication for reporting whistleblowing concerns, including fraud and wrongdoing detection and prevention, to encourage transparency and accountability.

Communication and Collaboration

• Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with external stakeholders, including partners, auditors, and other entities crucial to the success of risk and compliance.
• Effectively communicate and provide advisory support to country-based staff on risk mitigation and compliance requirements.
• Provide assistance to other departments as requested and as assigned by the line manager, including participation in audits, investigations, etc.
• Cultivate compliance awareness and collaboration across GD countries for the effective implementation of systems and processes.
• Promote ethical conduct and foster awareness on wrongdoing mitigation among employees at all locations. 

Team Management

• Provide effective oversight of staff within the risk and compliance unit, including setting clear objectives, providing regular performance feedback, and conducting performance reviews in alignment with organizational guidelines.
• Motivate and inspire team members to achieve their goals and objectives, fostering a positive and supportive work environment.
• Offer professional guidance and mentorship to team members, identifying opportunities for skill development and career advancement.
• Collaborate with Human Resources to address any staffing issues or concerns, ensuring a high level of performance and productivity within the risk and compliance team.

Other Duties

• Provide assistance as needed on departmental activities including compliance aspects of legal, regulatory, partners oversight, and grants management activities. 
• Maintain fundamental principles and ethics of auditing and compliance, such as a high level of confidentiality, integrity, objectivity, professional competence, and behavior.
• Act as a thought partner within the compliance team for safeguarding of organizational interests and compliance with legal and donor requirements.
• Contribute to alignment of compliance and risk management ambitions with industry norms and regulatory requirements.

What you’ll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
• Language Requirement: Fluency in English is required.
• Language Preferences: Proficiency in French, Portuguese, Arabic or other GD languages is preferred. 
• 5 years of overall experience with 3 years of managerial level experience in risk management, audit, and compliance functions.
• Demonstrated skills in organizational policies, procedures, and systems improvement initiatives.
• In-depth expertise in risk assessment and audit processes, including coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in implementation of the learning and whistleblowing systems.
• Knowledge of donor requirements, such as USAID, World Bank (WB), FCDO, etc., is preferred but not required.
• Ability to adapt and innovate, navigate evolving situations, and introduce creative solutions to challenging problems. 
• We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.