Date of last update: 08/05/2024 (Expiry date: 29/05/2024)
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.
Please note that not all types of contracts and advertisements are listed in cinfoPoste. Find all of them, including UNV positions, General Service staff and consultancies as well as specific programmes here.
Find in-depth information on careers with IFAD and related cinfo's support on cinfo.ch: Visit the organisation's profile
Verify your compatibility with this job ad
The compatibility is only an indication and should not discourage you from applying if you think your profile matches. It is also not taken into consideration for recruitment.
Organizational Setting
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.
The Office of Enterprise Risk Management (RMO), comprising two main units, the Operational Risk and Programme Delivery Risk Management Unit and the Financial Risk management Unit, is a dynamic, strategic and responsive service provider, leading IFAD's second line of defence by fully supporting the management of all risks across the organization. The RMO implements, monitors, and maintains an efficient and effective Enterprise Risk Management programme, supporting IFAD's strategic vision and mandate. The RMO aims to enable better informed risk taking by using consistent risk management best practices across the organization to achieve the Fund's objectives in the long-term and deliver on its development commitments. The Office is responsible for oversight and monitoring of risk exposures and enabling clear reporting of IFAD's risk profile.
The mission of RMO is to monitor IFAD's risk environment across all of its risk generating areas and oversee the design and implementation of the ERMF. RMO helps IFAD accomplish its Strategic Framework by bringing a consistent approach to monitoring and improving the risk Management process. RMO supports IFAD's strategic objectives and sustainable financial position from a risk perspective, especially the commitment to defend IFAD's credit rating.
The Chief Risk Officer reports directly to the President
Job Role
Chief Risk Officers are responsible for managing a division or office with a focus on strategic leadership, innovation and management. Most typically as a member of a departmental management team, they are responsible for managing and supervising the delivery of a division's programme of work within an allocated budget.
As the Chief Risk Officer, the incumbent supervises the risk managers and has management responsibility for the risk management teams. The incumbent serves as the senior executive in charge of the second-line-of-defence risk team and oversees risk management for all Level 1 risk domains, including strategic, financial, programme delivery operational, and cross-cutting risks such as reputational and legal. The incumbent has the independence and stature to challenge first-line risk management.
The Chief Risk Officer is a member of the Executive Management Team with a corporate responsibility for the Fund.
Key Functions and Results
1. STRATEGIC PROGRAMME DIRECTION AND IFAD'S MISSION: The Chief Risk Officer (CRO) leads the work of IFAD's Office of Enterprise Risk Management by providing strategic leadership and guidance to staff on IFAD's mandate. The CRO also guides the direction in the development and interpretation of major policies, regulations and rules, and systems that govern the work of a division and ensure they support divisional goals and objectives within the overall Fund mandates and strategies. They also serve as trusted business/programme advisors with a significant role in authoritative policy advice within the Fund at the senior management level as well as in policy dialogue in their representational activities.
2. ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND POLICY STRATEGY: The Chief Risk Officer acts as a champion for change, promoting and endorsing solutions to intractable challenges and has an entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry. They encourage evidence-based knowledge generation and its dissemination in all activities and contribute to resource mobilization activities and to evidence-based policy making at the international, national, and local level to advocate for the extreme poor and food insecure in rural areas. The CRO advocates the Organization's policy positions and expands the Organization's external visibility and positioning. In order to promote organizational change and keep abreast of technology advancement they set clear priorities for the Office and lead by example.
3. CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AND RESULTS BASED MANAGEMENT: The Chief Risk Officer leads and contributes to the corporate development effectiveness agenda and plans, monitors and leads IFAD's collaboration with its institutional partners and member countries on resource mobilization and corporate partnerships, in accordance with agreed priorities, approved programme/budgets, strategic objectives and corporate policies. They promote the development of rigorous evaluations, reviews, analysis, and lessons to inform IFAD's lending and non-lending portfolio (including country programme strategies, policy engagement initiatives, etc.), particularly on issues surrounding food security, agriculture, and rural development. The CRO oversees the development and implementation of the annual programme and budget of the Office in the context of IFAD's Strategic Framework and IFAD Replenishment Commitments and provides guidance in the assessment and reporting of corporate impacts of IFAD's funded project.
4. REPRESENTATION AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS: The Chief Risk Officer develops and maintains political and business relationships with key donor Member States and strong collaboration with strategic partner organisations, including borrowers, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, UN agencies, funds and programmes, international financial institutions (IFIs), non-governmental organizations and academic institutions, which among other partnership priorities, can help drive mobilisation of resources from the financial sector and private sector as desirable. CROs serve as designated representatives of the Fund in official United Nations committees and networks, and in IFls, multilateral and bilateral meetings, symposia, fora and Global conferences upon request of the President, and build organizational networks with peers in major private, public and international institutions.
5. MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES: Chief Risk Officers are responsible for ensuring the transparent, equitable, and efficient management of IFAD's resources, including human, financial, and material resources. This includes managing staff through workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, and career development. They are also responsible for managing the division's budget, ensuring accountability and fiduciary integrity. Additionally, they are responsible for managing material resources and promoting knowledge and content management to achieve innovative outcomes and cost-effective processes. Chief Risk Officers also leverage information technology to improve business results, reporting processes, and client services.
The key responsibilities of the Chief Risk Officer include:
Key Performance Indicators
Chief Risk Officers establish IFAD's priorities and provide leadership to division-level programme and operational management activities, ensuring a results-based approach to meeting assigned goals and objectives.
Leadership activities include the optimal utilization of human, financial, technology, and material resources for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
The Chief Risk Officer is responsible for IFAD's efficient enterprise risk management, providing strategic risk management leadership and assisting the President and Vice President.
The Chief Risk Officer works with the executive management team to establish risk management goals and strategies, overseeing their implementation to ensure IFAD's sustainability in delivering risk management services in support of IFAD-funded programs and projects.
Working Relationships
Chief Risk Officers are responsible for building and maintaining strong working relationships both within and outside of IFAD. Internally, they provide strategic advice to senior management and collaborate with other divisions to ensure effective coordination of programme planning and activities. Externally, they develop strategic partnerships with a range of institutions, including borrowers, development agencies, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations, for the purpose of programme cooperation, knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, and resource mobilization. Chief Risk Officers also represent IFAD in official committees, meetings, and conferences, and build organizational networks with peers in major private, public, and international financial institutions.
As a member of IFAD's 's senior management, the Chief Risk Officer, supports the President and Vice President in providing vision and risk management oversight, as well as risk reporting to governing bodies.
Job Profile Requirements
Organizational Competencies:
Level 2:
Education:
(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.
Experience:
Languages:
Required: English (4 - Excellent)
Desirable: French, Spanish and/or Arabic (3 – Good)
Skills:
Position Specific Skills:
Other Information
Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.
In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements. See here.
Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.
In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.
IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its IFAD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and IFAD policy to preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse
Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org
This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position:
Working hours (%): 80-100%
80-100%Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: 2 years
Macro-area: Work from anywhere
Level of experience: Executive Level
Area of work Definition: Leadership and Management
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations