Risk & Compliance Officer

Mission and objectives

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges. UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves. In particular, UNICEF will work so that: Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunised, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food. Every child learns. Every child is protected from violence and exploitation, and registered at birth. Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Context

UNICEF Pakistan implements a large program portfolio through a diverse network of implementing partners, vendors, and service providers across multiple field offices. Given the increasing scale and complexity of program implementation, additional capacity is required to strengthen risk management, compliance oversight, and verification mechanisms to ensure that resources are utilized efficiently, transparently, and in accordance with UNICEF policies and Scope of Work procedures. The Risk & Compliance Section provides independent advisory and assurance support to program !and operations teams across UNICEF Pakistan. The section is responsible for promoting a strong control environment, supporting risk-informed decision-making, and strengthening compliance with UNICEF policies and procedures. The UN Volunteer will be based within the Risk & Compliance Section and will support assurance, verification, and monitoring activities across program and operational areas, working closely with program sections, field offices, implementing partners, vendors, and service providers.

Task Description

The UNV will be responsible for the following: 1. Provide support to programme sections in strengthening vendor-related internal controls and ensuring compliance with UNICEF policies and procedures. 2. Identify programmatic, operational and financial risks through field visits, document reviews and data analysis, and suggest practical risk mitigation measures. 3. Conduct on-site and remote verifications of programme activities to ensure implementation is aligned with partnership agreements, approved workplans and UNICEF quality standards. 4. Review supporting documentation submitted by implementing partners (IPs) and service providers to ensure completeness, accuracy and compliance with financial and operational requirements. 5. Serve as a focal point for service providers in verifying deliverables, monitoring progress against agreed milestones and ensuring compliance with contractual obligations. 6. Support the development and improvement of tools, templates and standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at strengthening verification, documentation and reporting practices across the office. 7. Maintain regular coordination with the Risk & Compliance section, programme teams and field offices to ensure effective information sharing and consistent oversight practices. 8. Conduct periodic reviews of key operational processes at field level to assess the effectiveness of internal controls and ensure alignment with UNICEF policies, procedures and SOPs. 9. Undertake field visits to UNICEF-supported projects and implementing partners to Identify operational gaps, compliance risks and potential areas for improvement. 10. Facilitate or support training and awareness sessions for UNICEF staff, implementing partners and vendors on internal control practices and anti-fraud policies. 11. Work with programme officers and vendor focal points to follow up on recommendations arising from verification activities and risk reviews and maintain a tracking mechanism to monitor progress. 12. Support special verification exercises related to programme expenditures and prepare summary reports outlining key findings, risks identified and recommended corrective actions. 13. Utilize available data analytics tools to review operational and financial information, identify irregularities such as duplicate payments or unusual vendor activity, and prepare periodic compliance reports. 14. Provide additional support to the Risk & Compliance team on other assignments as required.

Competencies and values

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Building Trust, Communication, Creativity, Empowering Others, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Judgement and Decision-making, Knowledge Sharing, Leadership, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Working in Teams,

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UNV assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. UNV Field Unit will help you open a Pak rupee bank account with Standard Chartered Bank or any other local bank at your duty station. Assignment remarks: This is a national UNV assignment, and a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of PKR 183,920 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.