Investigations Specialist

The Internal Audit and Investigations Group (IAIG) provides independent assurance and oversight to strengthen UNOPS’ governance, risk management, and internal controls, while ensuring accountability through impartial investigations of misconduct. Our internal audit function delivers assurance engagements across field offices and HQ units, advisory reviews of functions, processes, and cross-cutting themes, and targeted project audits - both financial and operational. We also offer ad hoc advisory services to management on strategic matters. Our investigation mandate covers credible allegations involving UNOPS personnel, including fraud, corruption, mismanagement, abuse of authority, sexual or workplace harassment, retaliation against whistleblowers, and violations of UNOPS regulations, rules, or administrative instructions. Through these core functions, IAIG helps safeguard organizational integrity, promote ethical conduct, and enhance operational effectiveness—ensuring that UNOPS delivers its mandate with transparency, fairness, and accountability.

The Investigations Specialist will participate in complex investigations of alleged misconduct, including procurement fraud, corruption, embezzlement, collusion, bribery schemes, harassment, conflicts of interest, and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). The Investigator will be responsible for planning and conducting investigations, gathering and analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses, and preparing detailed reports with findings and recommendations.

1. Investigation Planning and Execution

• Plan and conduct initial reviews and investigations of alleged misconduct.

• Lead the preparation of proposed work plans for review and approval by IAIG.

• Decide on the investigative tools to be employed.

2. Evidence Gathering and Analysis

• Gather, seize, and analyze relevant evidence (documentary, physical, electronic, etc.).

3. Witness Interviews

• Interview witnesses, victims, and subjects, using interpreters as required, in accordance with accepted best practices (ensuring reliable information and according due process).

4. Report Preparation

• At the completion of the assignment, prepare a detailed report setting forth the findings, supporting evidence, analysis and evaluation of the evidence, as well as recommendations for next steps.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders, both internally (other units) and externally (donors, etc.).

6. Policy and procedural development

• Contributes to the updating of policies, procedures, systems and best practices to support the planning, conduct, evidence collection, report writing and follow-up of initial reviews and full investigations

7. Training

• Participates in awareness and training activities on the prevention, detection and reporting of fraud and corruption in UNOPS. 

8. Travel

• International travel to UNOPS' offices, including field missions, may be required depending on the case. Such travel could include missions to hardship duty stations.

***To facilitate close collaboration with HQ team, the successful candidate is required to be available for at least 3 hours per day during working hours (Copenhagen time)***

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, accounting, or a related area.

• First-level university degree in combination with additional two years’ experience in conducting criminal and/or administrative investigations as an investigator (in addition to the five years of investigation experience required below).

Required

• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in professional investigatory work, law enforcement/criminal investigations, or related fields with a Masters degree. An additional two years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s degree may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree

Desired

• Experience with UN policies, procedures, and operations.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here [link removed]. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here. [link removed]
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.