Risk Officer
Organizational Context
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and building pathways to peace and prosperity. This role is situated within the Global HQ MENAEERO in Cairo, supporting the Risk Management Division and reporting to the Regional Risk Officer. The position plays a crucial part in enhancing risk management across regional and country offices.
Job Purpose
The Risk Officer will provide specialized advice and support for establishing and implementing risk assessment and management activities. This includes ensuring the application of controls and compliance with WFP policies and procedures, thereby contributing to the overall effectiveness of operations and the optimization of WFP resources. The role involves embedding risk management into planning and decision-making, regularly updating risk registers, and monitoring key risk indicators and mitigation actions. The incumbent will facilitate risk assessments, identify policy gaps, and contribute to the development of mitigation strategies. They will also serve as a liaison with oversight bodies, review risk management activities in strategic plans, and support incident escalation and fraud-related complaint handling. Furthermore, the role entails supporting donor engagement on risk-sharing, conducting assurance exercises, promoting accountability, and assisting with audit preparations. Training colleagues and partners on risk management and compliance is also a key responsibility.
Responsibilities
The role involves embedding risk management into organizational planning and decision-making processes. This includes maintaining risk registers, developing and monitoring key risk metrics and indicators, and tracking mitigation actions. The position requires active participation in risk assessments across various office levels to identify policy gaps, assess risks, and design mitigation strategies, while also evaluating internal control effectiveness. Collaboration with functional experts and committees is crucial for identifying trends, developing guidance materials, and linking risk information with oversight and evaluation data. The role also serves as a liaison with internal oversight bodies to ensure operational efficiency and compliance. Key responsibilities include reviewing risk management aspects of strategic plans, supporting timely incident escalation, handling fraud-related complaints, and acting as a liaison for investigations. Maintaining incident reporting systems, supporting donor engagement on risk-sharing, and conducting assurance exercises are also vital. Furthermore, the role involves providing expert advice on risk and accountability, promoting accountability across units, and preparing progress reports on control compliance. Support for internal and external audits, development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on the Three Lines Model, and strengthening oversight are expected. Promoting anti-fraud and anti-corruption policies, coordinating Business Continuity Management, and delivering training on risk management and compliance are also key duties. The role may also involve serving as an Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) focal point.
Work Experience
The role requires hands-on experience with international organization governance, structures, strategy, and initiatives. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in program/project management, team leadership (including recruitment, contract, and performance management), and capacity building. Experience in monitoring, reporting, performance metrics, risk analysis, and developing mitigation strategies is essential. Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy, are also required for facilitating inter-unit discussions.
Skills
Risk Management, Compliance, Internal Controls, Fraud Risk Assessment, Business Continuity Management, Training and Development, Reporting and Analysis, Policy Development, Project Management, Team Leadership