Operational Risk & Control Specialist – UNFPA West & Central Africa

About the role

The Operational Risk and Control Specialist supports UNFPA’s West and Central Africa Regional Office by providing guidance, technical assistance, and oversight on implementing partner risk management, internal controls, and fraud risk mitigation. The role ensures compliance with corporate policies, monitors performance, and escalates high‑risk issues as needed.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical advisor on implementing partner risk management (HACT), including due diligence, capacity assessment, monitoring, and fraud risk management.
• Provide consistent guidance to business units on adapting corporate risk policies to local contexts and selecting appropriate partnership modalities.
• Support business units in conducting risk‑based partner assessments, facilitating escalation for exceptions, and ensuring resource allocation for risk mitigation.
• Act as the first point of contact for technical support on partner assurance, ensuring up‑to‑date knowledge, compliance with policies, and use of dashboards and checklists.
• Collect, promote, and disseminate best practices in partner risk management across the region, addressing knowledge and capacity gaps through training and back‑stopping.
• Deliver regional quality assurance for HACT reports, including capacity assessments, spot checks, audits, and follow‑up actions.
• Monitor regional compliance and performance using data, reports, and dashboards; identify gaps, recommend corrective actions, and ensure targets are met.
• Oversee internal control and fraud risk processes, including assessment of the Internal Control Framework, segregation of duties, system access, and AML/CFT compliance.
• Provide guidance and capacity‑building support on the implementation of internal controls, anti‑fraud measures, and AML training for business units.
• Escalate significant internal control weaknesses or high‑risk partner issues to the Chief of the Quality Management Unit and the Regional Director, coordinating corrective actions with relevant headquarters functions.