Job: Manager, Investigations Unit

Location: New York
Deadline: Friday, 06 December 2013

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. Working in some of the world's most challenging environments, our vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

UNOPS provides services in sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement and sustainable project management, with projects ranging from building schools, roads, bridges and hospitals to procuring goods and services and training local personnel.

By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

We employ more than 6,000 personnel annually and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of regional and country offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Director, IAIG, the Chief of Investigations Section will:

Manage the unit's performance, manage the team members, and be responsible for the unit deliverables based on the unit's activities;

Provide clear vision and inspiration for the team, set goals, motivate performance, and support professional growth;

Lead the team in investigating alleged fraud, corruption, waste of resources, abuse of authority or other misconduct and violations of UNOPS regulations, rules and administrative instructions;

Define investigation strategies, manage interviews (of complainant, witness, and subject); oversee the team in the collation and assessment of evidence in order to produce credible investigative findings;

Design and conduct investigations into suspected cases of fraud, waste and abuse;

Responsible for quality assurance of investigation reports in order to ensure that they meet the highest possible standard;

Provide final recommendations on corrective measures and related disciplinary actions as well as providing evidence and materials to support such recommendation, in order to minimize risk of repeat violations and provide advice and guidance to individual units as well as on organization-wide initiatives as necessary. Liaise with Legal Counsel as required;

Provide sound advice on the development of policies, and on changes to UNOPS rules and regulations to minimize risks. Provide advice to other departments in relation to potential exposures to fraud, corruption, and other inappropriate practices;

Be a catalyst for UNOPS Fraud Prevention and Detection initiatives. This includes capacity building to better mitigate fraud and corruption risks; Publicizing the UNOPS Fraud Hotline; Coordinating with Human Resources and the Ethics Office on education and awareness campaigns; Working with Human Resources and Procurement in order to strengthening personnel and supplier due diligence mechanisms; Collaborate with IAIG Audit Section to identify internal control gaps that allowed misconduct to occur and propose the remedial action needed to correct them; Provide advice to other departments in relation to potential exposures to fraud, corruption, and other inappropriate practices;

Strengthen the internal and external sanction mechanisms in coordination with the Legal Practice and Procurement Practice Groups. Monitor follow-up actions taken by UNOPS business units or other parties in relation to an investigated case;

Oversee the achievement of the objectives by managing the budget exercisefor the Unit;

Liaise, as required, and represent UNOPS with sister UN agencies, Clients, Donors, Partners, International Financial Institutions and national law enforcement bodies. Exchange information where permitted.

Background Information - Job-specific

The Internal Audit and Investigations Group (IAIG) reports directly to the Executive Director of UNOPS, and is responsible for providing audit, investigation and related advisory services. IAIG leads investigations into alleged fraud, corruption, waste of resources, abuse of authority or other misconduct and violations of UNOPS regulations, rules and administrative instructions. The Chief of Investigations will lead their team in ensuring that UNOPS' high standards of good governance, transparency and accountability continue to be achieved.

Competencies

Core Values and Ethics :

demonstrates integrity and fairness, display cultural and gender sensitivity, shows strong corporate commitment and complies with United Nations code of conduct;

Teamwork : Ability to work in a team and to lead team based activities, embraces extra responsibility, build team morale and consensus;

Task Management Skills : produces timely, quality outputs, exercises sound judgment/analysis, develops creative solutions and able to handle multiple tasks;

Communications: speaks and writes clearly and convincingly, has good presentation skills, listens actively and responds effectively, including ability to defend and explain difficult issues and positions to staff including senior officials;

Building and Sharing Knowledge: actively builds deep knowledge, makes valuable contributions, applies existing knowledge to work and provides advice and support to others;

Learning: provides constructive coaching and feedback, acts as long-term mentor for others and acts on personal development plan;

Leadership: Demonstrated innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis of complex audit policy and programme issues, and leading, coordinating and managing multiple audit teams working on concurrent projects/activities;

Managing Performance: Strong managerial/supervisory skills; Ability to establish, plan and encourage performance, and coordinate and monitor work of others; delegate appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; In addition to UN/UNOPS core values/competencies, diligence, attention to critical details, keen sense of work priorities and resourcefulness in obtaining and researching important information;

Precision and neatness in submitting work completed; Excellent organizational skills; Established reputation for integrity, sound judgment, fairness, and discretion.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Accounting, Finance, Law, or related fields such as Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or national equivalent.

Experience:

• 10 years of professional experience in investigation, forensic auditing, or law enforcement.
• A proven track record in planning, leading and executing investigations as well as a minimum of 3 years' experience in managing teams.
• Previous experience in the conduct of investigations within a UN organisation or International Financial Institution is desirable.
• Knowledge of specialized computer forensic tools and investigation databases considered an asset.
• Familiarity with ERP, such as Oracle/PeopleSoft is considered a plus.

Language:

• Written and spoken fluency in English.
• A working knowledge of another United Nations language such as French or Spanish is an asset

Contract type, level and duration Contract type: FTA Contract level: P5 Contract duration: One year For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: http://www.unops.org/english/whoweneed/contract-types/Pages/United-Nations-staff-contracts.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks. Please attach a cover letter, expressing your motivations for applying for the job

More Info and Application