Investigations Case Manager—Fraud & Corruption

Full-time / Exempt / Portland, Oregon or Washington D.C.

Current unrestricted authorization to work for any U.S. employer is required

Starting salary, based on experience, is $85-95K

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

The Intake and Investigations department is a newly forming team which is tasked with the intake and investigation of all reports of ethics violations including fraud, corruption, and Code of Conduct and Global Human Resources complaints. The team is responsible for managing all phases of this process from intake to investigative conclusion and then works with senior leadership for case closure. The Intake and Investigation department reports to the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and the Board.

General Position Summary

The Investigation Case Manager—Fraud & Corruption is responsible to allocate cases, manage caseloads, and support and conduct investigations into allegations of violations of code of conduct policies to ensure that Mercy Corps takes all reports of misconduct seriously and investigates thoroughly and impartially consistent with sector wide best practice and donor expectations. The Case Manager will supervise and support a team of dedicated Senior Ethics Advisors and Ethics and Assurance Managers in the field to support but not lead investigations from receipt of an allegation to donor notification through to submission of final investigation reports.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

● Manage investigations by setting clear direction and strategy; anticipate challenges and risks and identify strategies for mitigation

● Deliver quality results even under difficult or changing conditions

● See ideas through to completion with determination, acting decisively to course correct initiatives that aren’t working

● Ensure the capture of lessons learned from investigations for the agency to consider when revising policies, procedures, and training

● Identify and track data on investigations over time to inform learning, adaptation and improvement of Mercy Corps’ fraud and corruption prevention and response

● Lead and enable activities that enhance Mercy Corps’ reputation for analytical rigor and innovation and contribute to sector wide efforts to combat fraud and corruption

Investigation Management

● Allocate, coordinate and oversee all fraud and corruption investigations and investigator

● Ensure investigations are conducted in a manner that considers the safety and security of all involved, including risk assessments and mitigation

● Provide oversight on investigations

● Analyze workflow volumes and distribution to ensure complete and thorough investigations are completed on a timely basis.

● Individual investigator case management and tracking to support timely completion and to assist in mitigating investigative barriers

● Coordinate with other Case managers on complex cases and work-flow

● Review investigation reports for completeness and clarity

● Assess intake and investigation process as it evolves to identify opportunities for process improvement

● Effectively manage external investigator(s)

Investigation Communication

● Ensure timely and appropriate reporting of fraud and corruption incidents to donors, including reporting to and managing communications with Offices of Inspectors Generals for U. S. Government donors and coordinating with Mercy Corps Europe to ensure proper reporting to European donors; manage communications, updates and case closure notifications with donors as appropriate

● Provide initial allegation and case closure notifications to Country Director, and other Mercy Corps team members where appropriate, i.e. security, compliance, human resources

● Maintain appropriate confidentiality within the agency and with third parties

Team Management

● Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development

● Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives

● Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews

● Create and sustain a collaborative work environment of mutual respect where team members strive for the most ethical and comprehensive investigations possible. Encourage a climate of idea generation, open discourse, and honest communication, creating a trusting, inclusive team.

● Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

● Manage remotely based investigator(s) and co-investigator(s), and coordinate with country leadership in diverse time zones

● Strong investigative skills that include the ability to act as a lead investigator, to include the interviewing of subjects of complaints and witnesses, collection of potential evidence, and other related investigative skills.

Influence & 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.

● Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

● 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

● Highest levels of personal and professional ethical standards that set the example for the team and organization.

Supervisory Responsibility

● Senior Ethics Advisors, Fraud & Corruption

● Country-Specific Ethics and Assurance Managers (through dotted-line reporting)

● External Investigator(s)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer

Works Directly With: Relevant Headquarters and Field Teams, Case Manager for Safeguarding, and Case Manager for Global Human Resources

Knowledge and Experience

● A minimum of 5 years of experience as a trained and practiced investigator, with at least 5 years of experience in human resources or fraud and corruption.

● Proven expert investigative skills and demonstrated ability to act as a lead investigator, including the interviewing of survivors, subjects of complaints, and witnesses, the collection of potential evidence, and other related investigative procedures.

● Demonstrated understanding of survivor-centric practice, regulatory standards and rules.

● Experience drafting and implementing anti-corruption compliance policy and programs is strongly preferred.

● Experience designing and implementing prevention measures, such as internal controls and operational compliance guidelines, is strongly preferred.

● Functional understanding of U.K. Bribery Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is preferred.

● DOJ or OIG experience would be beneficial.

● Experience working with culturally diverse international teams and partners, living overseas, or spending a significant amount of time in foreign countries is greatly beneficial.

● Previous supervisory experience and demonstrated ability to partner closely with direct reports and other team contributors.

● 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.

● Good project management skills, with implementation experience.

● Experience with donor expectations in a humanitarian aid context is strongly preferred.

● English fluency required; strong preference for additional fluency in French, Spanish and/or Arabic.

● Additional experience as an ethics officer, attorney, or similar position is preferred.

Success Factors

The successful Investigation Case Manager for Fraud & Corruption will have deep knowledge of the INGO environment; deep knowledge of best practice in conducting fraud and corruption investigations, including knowledge on how to conduct internal investigations in the context of insecure and opaque environments with varying cultures, languages and education levels; and an enduring ability to move complex problems forward in a timely yet methodical manner. This person will have an utmost understanding of and appreciation for the confidential nature of this work. This person will have an abiding sense of empathy for the difficulties that INGOs face and an unwavering commitment to improvement in the face of these difficulties. They will have very strong project management skills and will be adept at communicating with and motivating a diverse array of stakeholders.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Portland, Oregon or Washington, DC and it requires up to 25% travel to countries which may be listed as failed or failing states. Travel for investigations is occasionally urgent, resulting in travel departure within days of notice.

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 world’s 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. 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.

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.

mercycorps.org

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