Risk and Compliance Manager, P-4, Fixed Term

Job description

Job no: 593714
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Nairobi
Level: P-4
Location: Kenya
Categories: Operations

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Somalia operates in a highly complex environment characterized by protracted crisis, climate shocks, and evolving governance systems, where risks to programme delivery and fiduciary oversight are significant. Within this context, the risk and compliance function plays a critical role in safeguarding resources and ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable children and communities.

The operating context presents heightened programmatic, fiduciary, and operational risks, including constraints in access, reliance on partners, and varying institutional capacities. This requires strong risk identification, assessment, and mitigation measures, alongside reinforced financial assurance, robust oversight of cash transfers, and continuous strengthening of partner capacities.

The function supports transparent, accountable, and effective programme implementation through managing risks and ensuring compliance with established frameworks. Effective risk and compliance management is therefore central to protecting programme integrity, maintaining donor confidence, and enabling UNICEF to deliver on its mandate in Somalia.

Job organizational context

The Risk and Compliance Manager is to be positioned in Offices with significant and complex programmatic and operational risks and challenges which require a dedicated position to support the Senior Managers in making sure that resources are continuously, effectively and efficiently geared towards achieving results for children.

Purpose for the job

The Risk & Compliance Manager position will support the Somalia Country Office and will be outposted in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative, Operations, the position will be responsible for leading and strengthening risk management, assurance, and compliance efforts across the Somalia Country Office

They will be responsible for providing complementary expertise, support, and monitoring related to the management of risk, including but not limited to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of risk management practices at a process, systems, and entity level

They will ensure to lead the achievement of risk management objectives follows organizational rules and regulations, and acceptable ethical behavior; internal controls; information and technology security; sustainability; and quality assurance. Moreover, they will provide analysis and report on the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management and internal controls

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Risk management support

Lead the process of providing guidance and supporting the office in the annual risk assessment process and monitor the reliability of reports and their compliance with applicable rules and regulations

Lead the monitoring process of risk mitigation action plans including a mid-term review

Lead the office peer reviews process, undertake visits to project sites and field offices to verify the quality of performance

Ensure the risk management approach is embedded in any project/proposal, in office governance committees’ review of submissions and in any major decision made by the management

HACT Financial Assurance & Compliance

Lead the design and implementation of the HACT Financial Assurance Plan, ensuring effective use of donor funds

Ensure transparency, oversight of cash transfers, and strengthened partner financial capacity

Conduct and follow up on micro-assessments in line with workplans and programme needs

Support capacity building of staff and partners on HACT financial requirements

Develop and maintain HACT-compliant procedures, tools, and guidance

Ensure timely action and closure of findings from assessments, spot checks, and audits

Compliance support 

Lead the review process of the office systems, procedures and processes for compliance with organizational rules and regulations

Enforce and strengthen internal controls to ensure that systems are in place to prevent, detect and report non-compliance.  Support the process for the preparation of the annual Statement of Internal Control (SIC) by the office

Review and validate the internal work processes in Programme and Operations to ensure that accountabilities are clear and placed at the adequate levels as per global policies and/or best practices

Lead the establishment of a risk-based system to periodically and systematically review a sample of activities (Programme and Operations) to ensure they are carried out according to established work processes and in compliance with UNICEF policies and procedures

Lead the internal and external audit processes, conduct a quality assurance and follow-up on the implementation of the recommendations and provide feedback to the management

Periodically test compliance with the Table of authority and adherence to the delegation of authorities in line with UNICEF policies and Procedures; and ensure staff understand the roles and responsibilities delegated to them

Fraud risk Management support 

Support the management of the office in collecting evidence to respond to OIAI’s queries when initially assessing allegations of fraud and misconduct or during actual investigations

Advise the management on lessons learned from investigations and measures to be taken accordingly

Ensure the implementation of the global anti-fraud strategy, suggest internal fraud prevention mechanisms and alert the management on any fraudulent issues as well as unethical behaviors detected

Lead the process of Fraud risk training / orientation to Partners and suppliers

Oversight and advisory to the Management 

Advise the management on actions to be taken to enforce and strengthen accountabilities for a robust, responsive and transparent governance framework

Contribute to effective management process by participating in key governance meetings (particularly CMT, PMT, PCM and OMT and risk committee)

Maintain quality assurance for the partnership review committee and contacts review committee

Coordinate Risk assessment and control activities with other UN agencies by representing the office in meetings related to Risks and Compliance activities

Create awareness/capacity building

Establish a system to document and report weaknesses in internal control and implement actions aimed at addressing internal controls gaps (SOP, memos…) and building the capacity of responsible staff and partners.

Analyze cause and effect of policy changes to the operations of the office, anticipate changes and advise on the new way of doing business.

Lead the implementation of a continuous learning and development plan for the Risk and Compliance function.

Ensure that management provides staff with access to relevant training, and that staff and other personnel understand key UNICEF policies including PSEA, Fraud and Ethics.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have