Senior Risk Management Officer

UNRWA is the largest United Nations programme in the Middle East. It provides education, health care, relief assistance and social services to Palestine refugees. UNRWA is currently inviting applications from qualified men and women for the following opening in our West Bank Field Office in Jerusalem:

1-FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
In accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent, plans, designs and implements the risk management process for the department by developing operating models and analytical risk frameworks through a solutions-based approach to risk; undertakes risk assessment through managing the process of analyzing credit, legal, market and liquidity risks, in addition to identifying, describing and estimating the quantitative and qualitative risks affecting the Department in each of these spheres; provides risk evaluation reports through comparing estimated risks with risk criteria, vintage analysis, risk ratios and early warning indicators to identify costs, legal requirements, environmental factors and recommendations for controlling exposure to risk; provides segmented risk reports for different areas of management to ensure that managers and staff understand and are aware of the risks associated with their areas of responsibility and their accountability for such risks; develops the Department’s risk management system based on its computerized loan management information system to provide comprehensive information on activities which expose the department to various risks, the level of risk exposure and the degree to which the activity conforms to the approved policy and limits of exposure; contributes to process mapping by providing strategic guidance and risk mitigation recommendations to the DM and Chiefs on all identified risks emerging from the Department’s credit, operations, legal and market activities at both headquarters and field levels; maintains close collaboration with organizations developing risk management strategies to ensure as much coherence and sharing as possible; develops the Department’s medium and long-term goals and objectives as related to risk management and risk mitigation; is responsible for planning a continuous programme of risk management audit, inspection and investigation to ensure business processes are mapped with risk linkages defined, with measures to control and mitigated risk implemented; reviews and prepares responses to findings and recommendations of audit reports from internal and external auditors concerning different risks; documents and ensures communication of key risks and provides risk management support, education and training to management and other staff; monitors and advises management on the compliance of policy, procedures and manuals to standards, including liaison with internal and external auditors on risk management concerns and issues; performs such other duties as may be assigned

2-IMPACT OF INCUMBENT’S WORK
A - Importance of decisions and proposals made by the incumbent The incumbent is responsible for monitoring, analyzing and reporting on processes, policies and procedures to identify risks and manage threats to the Department’s organizational and business objectives. S/he has responsibility to recommend improvements and changes to these rules, regulations and manuals based on risk management assessments and findings, in coordination with the relevant staff. Once new rules and procedures are introduced, s/he will monitor and verify that risk mitigation changes introduced are operating effectively and implemented in compliance with procedures, manuals and other documents in all fields. The incumbent also has responsibility for proposing policy changes relating to risk management in headquarters and the fields. Poor risk management assessment and flawed recommendations or judgment could jeopardize the activities and objective of the Department
B-Possible consequences of involuntary errors made by the incumbent Errors made by the incumbent could weaken the performance of the Department and put at risk its credibility among its various stakeholders, including MD staff and UNRWA’s management.

3-INDEPENDENCE OF WORK
(A) Application of guidelines
The incumbent is responsible for monitoring and analyzing various risks in all sections of the MD that are operating in accordance with operational procedure manuals and relevant financial and administrative rules and regulations. The incumbent has responsibility to identify risk in these departmental activities in accordance with the annual work plan and to report and alert the relevant members of the management team at any time when intolerable risks are emerging. S/he has the freedom to recommend areas for risk management investigation and changes/ development to risk management procedures and guidelines and to ensure implementation after approval.

(B) Supervisory control over work of incumbent
The Senior Risk Management Officer is supervised by the Director of the Microfinance. The incumbent may develop approaches for review by the Director. The work responsibilities of the incumbent will be subject to the independent scrutiny by the Department’s external auditors and
UNRWA’s internal auditors.

4-MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
(A) Academic and professional qualifications

Advanced university degree in business administration, finance, economics or related discipline.
(B) Experience
Eight years experience in the application of knowledge acquired in 4(A) above, in risk management
with a commercial bank or microfinance organization, or, alternately, as an auditor with a senior audit firm.
Language
Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic.

Competencies
-Forward planning;
-Record of analytical, investigative and research skills;
-Knowledge of operations, credit financial and accounting procedures pertaining to microfinance
or banking institutions;
-Knowledge of credit, operations and market risks;
-Numeric and mathematic ability;
-Ability to work under pressure and deal with responsibility;
-Ability to understand complex legal and regulatory frameworks;
-Ability to understand complex financial products;
-Communication skills with the ability to write coherently, concisely and accurately;
-Ability to coach and transfer knowledge;
-Excellent ability in utilizing computer databases as a research and diagnostic tool.

5-DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
-Experience of multidimensional risk management or internal or external audits of microfinance institutions or banks;
-Membership in a professional risk management such as Association of Corporate Treasurers, Institute of Risk Management or any audit association.

6-ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
-The incumbent will be expected to travel on duty to any field of operations when requested and as outlined in the annual risk management plan;
-Possession of a valid driving license;
-The incumbent should have the willingness to work after normal duty hours and official holidays.

7-CONDITIONS OF SERVICE :
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including gross monthly salary starting at
JD 1102.8 (net tax free) plus An allowance of 510 NIS payable in JD at UNRWA rate as Jerusalem
Allowance plus 35% as Special Professional Officer Allowance; the Agency also contributes 15% of basic salary as the Agency’s share of Provident Fund. Other fringe benefits may include dependency allowance for married staff, annual leave, provident fund, health insurance. Initial contract is for 3 years; the first year is considered as probationary period, and the contract is extendable for further periods depending on the performance of the incumbent.

8-HOW TO APPLY
-Aapplicants are required to create a profile and complete UN Personal History form (P11) at http://jobs.unrwa.org. Please note that only applications received through this site will be considered. Deadline for submitting applications is 18 February 2011. No applications will be considered beyond this date.
-For further information, please call 0542168658 during working hours (7:15am – 14:45pm) – Monday through Friday.
-Appointment to this post is subject to probationary period of one year. Upon satisfactory completion of this period, appointment will be confirmed subject to continuing need for the post.
-With their prior agreement, candidates who are approved as suitable for appointment but are not the selected candidate for this vacancy, will be placed on the Agency's roster of pre-approved candidates for a period of up to one year, and may be considered for future vacancies in the same position. The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without re-advertising the vacancy.
-Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered
-Only candidates under serious considerations will be contacted.
-UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer.