Compliance Officer at Management Sciences For Health - MSH

Reference ID: R2213

Overall Responsibilities

• The Compliance Officer will conduct verification of internal controls and compliance of all financial and operational functions in the [specific project or country office].
• The position holder will verify that all staff are well versed in donor and MSH policies and procedures and are adhering to such standards.
• S/he will identify gaps in existing internal control systems and provide recommendations to strengthen them; will identify gaps in knowledge and skills; will provide recommendations for training.
• In coordination with the Senior Compliance Officer, s/he will develop a plan and evaluation tools, and then carry out independent appraisals and verifications of the effectiveness of MSH and donor policies, procedures and standards, and (country) law, by which MSH (country/project) financial resources are managed. S/he will review and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reliability of financial reporting, compliance with applicable laws, and the safeguarding of assets.
• S/he will plan, perform and report back on internal assessments to ensure that financial control, financial guidelines of donor organization, and other control procedures are in place and are being properly implemented and managed within MSH (country/project) offices.
• S/he will also be responsible for advising and monitoring quality standards of operations and value for money.
• S/he will follow up on recommendations from the internal and external auditors to ensure the recommendations have been implemented and adhered to.
• Under the leadership of the Senior Compliance Officer, in collaboration with the Director of Internal Audit (and MSH General Counsel, where necessary) s/he will conduct thoroughly documented investigations of whistleblower cases, and suspected fraud and will directly interface with the Senior Compliance Officer on these or other specific cases as may be assigned.

Specific Responsibilities

• Ensure that all MSH (country/project) financial and operational activities are in compliance with (country) law (tax laws, labor laws, and government pension agency laws), donor rules and regulations, and MSH policies and standards.
• Works with the Senior Compliance Officer to develop an annual customized compliance monitoring plan, including evaluation tools, standards, ethical considerations, and a schedule to evaluate all country/project functions, including remote staff/office locations, and to visit sites needing attention and further verifications.
• Supports the development of a compliance framework for the MSH country/project office; including compliance checklists for the various business processes, transaction classes, country laws governing NGO operations, and specific donor requirements.
• Periodically reviews and updates the compliance monitoring checklist and other tools to stay current with MSH procedures and policies.
• Examines the effectiveness of internal controls and compliance within MSH (country/project) policy framework and identifies gaps in procedures and controls systems and provides recommendations to the Country/Project Leadership Team for strengthening them.
• Tests internal controls, targeting high-risk areas, including Procurement Workshops, Vehicle usage, Inventory control, cash advance management, Payroll, and Fleet Management.
• Documents internal control weaknesses and compliance deviations and their impact and makes recommendations to address these weaknesses.
• Identifies gaps in knowledge and skills and provides recommendations for training.
• May be requested to provide training directly to staff.
• Prepares detailed reports of each compliance review and other task assignments, with prioritized findings and recommendations.
• Presents final reports to the MSH (country/project) Country Leadership Team after review and approval from Supervisor.
• When necessary, collaborates with the internal and external audit on investigations of whistleblower cases, suspected fraud, mismanagement, loss of assets, etc.
• Follows up on recommendations from the internal and external auditors to ensure the recommendations have been implemented and adhered to. Assists the Project Director and Finance/Operations lead in providing responses to ad hoc requests from auditors.
• Stays abreast of laws, directives, and current trends in the local legal and NGO environment.
• Provides risk assessment for financial and operational landscape. Identify high-risk, high-probability events, and provide recommended mitigation plan. Provide ad hoc risk assessments for specific scenarios by request.
• Provide ad-hoc advice, helping staff to achieve the goal of establishing sound risk management and internal control systems; offer practical advice on how best to comply with financial policy and donor guidelines.
• Conduct 100% review of project vouchers and documents monthly and provide immediate recommendations where necessary to address weaknesses and correct errors.
• Prepares quarterly Compliance review/verification, investigations, and status of audit recommendations reports for submission to Director Internal Audit and (country/project) leadership team, if applicable.
• Participates in meetings with Project Director and Finance/Operations Lead on a regular basis, or when requested.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Supervisor/Director of Internal Audit.

Required Minimum Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Business Management or a related area.

Preferred:

• Advanced Degree preferred
• Professional certification in Accounting, Internal Audit, and Fraud Examination

Required Minimum Experience:

• Six plus years of experience in compliance, risk management or audit required.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Extensive familiarity with Global Fund and U.S Government grant rules and regulations (USAID, CDC,) and/or other donor rules and regulations (E.U., DFID) is required.
• Experience in international development programs is preferred.
• Excellent planning, management, and organizational skills.
• Proven leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Professional proficiency in English required

Core Job Competencies:
Navigating the Environment:

• Perspective, Dealing with ambiguity, Organizational Agility, Political Savvy, and Strategic Agility

Ensuring Delivery of Results:

• Functional/Technical skills, Client Focus, Managing through systems, Managing and Measuring work, Negotiating, Information Sharing, Process Management, Priority Setting, Problem Solving, and Timely Decision Making

Core Personal Competencies:

• Ethics and Values, Integrity and Trust, Listening, Written Communication

Core MSH competencies:

• Adaptability, Communication, Problem Solving, Creativity and Innovation, Quality, Quality and Timeliness of Work, Quality of work and Team Relationships, Resource Utilization

Travel requirements:

• Availability to travel domestically and internationally as needed. Up to 50% domestic travel.