Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

D

Non Family with Residential Location

Accra, Ghana

PR4

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Senior Risk Management Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Senior Risk Management Officer will be part of UNHCR Risk Management Network and will collaborate with the Head of Design, Development and Risk Management Service- Chief Risk Officer and colleagues in the network to ensure strengthening of risk culture across UNHCR. Special attention is paid to coherence, identification of systemic issues requiring a corporate-wide response and sharing of good risk management practices and lessons learnt.

The incumbent shall engage with internal stakeholders, including with the Bureau and HQ, as appropriate. As directed by their supervisor, the incumbent shall also engage with external stakeholders, including Government offices, partners, donors, and (for in-situ posts) contractors and refugee/host communities, to maximize collective efforts to manage risk and strengthen the accountability and the quality of services provided to forcibly displaced and stateless people.

For in-situ and roving positions (while on mission), the incumbent will be in the first line, supporting the Operation in risk management. S/he shall review the adequacy of risk management systems, structures, procedures and capacities within the Operation, make recommendations as appropriate, and assist management in their implementation.

For regional and situational positions, the incumbent will coordinate operations within their Area of Responsibility (AOR) in matters related to risk and oversight, as part of the second line. S/he will assess the adequacy of risk management within the Operations and provide advice, guidance and practical support. At the regional bureau level, the incumbent will work closely with, and provide guidance to the Director and bureau senior leadership team and other senior colleagues on emerging risks and related issues. The incumbent may manage relevant functions relating to risk management.

For HQs positions, the incumbent will work within the Enterprise Risk Management Service, supporting the organization-wide efforts to further strengthen the risk culture in UNHCR globally. S/he will work closely with colleagues in the ERM Service, HQ divisions and entities, the regional Bureaux, the UNHCR Risk Management Network as well as risk owners and risk focal points across the organization to enhance the application of risk management in the organization.

The incumbent may manage relevant personnel/functions relating to risk management. S/he reports directly to the Deputy/Assistant Representative in the Field or to the Senior Risk Management Adviser in a Bureau, or to a senior colleague in the ERM Service, with a functional reporting line to the Chief Risk Officer.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

All Senior positions:

• Support the effective implementation of UNHCR’s risk management strategy and policy and strengthening the risk culture in the AOR.

• Facilitate risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives.

• Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels.

• Promote the allocation of resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans.

• Identify and escalate where risks are outside of acceptable levels and propose and support actions to reduce the risk level.

• Advise and support on risk management and oversight matters, assisting relevant colleagues in discharging their responsibilities and accountabilities to manage risks in compliance with policies and procedures.

• Ensure risk management, ethical and integrity considerations are integrated into decision making, planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and contingency activities in the AoR.

• Promote collaboration of different functions within the operation/Bureau/divisions to address cross cutting risks and issues.

• Support the implementation of oversight recommendations to improve risk management, compliance and quality of outputs.

• Assess the risks of fraud committed by forcibly displaced and stateless persons in UNHCR’s protection, assistance and solutions interventions and support the completion of the Fraud Vulnerability Checklist, where applicable.

• Work with internal and external oversight entities, develop and implement procedures to collect relevant data and efficiently track and report specific issues, trends and cross-cutting matters representing a high risk to the Operation(s) under AoR.

• Prepare or review and input to management reports to external stakeholders.

• Train and build capacity of UNHCR teams and partners in risk management to strengthen the culture of integrity and accountability. Monitor and track ERM training participation.

• Support and promote ERM best practices through the risk management newsletter and risk management community of practice.

• Provide field- based support and guidance jointly with Headquarters for organisational risk management developments and initiatives.

• Provide regular updates to managers and other relevant senior colleagues on matters related to risk management, compliance and quality, including on emerging risks and opportunities.

• Analyse risk management and oversight findings and recommendations; identify lessons learnt and root cause(s) of recurring systemic issues; prepare summary reports, with recommendations,

• Undertake support missions as necessary.

• Represent ERM / UNHCR in various internal and external for forums related to risk management, as required.

• Perform other related duties as required.

In-situ and roving positions only:

• Coordinate and facilitate the risk review exercises with functional experts and management to agree on the operational risk register, and appropriate risk responses; facilitate, monitor and report on the implementation of agreed responses.

• In consultation with the Chief Risk Officer and the Regional Risk Adviser, assess the methodology, tools and practices related to the implementation of risk management activities in the operation to strengthen integrity, identify root causes of risks, and propose mitigating measures with a focus on prevention.

• Support the implementation of key risk mitigation actions in the operation.

• As required, follow-up on specific integrity, oversight and/or compliance matters and propose improvements.

Situational positions only:

• Support the Risk Management Adviser, or designated Risk Focal Point in the bureau in coordinating and quality assuring the risk review exercise in the operations under the AoR, monitoring that appropriate action is taken to mitigate the identified risks.

• Contribute to the implementation of the cross-functional risk-based regional oversight monitoring plans of operations under AoR through missions and desk reviews.

• Contribute to the analysis of risk management and oversight findings and recommendations.

• Contribute to the regional risk report, summarizing key oversight themes and using risk information to highlight the highest risks, identify lessons learnt and root causes. Recommend improvements and enhancements on matters requiring management action or intervention.

• Conduct risk-based monitoring and support missions to countries under their AoR to assess the adequacy of risk management systems, structures, procedures and capacities Report back to the Senior Risk Management Adviser in order to help improve risk management methodologies, tools and practices.

Bureau positions only:

• Provide feedback to all operations on their risk assessment process; monitor that appropriate action is taken to manage the identified risks and opportunities.

• Identify and/or support the implementation of the cross-functional risk-based regional monitoring plans of operations under AoR..

• Contribute to the analysis of risk management, and oversight findings and recommendations. Produce regional risk reports, summarizing key themes and using risk information to highlight the highest risks at the regional level, identify lessons learnt and root causes.

• Assess the adequacy of risk management in order to help improve risk management methodologies, tools and practices. Provide remote support, or participate in missions, as required.

• Provide operations in the AOR with technical support and guidance in risk management as required; identify, monitor, and address and/or elevate emerging issues and risks to the Bureau Director and Chief Risk Officer.

HQ positions only:

• Promote the broader use of the risk management methodology in the organization through identifying opportunities for further integration of risk management into UNHCR’s policies, processes, training programmes and other initiatives.

• Support the Regional and Situational Risk Advisers, and the Chief Risk Officer in the quality assurance process for operational risk registers.

• Support regions and operations, as required, based on requests for dedicated support missions or remote support around risk management and risk assessments.

• Provide analysis on trends on risks at the global level.

• Contribute to global ERM workstreams and initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Business Administration; International Affairs; Political Science; Risk Management;

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Prince2-Project Management;

HCR Risk Management Basics & ERM Programme;

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Relevant experience in risk management compliance and quality of results. Knowledge of and working experience with Enterprise Risk Management frameworks. Experience in quality assurance and monitoring. Experience in decision making that requires excellent judgement with proven ability to deal with complex interrelated issues and strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop solutions that address root causes. Experience in high level communication with strong interpersonal and writing skills. Proven experience in in collaboration, team building, capacity development and with ability to deliver quality results on time. For field-based positions, experience in UN or humanitarian field operations and emergencies in various geographical locations and multiple functional areas. Demonstrated high level of integrity, objectivity, impartiality, and fairness.

Desirable

Good working knowledge of UNHCR’s mandate, field operations, organizational structure, and policies & procedures.

Functional Skills

*RM-Risk Management;

TR-Training and Capacity Building of senior leadership and management;

DM-Data Collection and Analysis;

PG-Results-Based Management;

SC-Quality Assurance/Control/Management;

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Planning and Organizing

Technological Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Essential attributes:
• In-depth experience in risk management
• Experience conducting specialized risk assessments, with a focus on contextual, programmatic, and reputational risk in humanitarian settings.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic guidance to regional bureaus and country operations on risk identification, assessment and mitigation
• Relevant professional certifications, such as international certification in risk management (e.g., IRM, PRMIA), PRINCE2, and/or Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
• Proficiency in French language

Desired attributes
• Experience in delivering advanced risk management learning, both virtually and in-person
• Humanitarian experience and work in the region

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Sahel region is experiencing rapidly escalating insecurity driven by armed groups, deteriorating governance, and expanding cross‑border violence, particularly across Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Attacks by NSAG networks have intensified and spread southward, increasing pressure on national systems and humanitarian responders. Humanitarian needs continue to rise amid widespread displacement—more than 5.7 million people are forcibly displaced across the Sahel—and essential services remain heavily disrupted by conflict, climate shocks, and weakened state capacities. These factors create substantial operational, programmatic, and fiduciary risks, exacerbated by strained political cooperation and shifting regional alliances. In this volatile landscape, strengthening risk governance is essential to safeguarding UNHCR’s ability to deliver protection and assistance effectively and in a principled manner

Based in Niamey, Niger and due to the situational nature of the position, the incumbent reports to the Senior Risk Management Officer in the Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, Senegal, and with technical functional reporting line to the Chief Risk Officer in HQ. The incumbent will play a key strategic and operational role in strengthening risk management across all countries responding to the Sahel situation (Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali). The incumbent will work closely with, and provide direct support to the Representatives and senior leadership of the three countries, ensuring that robust, coherent, and context‑sensitive risk practices are embedded across all levels of the response. This role requires working under difficult and dynamic conditions and undertaking regular field missions across the area of responsibility.

The incumbent will serve as a critical member of the Risk Management Network and collaborate with the Chief Risk Officer and other regional and headquarters stakeholders to promote a strong risk culture within UNHCR. This includes identifying and addressing systemic risks that may warrant corporate-level attention, facilitating the sharing of lessons learned and good practices, and supporting the implementation of organization-wide risk initiatives in the context of the Sahel situation.

The Senior Risk Management Officer will provide technical guidance, and coordination support to all risk focal points in the Sahel situation countries. The incumbent will act as both a resource and a convener, fostering coherence, capacity building, and peer exchange across the network of focal points to ensure consistent and effective application of risk management standards.

A core responsibility will be to support operations in strengthening their first-line responsibilities by reviewing the adequacy of systems, structures, and internal controls, and by advising on mitigation measures to address emerging risks. The incumbent will also support the second line by working in close coordination with the Bureau’s Senior Risk Management Officer to provide risk management advice, and surge support, when needed. The incumber may act as OIC for the Regional Bureaux Risk Management position as well.

The role requires a high degree of strategic thinking, flexibility, adaptability, and sound judgment, as well as strong leadership, interpersonal, and diplomatic skills. Given the dynamic and complex nature of the Sahel situation, the incumbent must be adept at navigating diverse operational contexts and stakeholder landscapes while promoting a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement across the region.

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: International Affairs, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Risk Management

Certifications

HCR Risk Management Basics & ERM Program - UNHCR, Prince2_Project Management - AXELOS Ltd

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position requires Functional Clearance