Senior Investigator (Head Of Unit)

The Office of the Inspector-General (OIG) provides oversight of FAO's programmes and operations through internal audit and investigations. The Investigations Branch (OIGI) investigates allegations of misconduct involving FAO personnel and allegations of sanctionable actions involving third parties. OIG's investigation mandate covers misconduct such as fraud, corruption, abuse of privileges and immunities; sexual exploitation and abuse; sexual harassment; workplace harassment and abuse of authority; retaliation against whistle blowers; or any other conduct not in conformity with the Standards of Conduct of the International Civil Service. OIG also prepares reports to the Director-General and Senior Management on lessons learned and proactive integrity reviews, and promotes policies and activities that enhance the integrity of FAO's operations. The OIG Investigation Branch (OIGI) consists of two units, both headed by a Senior Investigator (Head of Unit): Investigation Operations Unit and Investigation Analysis and Professional Practices Unit. OIGI staff would normally rotate between the two units.

The position is located in OIG's Investigation Branch (OIGI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The Senior Investigator (Head of Unit) reports to the Inspector-General or the Deputy Inspector-General, OIG.

Technical Focus

Investigations into allegations of misconduct and wrongdoing by FAO personnel and third parties and advice on enhancements to integrity policies of the Organization.

The planning and management of activities of the Investigations Branch with the objective to review or investigate allegations of fraud, corruption, sexual exploitation and abuse, workplace harassment and sexual harassment, and other types of wrongdoing, develop recommendations to improve internal controls over fraud risks and prevent violations of FAO policies, and promote policies and activities to enhance the integrity of FAO operations in accordance with the highest ethical standards.

Plans and manages the work of specialized or multidisciplinary investigation teams and supervises staff.

Provides critical input into the investigation programme of work and supporting operational framework including, policies, procedures, systems and best practices for the planning, conduct, evidence collection, report writing and follow-up of preliminary and full investigations at headquarters and the Decentralized Offices.

Directs investigation activities in response to allegations of fraud, corruption or misconduct in FAO programmes, projects and operations including third parties such as FAO suppliers and partners, reviews intake assessments, assigns investigations to staff/consultants and provides technical guidance to investigation teams.

Plans and conducts highly complex and/or special investigations and presents findings to the Inspector-General or the Deputy Inspector-General, and specific FAO units for action/decision-making.

Ensures adequate quality control of investigation outcomes and products before sign-off by the Inspector-General ensuring that investigation personnel adhere to operating procedures and quality standards of the office.

Directs and/or provides input into the preparation of statistics and periodic reports on investigation matters and analyses on investigation trends.

Develops lessons learned, conducts or supervises proactive integrity reviews, and develops recommendations for actions to prevent violations of FAO policies prohibiting fraud and misconduct with respect to staff members or third parties and promotes policies and activities that enhance the integrity of FAO operations.

Provides technical advisory services to managers across the Organization such as on sanctioning procedures for vendors/suppliers, development or revision of procurement policies, fraud and other misconduct policies, ethical conduct guidelines, the Whistleblower Protection Policy and various Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).

Leads, coordinates, and/or participates in Organization-wide working groups or committees.

Maintains effective liaison with legal and human resource services regarding specific cases and with external and UN investigators on cases/issues of mutual concern.

Plans and leads awareness and training activities on the prevention, detection and reporting of fraud and corruption in FAO and promotes best practices and capacity development with respect to the latest investigative techniques.

Contributes to OIG's quarterly and annual reports and other reporting requirements, including for donor reporting, as relevant to investigation-related activities.

Administers and controls a part of OIG's budget as delegated by the Inspector-General or the Deputy Inspector- General.

Performs other duties as required.

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law or in a subject associated with criminal and/or administrative investigations (candidates holding a first-level university degree in above-mentioned fields may also be considered if possessing two (2) additional years of relevant work experience in fact-finding/investigatory work and a professional qualification to practice law in a national/state jurisdiction).

Ten years of relevant experience in fact-finding/investigatory work, including in supervisory capacity, preferably, but not limited to, misconduct and wrongdoing by employees, suppliers and partners organizations, including fraud and other forms of corruption, using investigation techniques and procedures.

Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Results Focus

Leading, Engaging and Empowering

Communication

Partnering and Advocating

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Strategic Thinking

Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.

Work experience in an international setting is desirable.

Extent and relevance of experience in investigations including employee misconduct, procurement fraud and corruption, sexual exploitation and abuse, workplace harassment and sexual harassment.

Extent and relevance of managerial experience and demonstrated leadership skills in implementing an investigations programme of work.

Demonstrated ability to analyse relevant legal and procedural issues, as well as large volumes of complex evidence, including documentary and financial evidence.

Demonstrated experience in conducting interviews, delivering presentations, networking, building effective working relationships with stakeholders, and writing/editing complex reports.

Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.

Advanced knowledge and understanding of relevant investigative theories, concepts and approaches.

A professional qualification to practice law in a national/state jurisdiction is an advantage for candidates possessing an advanced university degree.


 

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FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

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• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO [link removed] and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
  
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
  
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
  
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ [link removed]. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings [link removed].  
  
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
  
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
  
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
  
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
  
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
  
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp [link removed]