Ethics and Assurance Manager

Description

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 collaborate to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 400 people, with the overall country goal being to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with field offices in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Kasai and a small support base in Kinshasa. Mercy Corps DRC’s key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs to 1) Improve water service delivery and ensure equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development; 4) Support peacebuilding and local governance. Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo.

Mercy Corps DRC's portfolio is one of the largest and most complex across the agency, implementing 50M USD annually in programming. Mercy Corps DRC is recognized as a leader in humanitarian and development programming in Eastern Congo, with large-scale impact in communities. We champion and lead innovative solutions in a complex operating environment and are well positioned to influence stakeholders (donors, peer organizations, private sector and government) to implement solutions that will have a lasting impact and bring about real change at the community level.

General Position Summary

The Ethics and Assurance Manager (EAM) will work under the Ethics Director who serves as the Mercy Corps DRC focal point to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct and ethics policies and procedures. The EAM will examine, review, and analyze records, reports, financial information and management practices to ensure compliance with laws, regulations and Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and will investigate potential violations of Mercy Corps’ Ethics policies, with an emphasis on fraud and corruption. The EAM will also work with the Ethics Director to assist the country management team in developing, implementing and monitoring effective financial and operational controls over activities and offices to mitigate risk.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Ethics Incident Response

• Following Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures, serve as a country focal point for the internal reporting of any allegations of Ethics violations, including fraud and corruption.
• Liaise with the Ethics Director, Headquarters Ethics team, and other teams as needed, in the resolution of all reported fraud and corruption incidents.
• As agreed with the Ethics Director and Headquarters Ethics department, conduct inquiries and investigations to determine the facts, circumstances and scope of any fraud and corruption allegations raised.
• Collect, analyze and document the results of fraud and corruption investigations and communicate observations and recommendations with the collaboration of the Ethics Director, as appropriate.
• Prepare final reports to fully document the investigation and resolution of incidents. Reports will be reviewed by the Headquarters Ethics team.
• As a member of the DRC Ethics team, liaise closely with the PAQ Department in implementing the country Community Accountability Response Mechanism (CARM).
• Respond to Ethics violation referrals received through the Community Accountability Response Mechanism (CARM).

Ethics Training and Awareness

• Assist the Ethics Director and country management team with the implementation of new Headquarters or country Ethics policies and procedures, acting as a catalyst for change and acceptance and supporting smooth implementation.
• In coordination with established onboarding processes, assist with the onboarding of new country team members to ensure awareness and understanding of Ethics policies.
• Conduct and/or coordinate regular anti-fraud and anti-corruption prevention for country staff, partners, and contractors.

Internal Controls

• Assist the Ethics Director and country management team in determining effective and efficient solutions to operational issues that ensure compliance with Mercy Corps’ policies and donor regulations, mitigate the risk of fraud or corruption, and facilitate the achievement of program objectives.
• With the Ethics Director, assist program, operations and finance teams with implementing standard procedures or, as necessary, developing and documenting enhanced procedures for high-risk program activities, in particular those providing a direct financial benefit to participants (e.g., vouchers, cash distributions), requiring high value procurement, or the distribution of in-kind goods.
• In coordination with the Ethics Director and country management team and program managers, assist in maintaining the country-level Risk Register to identify key risks and document strategies to mitigate these risks. Assist in managing the quarterly update process and ensure communication of action plans.
• In coordination with the Ethics Director and relevant teams, perform periodic internal control reviews of in country financial, procurement, human resource, and logistics procedures.
• In coordination with the Ethics Director and program and monitoring and evaluation staff, conduct field reviews of program activities to ensure that adequate controls are in place and are functioning properly. Communicate findings and work with the relevant departments to correct weaknesses and improve controls as needed.
• As agreed with the Ethics Director and program and finance teams, advise on the development of monitoring plans for partners, including sub recipients, key vendors and other partners that must adhere to ethics policies. In coordination with relevant teams, perform periodic compliance reviews of partners.
• In coordination with the Ethics Director and country management team and HQ Finance, assist with the follow-up and resolution of external audit or Mercy Corps Internal Audit findings.
• Perform other related special projects and duties as determined and assigned by management.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• With the Ethics Director, 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 work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

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 beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

Senior Ethics Officers (or as appropriate)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Ethics Director

Works Directly With: Headquarters Ethics team (which has authority for Ethics reporting and investigation matters); country senior management team; Program Directors/ Managers; Finance, Compliance, and Operations teams; HR Manager; and all country staff.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required; and an advanced degree is a plus.
• 5 years+ related work experience with a not-for-profit organization implementing international programs or other reputable private sector entities.
• Strong background in compliance, systems and internal controls.
• Relevant experience in fraud investigations. Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designations are strongly preferred.
• Solid understanding of a wide-range of ethics violations, including fraud and corruption in humanitarian and/or development settings; Understanding of best practice in ethics management and accountability within INGOs, including best practices for investigations of ethical violations;
• Demonstrated experience in successfully working with administrative and program staff at all organizational levels, including insecure regions such as the DRC.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Solid organizational and research skills with a broad understanding of various program sectors and activities.
• Demonstrated experience in financial and operational data analysis.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Fluent written and oral communication in English and French. Local languages of DRC a plus.

Success Factors

The successful Ethics and Assurance Manager will possess an exemplary professional standard of ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures and external regulations. They will have excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders on sensitive and confidential matters. They will have the ability to navigate difficult circumstances with a calm demeanor, in an analytical and methodical manner. They will demonstrate the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. They will possess a broad understanding of humanitarian and development programs coupled with the ability to analyze financial operational data and clearly present conclusions and recommendations is essential.

The EAM must be willing and able to travel regularly to remote DRC field offices and project sites. S/he must have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all locations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Expatriate only:

This position is unaccompanied but is eligible for individual accommodation.

Goma is the provincial capital of North Kivu on the border with Rwanda and has nearly 2 million inhabitants. Living in Goma is comfortable, with grocery (food) shops, vegetable markets, butchers, restaurants/ bars, and sport gyms. However, water and electricity can be unstable. Mobile phone and internet coverage in Goma is fairly stable with good connections. Outside Goma travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity. While conditions in the country are improving, and security in Goma is quite stable, there are pockets of violence and insecurity.

The security situation in Eastern DRC is volatile and unpredictable at present, including in Goma. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country's infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. The Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices, and often guest houses. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are several health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme**.** 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.

Keywords

EthicsAssuranceManagerComplianceInvestigationsFraudCorruptionInternal ControlsFinancialOperationsRiskHumanitarianDevelopmentAccountability