Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have
long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
The Ethics and Compliance team supports and monitors ethical, contractual and legal compliance across Mercy Corp’s various affiliates and global operations. This team interacts with and supports all functional areas of Mercy Corps, including executive and senior management, programs, social ventures, policy & advocacy, resource development, safeguarding, finance, and
human resources, as well as the various functional areas that report into these departments. Within the Ethics and Compliance team, the Intake and Investigations team is responsible for the intake and investigation of all reports of ethics violations including fraud, corruption, Safeguarding, and Global Human Resources complaints.
The Position
Under the direction of the CECO, the Manager of Case Intake & Management will provide a vital role in the organizational response to allegations of misconduct, including documentation, complaint intake and
analysis, and coordinating communication between field offices, HQ departments and external partners during and after the conclusion of the investigation. The Manager of Case Intake & Management will also administer the effective and efficient operation of analyzing case statistics and trends, create metrics and trending information and provide investigation
technical support at case intake stage to headquarters and field teams. The Manager would also serve as the system
administrator for the Mercy Corps Case Management Database (currently Convercent) ensuring that users are trained and all investigation data is appropriately maintained.
Essential Responsibilities
Case Intake
- Daily management of Mercy Corps complaint reporting mechanisms to ensure timely and accurate responses to a high volume of allegations and inquiries;
- Conduct preliminary review of reports and verifications, including compilation and analysis of any documentary evidence submitted;
- Ensuring investigation Case Managers are timely notified of incoming reports;
- Undertaking follow up with reporters and other stakeholders as part of case intake and analysis function;
- Providing staff advice and guidance on policy and complaint reporting mechanisms;
- Ensuring coverage of intake during weekends and holidays.
Case Management
- Work with the CECO and the investigation team to coordinate case management activities, including case review meetings, referrals between internal stakeholders, and coordinating joint or shared investigative responsibility;
- Liaise closely with internal counterparts in headquarters, regional, and country levels to provide assistance throughout the donor disclosure and investigation process;
- Work with the investigation team to provide technical support to country teams as needed.
Reporting and Metrics
- Oversee the production, analysis, and presentation of intradepartmental weekly, monthly, quarterly, and related ad-hoc metrics, as requested by CECO;
- Develop quarterly and annual metrics to inform key stakeholders on compliance and misconduct concerns for Board Committee meetings, risk management, and strategic planning.
Data Analysis
- Identify and track trends;
- Measure operational efficiencies;
- Produce related reports and metrics.
Database Management
- Serve as primary administrator for the Mercy Corps’ Case Management Database;
- Manage access to the system, assessing access levels and resolving issues as needed, including user support;
- Audit system usage to ensure adherence to SOPs;
- Identifying system issues, making and facilitating changes to improve system functionality;
- Stay abreast of related best practices and work with the host to resolve issues;
- Work with the host and field staff, to conduct regular audits of the hotline phone numbers in each country where Mercy Corps is located.
Other
- Create and update existing SOPs for the Case Intake and Management process, as needed;
- Participate in and lead when required, in special projects and working groups;
- Act as the focal point for specific areas of expertise as may be required and/or delegated by the CECO.
Supervisory Responsibility
None.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Chief Ethics and
Compliance Officer
Works Directly With:
*Internal:* Investigations Case Manager-Safeguarding; Investigations Case Manager - Fraud and Corruption; Investigations Case Manager- Global Human Resources; Senior Ethics Specialists; Ethics and Assurance Managers; Investigator- Safeguarding; Investigator- Fraud and Corruption; Investigator- Global Human Resources; People Team stakeholders; other HQ units and Safeguarding field partners, such as Safeguarding Managers and Focal Points.
External: International representatives, partners, service providers, vendors as needed
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding
international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the
design,
monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- BA/S required; social sciences, accounting, public administration, or other related field preferred;
- Certificates or licenses: CFE/CFF/CPA/CA/CCEP a plus;
- Minimum 5 years professional experience; expertise in ethics and compliance, internal investigations, internal audit or related areas preferred;
- Experience conducting case intake/case management and data analytics in an office of inspector general or other law enforcement agency preferred;
- Demonstrated ability to improve and maintain excellent data integrity and standardization and ability to execute quantitative analysis and summarize data in informative metrics;
- Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality;
- Demonstrated understanding of fraud investigation principles preferred;
- Demonstrated understanding of a survivor-focused ethics and safeguarding approach preferred;
- Ability to work on own initiative both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure;
- Ability to exercise good judgment and proactively anticipate and flag issues;
- Ability to proactively identify and create processes necessary to support effective management in areas of responsibility;
- Excellent computer skills, including advanced Microsoft 365, Excel (VBA), and database management skills, with an affinity of mastering new systems;
- Excellent communication skills, including training and presentation skills;
- Extensive project management experience and proven ability to effectively manage relationships (e.g. with internal stakeholders, peers, donors).
Success Factors
The successful candidate is a well-organized collaborator. They have high cultural competencies, able to work with diverse team members and make evaluations with cultural sensitivity. They are able to manage a significant amount of information and navigate and track multiple work streams for the timely completion of work plan deliverables. Flexibility and willingness to engage in a wide range of support activities, including repetitive and detail-oriented tasks. The successful candidate brings a strong balance of logic and analytics and emotional reasoning, using their best judgment to assess difficult situations and be highly responsive.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
With the ongoing pandemic, the position is remotely based necessitating secure access to the internet at the candidate’s home. The candidate must be flexible to meet the international meeting times of the team, with early mornings and late evenings possible. Upon office reopening, the ideal candidate will be able to travel to either U.S. HQ in Portland or Washington, D.C., as necessary. Mercy Corps does not procure housing for the candidate and will be the responsibility of the candidate.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate
child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect
local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
