Senior Investigator

Background/IRC Summary:  

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 conflict 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 world’s more than 50 million displaced people, the most since World War II, require more than “aid as usual.” Their growing and increasingly complex needs mandate a transformation—a creative rethinking—in the global humanitarian response. 

The beneficiaries of its programs deserve evidence-based interventions that bring real change to their lives. That is what the IRC is determined to deliver. The IRC has grown because its teams have gone to the toughest places, done cutting-edge research, developed in-depth knowledge, and forged vital relationships with local governments. Today its 11,000 employees and 13,000 incentive workers work in 170 field offices in 40 crisis-torn countries are helping communities rebuild after Ebola, survive terrorist insurgencies, and recover from war. From health care to education to protection for women and girls, the IRC is there. And unlike any other humanitarian organization, it is also here, in 26 U.S. cities, helping newly arrived refugees adjust to life in America and make a contribution to their new country. 

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 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.

Major Responsibilities:

• Undertake investigations of alleged fraud, waste, financial corruption, 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 as needed

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 and corruption 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 distant 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; 

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 New York, NY with a standard office work environment
• Travel 50% or more to developing countries including insecure environments