Compliance and Risk Coordinator at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, emergency food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Compliance and Risk Coordinator

Job Identification Number: 7456
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Job Category: Risk Management
Reports To: Country Director
Supervision of: Compliance Assistant and Other new staff to be recruited
Travel: 40%
Duration and Type of contract: Until December 31st 2022 - Renewable

Job Description

• We are committed to fulfil our compliance obligations and requirements in order to mitigate risk, increase accountability and improve quality.
• To facilitate this commitment, a Compliance officer position was introduced in 2017 responsible to work on agreed objectives to mitigate risks, improve country compliance level to NRC and donor regulations and law of land.
• Keeping in view its expanding budget portfolio, geographic locations and funding base with additional donors on board NRC Nigeria is considering to further strengthen its compliance and risk unit to meet the future growing needs headed by Compliance & Risk Coordinator directly reporting to Country Director.

Generic Responsibilities

• Support the CD and the CMG by ensuring:
  • That risks in the CO’s operations are identified, assessed and controlled effectively
  • CO’s compliance within high-risk areas/issues, by:
    • Identifying such high-risk areas/issues;
    • Conducting regular compliance checks on the said areas/issues (e.g. spot checks);
    • Reporting regularly to the CD and the CMG on compliance issues; and
• Support in implementing compliance improvement measures throughout the CO.
• Support the CO with maintaining and updating all risk management and compliance related CO registers, namely the CO Risk Register, Waiver Register, Recommendations Tracker and Standards Operating Procedures (SOP) Register.
• Support in-country function leaders (Head of Support, Area Managers, Head of Programmes, Health Safety and Security Manager) with implementing compliance improvement measures related to high-risk areas/issues.
• Support function leaders in the CO with ensuring that all SOPs in the CO are aligned with policies and regulations not related to a specific function, are coherent with other SOPs throughout the CO and NRC and follow basic quality principles.
• Support the CO’s focal point for audits in the coordination of the work among the different CO's sections/units to respond to external audits initiated by institutional donors and to facilitate the follow up of these audits’ recommendations.
• Provide training and support to CO staff on the following: i) Areas of expertise held by the R&C function at HO (Risk management, compliance, Anti-corruption, Data Protection, Code of Conduct, legal and complaints management) and ii) compliance with regulations not specific to a given function (i.e. SSD, COTER, sanctions).
• Contribute to the development of NRC’s risk management framework by documenting lessons learned and best practices in the CO.

Specific Responsibilities:

• The work and facilitate for any investigations or fact-finding missions in line with Management’s direction.
• Work as a focal person for Securing Supporting Document Initiatives (SSDI) in the country programme and will work (where assigned) as Audit focal persons especially managed from regional office or HQ.
• To support Management to oversee internal controls in place, effectively work and ensure NRCs policies and donor regulations are being followed across the country program, including by all program department, support function, partners etc.
• Work in collaboration with support function managers and advise, follow up for compliance to local laws e.g local Tax law, labor law both at federal and state level for different offices.
• Work to review certain acceptable percentage of total number of supporting documents as agreed with HoS on monthly basis and submit a report together with follow up status of previous recommendations to management and all concern with an objective to enhance compliance & quality. This review may include but not limited to:
  • Assist in Conduct quality check for all procurement, purchases, recruitment, payments documents etc
  • Check that all financial transactions are coded as per chart of account with the correct Donor, account, activity and location codes and carry appropriate review and budget holder’s approval.
  • Work to ensure that required vendors are vetted through Watchdog prior to payment.
  • Check that all supporting documents are duly available for all transactions and a proper audit trails are established for all procurement and financial documents attached.
  • Ensure that all financial documents are clearly stamped with Donor codes, paid stamp before archiving.
  • Check that NRC Nigeria is complying to all donor regulations in each transaction and highlight if something is not followed properly.
• Conduct spot checks as assigned by line manager to ensure internal controls are working effectively and to ensure optimum compliance and adherence to NRC and donor guidelines.
• Where weaknesses in controls or application of controls are identified, recommend action to remedy the situation to the line manager and will ensure appropriate reporting to/follow up with central risk owners to ensure central support for country/area level remediation.
• Coordinate and support to ensure that program/ beneficiaries data correspond with financial and logistic reports – follow up with relevant manager to have completed reconciliation of deliverable and transaction checklist documents with all the supporting documents in office 365 and/or Unit4.
• Help management to keep updated consolidated country risk matrix and to keep a track of progress/implementation on recommendation by different external & internal auditors (including project auditors) and also what was agreed/highlighted in “consolidated country risk management matrix”.
• Work with all the support managers and other concerns in a collaborative and coordinated way to ensure compliance level and quality of output is improved through teamwork.
• In coordination with line manager, carry out trainings & refreshers for staff, Partners etc. about different NRC policies for example NRC Anti-Corruption policy, Securing Supporting Documentation Initiatives (SSDI), Compliance Awareness etc.
• Based on gained knowledge through regular review of documentation and completing different checks recommend the workable ways to ensure economy and get value for money in each transaction.
• Line Management of Compliance Assistant – including the performance management including objective setting, training and development, mid & end year performance review etc.
• Follow up on any other duties as assigned by line manager.

Qualifications

• Have relevant qualification for example Master's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration or equivalent – any other professional qualification like ACA will be preferable.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience including 2 years preferable with an audit firm.
• Professional knowledge of compliance and risk management and institutional donor regulations.
• In depth knowledge of issues relating to compliance within a complex international aid agency or humanitarian organization like NRC with multi funding source including of an oversight and control role.
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Knowledge and understanding of a wide range of related disciplines (including finance,  Grants Management, logistic, HR,  programme implementation, risk management, safeguarding, security)
• Excellent analytical & negotiation skills
• Documented/proven results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Self-awareness- Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Application Closing Date
26th August, 2022 (01:00AM).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Additional Information

• This position is open to National candidates only. We invite applications from all qualified and interested candidates. Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications may be screened prior to the vacancy deadline. 
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply and to Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility