Risk Management Specialist / Head of RMOU Unit

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Resident Representative and direct supervision of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, the Risk Management Specialist plays a pivotal role in shaping the risk management capabilities of UNDP Pakistan projects and management processes.

S/he leads  the Risk Management and Oversight Unit (RMOU) in ensuring strategic planning, compliance and oversight of CO’s performance, anticipation and management of risks. The position holder provides expert and strategic advice to CO senior management and CO units on the integration of risk management into planning, project formulation and implementation, decision-making, and performance management frameworks. In carrying the duties, the Risk Management Specialist guides the continuous improvement of CO’s risk management processes, tools and frameworks, guiding the identification of best practices to strengthen CO’s risk management capacities and systems.

The position holder, as also Head of RMOU, will be responsible for the supervision, performance management and development of the RMOU and its team. The Risk Management Specialist is responsible for ensuring the oversight of CO’s programmatic and management performance, effectively addressing CO’s performance gaps, and guiding and quality assuring the work of the unit and its members.

The role is critical for the effective management of risks and integration of risk management measures in decision-making, day-to-day programmatic and management processes, partnerships, and quality programming. To be successful in this role, the Risk Management Specialist will have a strong background in risk management applied to international development programmes and operations. The position holder will have the ability to lead teams and manage performance gaps. S/he will bring team building and communication skills to effectively collaborate with stakeholders and colleagues, a positive and solutions-oriented attitude, ability to think outside the box to identify creative solutions.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across  interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions,  teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic analysis and advice on risk management:

• Advise CO senior management – such as CO Risk Committee, RR, DRR and OM – on decision analysis methods and design of risk responses to support high quality programming, performance management, stakeholders’ partnerships, and partners’ engagement,
• Lead in the analysis of the operating environment in country, complex and portfolio-wide risk exposures, trends, triggers, and work with CO units in developing risk scenarios and tailored responses across contextual, programmatic, and operational risk domains,
• Lead in risk anticipation, facilitation of trend analysis, scenario planning, stress testing, and horizon scanning to design early warning systems, contingency plans, and/or adaptation plans, in a multi-disciplinary collaboration with other CO business units and experts,
• Design and establish integrated mechanisms to interpret complex information, collect data, identify risks, monitor trends, and use corporate risk management tools for risk-informed decision-making,
• Technical advice on risk management, guidance to and close collaboration with CO units in assessing the interaction of multiple contextual, programmatic, and operational hazards for the design and implementation of quality risk-informed development strategies, programmes/projects, and policy directions, building resilience, and ensuring a ‘do not harm’ approach to programming,
• Advise CO teams in the development of effective risk treatments and establishment of controls,
• Evaluate the effectiveness of CO’s risk responses and perform post-mortem reviews and analyses of realized incidents to inform the design of risk management frameworks, processes, and tools,
• Lead and provide targeted advice to CO senior management and CO units on the implementation of UNDP’s risk management tools, policies and procedures and provide hands-on support in addressing gaps through a preventative approach,
• Consult the aid community and UN agencies in country on the identification and mitigation of common risks and best practices,
• Ensure effective collaboration with CO business units, regional and corporate experts, in assessing, managing, responding, and recording risks affecting the country and the UNDP CPD.

Development and continuous improvement of CO risk management  systems:

• Lead in the identification of gaps in the implementation of the enterprise risk management policy and procedures, including risk assessments, risk analysis for decision making, design and implementation of risk mitigation actions, risk escalation,
• Lead in the design and continuous improvement of CO’s risk management strategy, and accompanying tools, and business processes aimed at increasing risk management effectiveness, awareness and capacities in the CO throughout project design, implementation, and management processes,
• Ensure effective risk escalation process within the CO and corporately,
• Advise CO management on audits, risk allegations, escalation management, and investigations, and if needed, develop recommendations and lessons learned for management review and actions,
• Collaborate with CO’s business units in strengthening comprehensive risk recording and reporting through the available risk data, analyses, visualization, interviews, and research,
• Stay up to date with relevant trends and best practices, and apply them to the enhancement of CO’s risk management practices,

Effective oversight of CO programmes and management performance and team management:

• As Head of RMOU, act as primary focal point for compliance and oversight of CO’s programmatic and management performance, strategic planning, and risk management advice,
• Ensure technical guidance to CO units in the use of risk management tools (HACT, PSEA, SES, AML/CFT, assurance activities, project quality assurance, etc.), results-based management and reporting,
• Lead in proactively identifying performance trends, recognizing root causes, and addressing management performance gaps against the CO Business Plan and annual compact, corporate KPIs, audits, performance dashboards, investigations, quality assurance reviews, etc.
• Lead the RMOU team, the development of the unit’s work plans and objectives for team members, manage performance, and hold team members accountable for individual targets,
• Facilitate unit’s talent acquisition, coach, and assure the quality of the unit’s work, set and foster a positive and collegial can-do attitude.

Capacity building and knowledge management:

• Lead the development and implementation of the CO’s risk management learning plan,
• Develop and deliver modular risk management trainings, coaching and on-the-job support to CO business units and partners,
• Identify, collect, and share good practices and lessons learned practices on risk management approaches to enhance knowledge-sharing and transfer within the Risk Management and Oversight Uni across the CO, and regionally/corporately,
• Establish a network of focal points in the CO for the effective transferring of knowledge, sharing innovative solutions, and capturing lessons learned across the CO,
• Contribute to the improvement of corporate and regional initiatives, as and when required,

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Project Management, International Development, Economics, Public Administration or related field is required; or
• A first level degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Risk Management, Business Administration, Finance, Project Management, International Development, Economics, Public Administration or related field with a minimum of two additional years of relevant work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with a master’s degree) or 7 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in the design, development and deployment of risk management frameworks is required,
• Experience in working with senior leadership to advise / support risk informed decisions, partnerships, development of strategies and driving cultural change in risk management is required,
• Practical experience in using qualitative and quantitative risk analysis methods is required,
• Hands-on experience in embedding risk management into functional processes on project design and management, procurement, partners’ engagement, financial management, and partnerships is required,
• Experience in using enterprise risk management tools is required,
• Demonstrated ability to deliver under pressure and in short timeframes is desired.
• Experience in managing teams and facilitating cross-functional collaboration is desirable.
• Work experience within UN or other multi-lateral organizational settings in Pakistan will be an added advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English and Urdu is required

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/18007