Global HR Investigations Team Manager

Current unrestricted U.S. work authorization is required

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity a

nd build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

The Intake and Investigations department is a newly forming team which is tasked with the intake and investigation of all reports of ethics violations includi

ng fraud, corruption, and Code of Conduct and Global Human Resources complaints. The team is responsible for managing all phases of this process from intake to investigative conclusion and then works with senior leadership for case closure. The Intake and

Investigation department reports to the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and the board.

General Position Summary

The

Investigations Team

Manager

is responsible to allocate cases, manage caseloads, and support and conduct investigat

ions into allegations of violations of Mercy Corps' Global Human Resources-related Code of Conduct policies to effectively facilitate management decision-making, including consequence management. The Case Manager will supervise and support a team of dedica

ted Investigators and Co-investigators (field-based team members

trained to support

investigations) from receipt of an allegation, donor notification if applicable, through to submission of final investigation reports.

Essential Job Resp

onsibilities

Strategy & Vision

●

Manage investigations by ensuring adherence to established policy and procedures; anticipate challenges and risks and identify strategies for mitigation

.

●

Deliver quality results even under difficult or changing conditions

.

●

See ideas through to completion with determination, acting with sensitivity to timeliness, attention to detail, and consistency.

●

Ensure the capture of lessons learned from investigations for the agency to consider when revising policies, procedures, and t

raining

.

●

Identify and track data on investigations over time to inform learning, adaptation, and improvement of Mercy Corps' GHR-related Code of Conduct vi

olation prevention and response.

●

Lead and enables activities that enhance Mercy Corps' reputation for

analytical rigor; anticipates challenges and identifies opportunities.

●

Support and promote a strong survivor centered approach to investigations

.

Investigation

Management

●

Manage and track cases to support timely completion and to assist in mi

tigating investigative barriers.

●

Coordinate with other Case Managers on complex cases and workflow

.

●

Review investigation reports for completeness and clarity

.

●

Assess intake and investigation process as it evolves to identify opportunities for process improvement

.

●

Effectively manage external

investigators.

Investigation Communication

●

Provide full-cycle communication to complainant

.

●

Ensure timely and appropriate reporting of

incidents to donors, as appro

priate, including reporting to and managing communications with Offices of Inspectors Ge

nerals for U. S. Government donors and coordinating with Mercy Corps Europe to ensure proper reporting to European donors; manage communications, updates and case closure notifications with donors as appropriate

.

●

Provide initial case and case closure notifi

cations to Country Director, and other Mercy Corps team members where appropriate, i.e. security, compliance, human resources

.

●

Maintain appropriate confidentiality within the agency and with third parties

.

T

eam Management

●

Hire, orient and lead team members

as necessary.

●

Man

age remotely based investigators and co-investigators

, and coordinate with country leadership in diverse time zones

.

●

Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.

●

Assist team m

embers with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.

●

Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.

●

Create and s

ustain a collaborative work environment of mutual respect, where team members strive f

or the most ethical, effective

and survivor-centered investigations possible. Encourage a climate of idea generation, open discourse, and honest communication, creating

a trusting, inclusive team.

Influence & Representation

●

Maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including country teams, other headquarters functions, donors, and regulators. Build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside Mercy Corps at all levels.

●

Communicate effectively to ensure

overall project targets, and do

nor obligations if applicable,

are met.

●

Remain up-to-date on relevant trends, training, and activities in global compliance investigations within the humanitarian and development sector

.

●

Highest levels of personal and profess

ional ethical standards that set the example for the team and organization.

Supervisory Responsibility

●

Global Human Resources Investigator(s)

●

Global Human Resources Co-Investigator(s) (through dotted-line reporting)

K

nowledge and Experience

●

A

t least 5 years of experience as a trained and practiced investigator is required.

●

Demonstrated understanding of survivor-centric practice, donor, regulatory and sector-wide standards, expectations, and rules or ability to learn quickly.

●

At least 5 years' experience in human resources.

●

Experience working in humanitarian aid or developme

nt, either living overseas or spending a significant amount of time in foreign countries is preferred.

●

Previous supervisory experience and demonstrated ability to partner closely with direct reports and other team contributors.

●

Ability to navigate difficul

t circumstances with a calm demeanor and in a methodical, analytical manner.

●

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, effective organizational and interpersonal skills.

●

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of system do

cumentation.

●

Strong investigative skills that include the ability to act as a lead investigator, to include the interviewing of survivors, subjects of complaints, and witnesses, collection of potential evidence, and other related investigative skills.

●

Goo

d project management skills, with implementation experience.

●

English fluency required; strong preference for additional fluency in French, Spanish and/or Arabic.

●

Additional experience as an ethics officer, attorney, or similar position is preferred.

Succe

ss Factors

The success

ful Global HR Investigations Team Manager

 will have deep knowledge of the INGO environment; deep knowledge of best practice in conducting investigations, including knowledge on how to conduct internal investigations in the context o

f insecure and opaque environments, with varying cultures, languages, and education levels; and an enduring ability to move complex problems forward in a timely yet methodical manner. This person will have an utmost understanding of and appreciation for th

e confidential nature of this work. This person will have an abiding sense of empathy for the difficulties that INGOs face and an unwavering commitment to improvement in the face of these difficulties. They will have very strong project management skills a

nd will be adept at communicating with and motivating a diverse array of stakeholders.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Portland, Oregon and it requires up to (25%) travel to countries which may be listed as failed or

failing states. Travel for investigations is occasionally urgent, resulting in travel departure within days of notice.

Our Commitments

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they 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

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 team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.