Regional Risk & Compliance Technical Advisor CWARO

Job Summary

The Advisor II, Regional Risk and Compliance provides regional advisory leadership to strengthen risk management, compliance, safeguarding, and accountability practices across multiple country programs within an assigned region. The Advisor supports country and regional leadership by interpreting CRS policies, donor requirements, safeguarding standards, and global risk and compliance expectations; identifying recurring or systemic risks; and helping country teams translate requirements into practical, context-appropriate tools, guidance, and corrective actions. Working closely with regional leadership, country program teams, and global risk and compliance colleagues, the Advisor promotes consistent application of standards, supports escalation of high-risk or sensitive issues, analyzes trends across countries, and contributes to regional learning, management decision-making, and continuous improvement of risk and compliance systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide regional technical guidance and advisory support to country programs on risk management, compliance, safeguarding, fraud prevention, accountability, and ethical conduct, in alignment with CRS policies, donor requirements, and global standards.
• Advise country teams on interpretation and practical application of global policies, standards, procedures, and donor expectations, helping adapt guidance to country contexts without weakening required controls or compliance obligations.
• Support country and regional risk assessments by reviewing inputs, identifying cross-country trends and systemic issues, and advising on proportionate mitigation actions, escalation needs, and follow-up priorities.
• Provide technical input on significant compliance, safeguarding, fraud, incident, audit, and partner-risk matters, ensuring complex or sensitive issues are escalated to appropriate country, regional, and global stakeholders in line with organizational protocols.
• Develop, adapt, and promote use of regional risk and compliance tools, templates, guidance notes, learning materials, and practical job aids that support consistent country program implementation.
• Review and analyze risk, compliance, safeguarding, incident, partner, and audit-related information to identify trends, recurring issues, root causes, and areas requiring additional technical support or management attention.
• Prepare and contribute to regional reports, briefing notes, management updates, and learning documents related to risk management, compliance, safeguarding, partner oversight, and corrective action follow-up.
• Support country programs in strengthening safeguarding awareness, ethical conduct, reporting channels, accountability mechanisms, and timely response processes, including follow-up on agreed corrective actions.
• Coordinate with country, regional, and global colleagues to promote consistent application of risk and compliance approaches, share learning across country programs, and support alignment between regional priorities and global standards.
• Participate in regional and cross-functional discussions, providing country-level insights, regional trend analysis, and technical recommendations to support continuous improvement of risk and compliance practices.
• Advise on partner risk and compliance oversight by supporting partner capacity assessment approaches, corrective action monitoring, and follow-up on partner adherence to applicable CRS, donor, safeguarding, and regulatory requirements.
• Mentor and provide technical backstopping to country risk and compliance staff, helping strengthen professional practice, analytical quality, documentation, escalation, and evidence-based recommendations.
• Support country program submission and follow-up on corrective action plans arising from the Annual Internal Control Questionnaire process, including reviewing country inputs, tracking completion of agreed actions, and escalating overdue or high-risk items for regional management attention.
• Provide technical support to the Fraud Oversight Team on FAM cases, including review of investigation reports, management responses, donor notification or response letters, and related documentation to ensure consistency, completeness, and alignment with CRS protocols and donor expectations.
• Conduct regional-level risk and compliance review of agreements requiring Deputy Regional Director, Regional Director, or higher-level approval through the Agreement and Proposal Management process, identifying key risks, compliance considerations, and recommended mitigation actions before approval.
• Promptly follow up to close audit recommendations by collaborating with country program teams, developing audit closure action plans, ensuring timely submission of responses to HQ’s Internal Audit Department, and maintaining comprehensive audit report files for all internal and external audits.
• Provide risk and compliance reviews for donor proposals requiring regional review, advising proposal teams on compliance risks, partner or operational risk considerations, safeguarding implications, and practical mitigation measures to strengthen proposal quality and management readiness.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Governance, Ethics, Risk Management, Law, International Development, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years’ progressively responsible experience in risk management, compliance, audit, governance, safeguarding, investigations, partner oversight, or related operational risk functions, preferably in an international NGO or complex multi-country environment.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical support, advisory guidance, or oversight across multiple countries or complex operating environments within the assigned region.
• Experience aligning regional risk and compliance approaches with global organizational policies, governance frameworks, safeguarding standards, and donor requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Governance, Ethics, Risk Management, Law, International Development, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Professional certification such as CPA, CIA, CFE, CCEP, CRMA, or equivalent; strong knowledge of donor regulations and compliance expectations.

Required Languages: Fluent professional proficiency in English required; proficiency in French is strongly preferred.

Travel: Willingness and ability to travel up to 30% within the assigned region and, as needed.