Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

  • Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
  • Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
  • Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
  • Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) derives its mandate from United Nations General Assembly Resolution 33/147 of 20 December 1978. Called upon by United Nations Member States in that year, UNDP was requested “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”.

The UNDP PAPP is developing a robust Adaptive Risk Management and Mitigation Strategy to respond to the challenging context of its operations. At the centre of the newly developed risk management strategy, an Integrated Risk Management Unit (IRMU) is envisaged to continuously assess, monitor, and provide advice to the PAPP Office, and projects are envisaged. This action-oriented capacity is meant to lead, advise and support risk management practices in compliance with the UNDP Enterprise Risk Management Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).

The Unit will ensure a consistent “do no harm”/conflict sensitivity approach to UNDP’s intervention, agile support adaptation of programmes in a continuously changing context and establish relationships with other UN system organisations and other stakeholders on risks that impact delivering programmes in PAPP and define common approaches and risk information-sharing principles.
 

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the UNDP PAPP Special Representative of the Administrator, the Risk Management Specialist will lead the IRMU unit and further design, develop, implement, and maintain an integrated programmatic and operational risk management framework in coordination with relevant UNDP teams across organisational lines at the country, regional, and global levels. S/he will work closely and in collaboration with the different functions and units in the PAPP Office, such as the Deputy Special Representative, Head of Gaza Office, Programme, Operations, Business Solution Support Center, Results-Based Management, and project managers.

The Risk Management Specialist will also coordinate with the Regional Bureau for the Arab States (RBAS) and relevant departments at UNDP Headquarters on matters related to risk management and enhanced vetting, as required. The incumbent will be required to undertake frequent travel to Gaza.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide Strategic Leadership in Risk Management and Policy Development.

  • Develop, implement, and maintain policies, guidelines, and processes to identify, measure, mitigate, monitor and report risk related to the design and implementation of the programme strategy in consultation with subject expertise within the Office and Regional Bureau.
  • Provide a 1st and 2nd Line of Defence review, offering an independent, expert perspective on the identification, assessment, and treatment of current and emerging risks, including areas such as programmatic, operational, banking/financial, fiduciary, money laundering and financing of terrorism, human rights/gender-related, institutional, reputational, and third-party risks.
  • Guide and support defining requirements and monitor the application of practical implementation and maintenance of risk processes and tools.
  • Identify and engage with process owners and relevant stakeholders to facilitate targeted deep dives, unique reviews, and additional directives from senior leadership.
  • Promote the application of advanced risk analytics to measure and monitor the UNDP CO programmatic and operational risk exposures and contribute to an adaptive management approach.
  • Design and develop relevant analytical tools and processes to monitor and report risk events.
     

2. Build Effective Partnerships and Coordination 
 

  • Establish and strengthen partnership management with key internal and external stakeholders, including UNDP/UN organisations and other complex environments, donors, civil society, regulatory bodies, etc. 
  • Provide technical support and advice on risk management practices to the UNDP PAPP Office, project personnel and its partners.
  • Establish formal and informal partnerships with regulatory bodies, UNDP/UN audit and investigation offices and research institutions, as necessary.
  • Coordinate risk management activities across different partners engaged in the implementation of risk management practices in PAPP
     

3. Ensure Risk Information Sharing, Knowledge Management and Provision of Audit and Investigation Support Service

  • Ensure that risk information-sharing platforms and mechanisms are developed and maintained to support analysis and assessments.
  • Promote information sharing across development and humanitarian stakeholders.
  • Contribute to decision-making, management, and implementation of the UNDP PAPP programme and its operations.
  • Ensure the development of protocols, procedures, and techniques for risk management and information security.
  • Communicate operational risk information to Management.
  • Present risk exposure information and highlight cross-functional impacts.
  • Maintain knowledge of emerging best practices and other international standards in operational risk management.
  • Serve as a resource person, support the organization, and conduct risk management training to promote a risk culture in UNDP.
  • Review cases of suspected malpractice brought to the attention of UNDP PAPP, including assessing fraud and corruption risks, money laundering and terrorism financing. 
  • Provide overall support to partner/programme and country office audit.
  • Liaise with internal and external audit and investigation bodies by availing information from risk analysis and assessments and progressing allegations’ submission.
  • Conduct due diligence and verification of documents and processes.
  • Work closely with the PAPP, regional and HQ teams to incorporate UNDP’s ERM policy, Social and Environmental Standards (SES), AML/CFT and other corporate requirements in UNDP’s programmatic initiatives.
  • Review the readiness status of the UNDP PAPP on partner risk assessments and advise on the response plan.    
  • Review, monitor and update programme and project risk dashboard and relevant key performance indicators. Advise on the quality of project/programme risk registers and mitigation measures to safeguard programme implementation. Update PAPP management monthly on the status of these dashboards.
  • Advise on risk assessments and coordinate due diligence of high-risk development partners and vendors, where required.

     

4. Ensure management of the process of due diligence, enhanced vetting and screening of UNDP PAPP counterparties, their sub awardees, individuals and entities in compliance with the AML/CFT policy and relevant PAPP SOPs

  • Perform relevant tasks required by the UNDP AML/CFT policy as relevant to the enhanced vetting and screening as stipulated in the PAPP relevant standard operating procedures. 
  • In line with UNDP relevant record keeping SOP, maintains records and documentation of all actions undertaken.
  • For counterparties subject to enhanced vetting, review the documents submitted by the programme and operations colleagues, as stipulated in the SOP for enhanced vetting and ensure proper completion as required by policy prior to submitting them through UNall to the corporate AML/CFT team.
  • Ensure open-source research on local contextual information and includes the relevant information in the submission on UNall. 
  • Interact with the AML/CFT BMS team on the submitted cases to provide additional information/clarifications.
  • Conduct screening on LexisNexis database of all entities and individuals identified from micro-purchasing and in compliance with the SOP for screening of out-of-scope entities/individuals not covered by the AML/CFT policy and share the screening results with the supervisor for further processing.
  • Knowledge and compliance of the UNDP Information Classification and Handling policy and Personal Data Protection and Privacy policy and ensure that sensitive information is properly handled.
  • Participate in UNDP-wide AML/CFT risk assessments, capacity building, and improvement initiatives.
     

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office and the organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervision of IRMU personnel.
 

Competencies

  • Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

  • Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Business Direction and Strategy-System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Finance & Anti-fraud, anti-bribery and corruption: 

  • Understand the policy and best practices relating to anti-bribery and corruption controls and ensure these are implemented and widely understood within the organization.
  • Understands the fraud risks faced by public bodies and can effectively analyze data to support fraud identification and fraud risk management.
  • Understands the fraud risks faced by public and non-governmental institutions and can conduct fraud risk assessments and response plans.

Business Management & Risk Management: 

  • Identify and organize action around reducing,
  • Mitigating and proactively managing risks

Finance & Due diligence management: Ability to conduct a comprehensive appraisal of an organization or opportunity to be undertaken by a prospective investor or partner,especially to establish its assets and liabilities, as well as evaluate the potential opportunity and its related risks; knowledge of respective methodology and tools.

Finance & Financial risk management: 

  • Ensures financial resilience through proactive risk assessment, controls implementation, and mitigating action.
  • Understands risk and reward about collaborative and commercial projects. 
  • Provides a culture of positive risk management.

Partnership Management & Emerging Partnerships: 

  • Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, International Relations, Law, Risk Management, Counterterrorism or related fields is required. OR
  • A first-level university degree in the areas mentioned above, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience, will be considered in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

  • A minimum of (5) Five years (with a master’s degree) or (7) Seven years (with a bachelor’s degree) in risk management, audit, investigation or law enforcement with international/governmental organisations in a crisis or post-crisis environment is required. 
  • Proven track record of in-depth knowledge of international risk management standards (ISO 31000, COSO – ERM), and their practical application in detecting, analyzing, and mitigating risks is required.  
  • Possess a proven record in developing and deploying operational and financial risk measurement frameworks, integrating data analytics, audit findings, or investigative insights to inform decision-making is desired. 
  • Practitioner-level experience in developing risk frameworks and coordinating and undertaking risk assessments is desired.
  • Experience in investigative or analytical methodologies applied to auditing, fraud detection, and financial intelligence is desired. 
  • Demonstrated delivery of operational/programmatic risk frameworks, KRIs/dashboards, and senior management reporting in crisis contexts is an advantage.
  • Demonstrated experience establishing and maintaining trusted risk-information sharing arrangements and partnerships with internal and external counterparts consistent with information security and personal data requirements is desirable.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in investigations / intelligence / audit / fraud examination is an advantage.
  • Proven experience and qualification in designing, implementing and evaluating training programs and initiatives is a comparative advantage.
  • Industry Certifications/qualifications in anti-fraud measures, fraud examination, financial intelligence and risk management are an asset

Languages:

  • Fluency in English is required. 
  • Knowledge of the Arabic Language is desirable.
     

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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